Sojourners Magazine Article on Soulforce Equality Ride

[Jamie McDaniel]

From the September/October 2006 issue of Sojourners Magazine

Mutual Grace: Gay rights activists seek - and find - dialogue on (some) Christian campuses.

[BruceChris]

So dialogue with those who are not acccustomed to seeing gays and lesbians as equally loved children of God does not always result in condemnation , denial, or withdrawl. Just because we often see a correlation between beliefs that are variously conservative, closed minded, judgemental, fear based, or in a state of nostalgia/denial, often leading to feelings of superiority, and ultimately oppression, doesn't mean it is always so.

And yet somehow I seem to see such a great correlation that I am so easily tempted to start with just that assumption. My own personal learnings have lead me to believe that the only way to have a life without contradictions is to be both liberal and loving. I may edit this.

(edit) At least as important as how flexibly minded tha administrators of a school are is the question of how much academic freedom actually exists at the school.

P&L, Chris

[Daniel]

Jamie- what an interesting article. It's a progressive magazine as far as social justice is concerned and I only hope that they will add GBLT persons to the blurb on their history page.

Originally Posted by Sojourners

Sojourners includes evangelicals, Catholics, Pentecostals and Protestants; liberals and conservatives; blacks, whites, Latinos, and Asians; women and men; young and old. We are Christians who want to follow Jesus, but who also sojourn with others in different faith traditions and all those who are on a spiritual journey. We reach into traditional churches but also out to those who can't fit into them. Together we seek to discover the intersection of faith, politics, and culture. We invite you to join, to connect, and to act. Welcome to the community.

We belong there.

[kara speltz]

Originally Posted by Daniel

Jamie- what an interesting article. It's a progressive magazine as far as social justice is concerned and I only hope that they will add GBLT persons to the blurb on their history page.



We belong there.

Dear Daniel: Sojourner's is a progressive magazine for the most part. And my guess is that they are very, very slowly beginning to acknowledge the struggle of LGBTs. I know in the past that Jim Wallis has opposed gay marriage, which was really hard for me as I respect him on so many levels. I understand in his latest book he's made some further statements that are fairly supportive of us.

And it's important to understand that often, until someone we know and love comes out, acceptance is a very slow process of changing one's understandings.

Even within Mel's family, that has been true. While Mel's Mom and Dad, loved and appreciated Gary, a significant step occurred just two summers ago when Mel was named the Grand Marshall of the Santa Cruz Gay Pride celebration. Mel asked his dad to ride with him in the parade and Carl said no, that it would interfere with his work as a minister in Santa Cruz.

You have no idea how much that upset Mel. He tried not to let on, but he was absolutely furious. However, Carl did agree to come with Mel and me to a conference Mel was speaking at regarding welcoming LGBTs into the spiritual community.

There we met a young woman, Melissa, who told us she had read, "Stranger at the Gate," with a razor blade in her hand! She was the daughter of a Baptist minister and her father had totally rejected her.

Melissa spent a good deal of time with Carl that afternoon telling him her story. On the ride back Carl was very quiet. Later on he told us that he had decided to ride with Mel in the parade. Carl continues to take more and more small steps in overcoming his fundamentalist understandings.

Mel's story, I think proves to me that we should never give up on anyone.

kara