Shameless Pride

by Isaac Archuleta As a shame-filled 20-something, I would recite the New International Version of Philippians 1:20 as my prayer for perfection: “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life…

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The Hard Lesson of Suicide

by Rev. Tessie Mandeville The Cathedral of Hope was honored to have Mary Lou Wallner with us this past Sunday May 11, 2003, in Dallas and Oklahoma City. Mary Lou shared her story of tragedy and how God helped her transform that tragedy into healing, not only for herself but for thousands more. Mary Lou’s…

When Matt Became Jade

Many at Northern Secondary School were surprised when Matt H. announced last year that he was running for student council president. A somewhat lonely boy, he didn’t fit the model of the popular, extroverted student leader. Everyone seemed to know the outgoing president. Matt was more reserved – he liked playing on-line games and writing….

Scott Williamson Catches a Glimpse of Heaven

Scott Williamson is one of the most positive individuals I have ever met. His amazing ability to see the glass half full is unparalleled and makes him well-liked by anyone who knows him. Despite some less-than-ideal circumstances surrounding his life, Scott remains upbeat and committed to his favorite verse of Scripture which says, “For I…

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Johnathan’s Journey to Marriage

I am writing about our gay son, Johnathan’s journey to marriage, to bring hope, faith, courage, and patience to others who are lonely and frustrated along the path. Johnathan has Autism, specifically, Asperger’s Syndrome. He is high-functioning and has his bachelor’s degree. He has worked for Nintendo, Pokeman, and Microsoft for years as a video…

Gay and Catholic – by Darren Theoret

by Darren Theoret Ottawa, Canada The following is the letter I emailed to my friends, family and Catholic Church officials advising that I have decided not to become ordained as a Deacon. It is dated 16 January, 2008. When I rededicated my life to the Lord, I was 19 years old and living a very…

A Little Woman With Big Dreams

by T. James Like many, I grew up in a Christian household. We went to church every Sunday, said prayer before bed, and went to Vacation Bible School during the summer. I had the typical Christian childhood. Then one year puberty hit, and I started noticing that girls made me a little more nervous than…

A Priest’s Confession

“I knew at a very early age that I was different.” THE PRIEST’S heart was pounding in his chest. His hands were icy cold. He was nervous. More than usual. The pews were nearly full as they are most Sundays as he walked up the middle aisle of St. Joseph Basilica in Alameda to celebrate…

Un-sync-able

…it starts with a niggle in the deep recesses of your soul that all is not quite right with the world as you know it and from there it grows… and there was I… one day I realised I was no longer in sync with my world, my family and the church culture I’d been…

A Miracle of Healing

by Mike DomĂ­nguez (aka “Acorn”) I was born in 1973 and raised by my aunt and grandmother in a tiny fishing village called Delacroix Island in St. Bernard parish on the outskirts of New Orleans. My mother had married a Pentecostal preacher with five children, and believed my aunt and grandmother would be able to…

Little Bad Falls – Brother Lawrence Damien Cos

For many years I have been on a journey.  This journey began with my being raised in a Congregationalist church. Then I became “Born Again” and became an Evangelical.  That was followed by my being “Baptized in the Holy Spirit” with the evidence of speaking in tongues.  Thus I became a Pentecostal/Charismatic preacher for 34…

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Attorney and Plaintiff in the First Same Sex Marriage Lawsuit of the Modern Gay Rights Movement

by Craig Dean Perhaps no topic stirs the imagination as the legalization of same-sex marriage. In this veritable minefield of tradition versus progress, twenty years ago attorney Craig Dean filed the first discrimination suit to legalize same-sex marriage in over forty years when his marriage license application to his partner was denied by the District…

My Salvation is Based on Christ Alone

by William Spangler I am 46 yrs. old. I grew up in VA. right on the Bible Belt. I attended a Pentecostal church. I was miserable. During all my young adult life I had to suppress my real self. I constantly felt condemned, I witnessed firsthand the shame my church brought upon others who dared…

Why I Wear A Red Ribbon

People often ask me why I wear a Red Ribbon. Some people ask the question simply to find out what the ribbon means, but other people are really asking a hidden question: they wonder what experiences in life has moved me so that I would want to wear a Red Ribbon, a visible reminder to…

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Gay Pride – by Rick James

Every once in a while I have people ask me what my multicolored (rainbow) wristband means. My usual response is: it means that one is either gay, or gay friendly. I don’t usually tell them that “it’s a pride thing,” although it would be an accurate statement. My typical response is usually enough information for…

Reflections of a Gay Boy

This morning, I received my daily visit from a community nurse, who is coming to terms with the suicide-death of her adult, gay brother. In an attempt to help her, and to explain the shameful and desperate aloneness, involved in growing up as a gay man, I have decided to commit to paper a reflection…

Gay and Christian – Ray Vester Proves You Can Be Both

RALEIGH – Ray Vester was raised in a Pentacostal Christian home in Rocky Mount, N.C. It was there that he developed a devotion to the music and teachings of the Christian religion. At the age of 19, he recorded his first record, “Come Soon Jesus,” which was released in 1979 and subsequently re-recorded by several…