MyOutSpirit.com Gay Spirituality Blog

‘Art That Dares’ named Lammy finalist

Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More by Kittredge Cherry has been named a finalist for the 20th annual Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the Lammies.

Kitt also participated in a reading by Lammy finalists in West Hollywood on May 8.  See the video or click here for more info on the reading. 

Lammy winners will be announced May 29 at a gala ceremony in West Hollywood, CA.  The glamorous event is the queer literary version of the Academy Awards.

The awards recognize excellence in the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender literature.  They are considered to be the highest honor for a book from the GLBT community

More than 80 judges -- writers, journalists, booksellers, librarians, professors -- chose 107 finalists in 21 categories this year.  Finalists were chosen from 463 books nominated by 190 publishers.

Art That Dares is one of five finalists in the LGBT Arts and Culture category.  It’s up against Harvard University Press among others -- quite an accomplishment for a small start-up queer press. 

Three legendary figures of the LGBT literary community will receive Pioneer Awards at this year’s ceremony.  They are Ann Bannon, author of the Beebo Brinker lesbian fiction series;
Mark Thompson, author of Gay Soul; and Malcolm Boyd, Episcopal priest and author of Are You Running With Me, Jesus?

Art That Dares is packed with color illustrations by 11 contemporary artists from the U.S. and Europe.  Art that dares to show Jesus as gay or female has been censored or destroyed.  Cherry gathered these beautiful, liberating, sometimes shocking images into a book to ensure that they would be available.  In the book, the artists tell the stories behind the images and the introduction puts them into political and historical context, exploring issues of blasphemy and artistic freedom.

For tickets and more info, visit LambdaLiterary.org.

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Kittredge Cherry blogs at the Jesus in Love Blog and edits the Jesus in Love Newsletter on queer spirituality and the arts.  She offers GLBT and progressive spiritual resources at JesusInLove.org. 

Presbyterian Highest Court Clears Spahr of Censure

Tiburon, CA – Today the Presbyterian’s General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) reversed the two-year-old Synod decision to censure Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr for her role in marrying same-gender couples. Today’s decision held that the Presbyterian constitution contains no prohibition against marrying same-gender couples.

“I am grateful that the Commission let stand the Presbytery’s original ruling which affirmed my ministry,” said Rev. Spahr. “The Church is a place of welcome and hospitality in which I will continue to honor relationships of love and commitment, regardless of sexual orientation.”

Surprisingly, by a bare majority, the decision – while clearing Spahr – attempted to set forth language that could be interpreted to preclude such marriages in the future. 

In a dissent signed by five Commission members – a significant minority – the members stated, “It is not the place of this Commission to go any farther and step into the legislative realm…In rendering it’s decision, the majority has taken the liberty of legislating in the guise of interpreting inconsistencies” within the constitution and current case law.

“We are deeply troubled by the majority’s insistence on reading any language into the constitution that renders these marriages anything less than fully equal.” said, Sara Taylor, Rev. Spahr’s attorney.  “By this act, the majority exceeded its judicial authority with respect to marriage in this denomination.”

“I will continue to honor my calling to perform marriages for all couples who love one another and are committed to one another,” said Spahr. “To not perform these marriages would go against my faith, my conscience and most importantly, against God.”

The Judicial Commission’s ruling marks the end of a four-year legal journey for Spahr that began in 2004, when she was charged by her local Presbytery for performing same-gender weddings. The ruling by the Redwoods Presbytery Permanent Judicial Commission originally affirmed Reverend Spahr, ruling that performing same-gender weddings was not “outside of, or contrary to, the essentials of the Reformed faith as understood by the Presbytery of the Redwoods.”  That historic decision was appealed and sent to the next highest church court, the Synod Permanent Judicial Commission, which ruled against the Redwoods Presbytery's affirmation of Janie's Ministry. That decision was appealed and this past Friday was heard by the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission, which is the church’s highest court.

“Our marriage affirms that no matter whom you love, you still have complete access to God,” said Sherrill Figuera and Annie Senecahl, a couple married by Spahr and named in the disciplinary case.

 

A lesbian Christian visits Israel

When a Christian lesbian makes her first trip to Israel, her experiences are sure to be different from the usual Holy Land travelogues.

I was touched and I laughed out loud -- sometimes both at the same time -- when I read Rev. Nancy Wilson’s account of her recent tour of Israel. Nancy is moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches and a leader in the GLBT Christian movement.  She gave me permission to share some highlights on the Jesus in Love Blog.  Click here for highlights from her amazing queer spiritual journey.

Popular Christian Tv Host Comes Out

Azariah Southworth, host of The Remix, a popular Christian youth show, announced this week in an interview in Nashville's Out & About newspaper that he is a Gay Christian.

“This has been a long time coming. I’m in a place where I’m at peace with my faith, friends, family and more importantly myself. I know this will end my career in Christian television, but I must now live my life openly and honestly with everyone. This is my reason for doing this,” Southworth says.

Southworth has been hosting and producing the popular Christian TV show, The Remix for a year and a half. It is in syndication and can be seen in more than 128 million homes worldwide. It averages more than 200,000 viewers weekly.

“I know I will be cut off from many within the Christian community, and if so, then they didn’t get the point of the life of Christ. I believe by me living my life honestly and authentically now, I am able to be a better person and a better Christian."

Read a longer interview with Azariah on NathanExposed.  Azariah posted this video thanking his fans for their outpouring of support:

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American Family Outing: LGBTA Families Attempt to Connect with Conservative Christians

[source: Soulforce.org]  Recently supporters of the Family Research Council received an envelope stamped with the words "EXPOSED: Radicals' plan to attack churches!" What was the nature of the "plot" that had FRC in such frenzy? Well, in December of 2007, Soulforce, COLAGE, the National Black Justice Coalition, and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches sent letters to:

• Rev. Joel Osteen and the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas
• Bishop T.D. Jakes and The Potter's House in Dallas, Texas
• Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr. and Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland
• Bishop Eddie Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia
• Rev. Bill Hybels and Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois
• Dr. Rick Warren and Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California

In these letters we expressed a desire to share a meal with leaders and families in their congregations on a designated weekend between Mother's Day and Father's Day 2008 (see complete schedule at www.soulforce.org/afo). Our goal is simply to traverse any division and try to find common ground, despite our differences on the issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.

We seek first to understand, and then to be understood, as we engage these congregations -- all with pastors who have been ranked by Christian organizations as among the 50 most influential Christian leaders in America. These churches have large memberships, some exceeding tens of thousands, and each leader has an enormous influence on American culture through speaking engagements as well as best-selling books, radio and television programs that reach millions of homes each week.

In January of 2008, Jay Bakker, son of Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker-Messner, followed our initial letter by writing to Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, and Joel Osteen...

Ex-Gays Speak in CURE FOR LOVE, TV Premiere Saturday, April 12, 2008

Cure For Love is a new documentary about the "ex-gay" movement - a religious network whose goal is to help their members renounce homosexuality. The ex-gay movement now encompasses 120 ministries in the US and Canada and is active in 56 countries world wide.

The film follows two men who have experienced the ex-gay movement in different ways. One gets married, though he admits he is still attracted to men, and another struggles to embrace his homosexuality. The film premieres on Canada's Global Television, at 7pm Saturday April 12.

With startling honesty, the men tell their stories of struggle to reconcile their sexual orientation with their Christian values.

The film was written and co-directed by Christina Willings and Francine Pelletier. Christina is an Alberta-based writer and filmmaker and last week, Matt Forsythe of the National Film Board of Canada asked her a few questions about making the film.

It seemed painful for the Christian subjects to discuss their sexuality at times. What was the hardest part about interviewing these people?

I took myself outside between interviews and cried. Does that about cover it?

Seriously, the process was emotionally exhausting and wonderful at the same time. It was completely perfect that some of the subjects found the process of interviewing very healing.

This is the best possible scenario for me as a filmmaker. The hardest part was interviewing the 'practised Chrisitians' - it's very difficult to cut through the rehearsed testimonies and make authentic connections with people who are used to proselytising and/or defending their positions to people they are in the habit of mistrusting (non-Christians).

It was also difficult to see how little people value their own happiness, and their own right to sexual enjoyment/connection. Heartbreaking really. Evangelical Christianity seems to have as its underpinning, shame and chronic self-criticism - whether in the arena of sexual identity or not. After all...if we don't need redemption form our own sinful natures, then no one needs to die for us, and the bottom falls out of the whole thing.

The level of engagement that some Christian communities are taking with their gay members is suprising. What were the roots of Christian ex-gay organizations like Exodus and New Direction?

Christian communities are actually not engaging much with gay people. They have engaged with the 'threat' of same sex marriage and other progressive legislation initiatives in the past 10 years and have felt increasingly forced to deal with homosexuality - motivated primarily by the desire to "defend their turf". What this has meant for gay people within the church is that there is an opening of interest for them to stick their toe into and perhaps begin to engage people on a human level.

This actually mirrors the development of Exodus and New Direction [an ex-gay ministry] as both were originally organizations of a bunch of tortured gay people toiling away in obscurity before Focus on the Family identified the "homosexual agenda" as it's next big campaign and began to pump money into Exodus.

On the "left of the Christian right" are people like Brian and Anna - they work in the Canadian context where the battle is largely seen as having been lost. 

The key is that they are welcome as long as they are still seeking healing from their orientation.

The film shows two couples: one couple has “renounced” their sexuality and is apparently happily married and another couple has ceased questioning their gayness and accepted it. How did you find these subjects for your film?

Researcher Arlene Moskovitch found Brian and Ana through New Direction in Toronto. I found John and Darren and Ricky at Brian and Ana's wedding.

Are these religious therapy groups exclusive to Christianity or do we see these in other religions as well?

I have come across [similar] groups for Mormons and Orthodox Jews.
 

Cure for Love premieres on Global Television's "Global Currents," Saturday, April 12 at 7pm

The film will be released on DVDs and at festivals later this year. 

Cure For Love is produced by Earth to Sky Pictures Inc. in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada.

Would Jesus Discriminate?

Would Jesus Discriminate? is the title of an outreach campaign AND the provocative book by Rev. Dr. Cindi Love, HRC Religion Council member and executive director of Metropolitan Community Churches. Harry Knox, Director of HRC’s Religion & Faith Program writes about her book, “Dr. Love’s pastoral nature and keen sense of what moves people...have already made her a powerful spokesperson. Through her eyes, you will see a Jesus who does not exclude and a hope for Christian community worldwide.” Listen to Dr. Love on HRC’s radio show The Agenda with Joe Solmonese . 

Queer blog runs gay Passion and Easter series

Image at right: Jesus Before the Priests (from The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision) by F. Douglas Blanchard (counterlight@earthlink.net)

A queer version of Christ’s Passion is running in daily installments at the Jesus in Love Blog this week through Easter.

Each daily post features a queer Christian painting and an excerpt from my new novel Jesus in Love: At the Cross.

Jesus Before the Priests (above) is one of my personal favorites from the series. The priest looks like so many I have known.  They stand by, wringing their hands while they let injustice and violence happen.  Artist Doug Blanchard has got that churchly smug indifference down cold.

The eight-day Passion series at my blog covers the dramatic events of Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, and Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.  Jesus is in love with his disciple John and faces religious homophobia in the selections from “At the Cross.”

The online Holy Week series includes paintings by Blanchard, Gary Speziale and Becki Jayne Harrelson.  Click here to visit the gay Passion series.

Sex and spirit mix on new Jesus book cover

A homoerotic Christ on the cover of a new German book is sparking international debate as Christmas approaches.

The provocative cover appears on the German translation of Jesus in Love, my novel about a queer Christ.

The cover art by Berlin painter Alexander von Agoston shows a near-naked Jesus and John the Baptist rising from the water together after Christ’s baptism. The men’s genitals shine through their wet clothes. A shared halo affirms the union of body and spirit.

My book says that gay sexuality is holy to Christ and I’m a passionate promoter of queer spiritual art. However, even I thought the German image was too frankly erotic for a cover at first. Discussions with my German publisher, Edition EuQor changed my mind.

“German readers are used to seeing nudity on covers, much more than Americans,” my publisher told me. “Sure, the cover attracts attention. That’s what a cover is for.”

Gay-positive Christian images are needed now because conservatives are using religious rhetoric to justify discrimination against queer people. The cover goes all the way in showing that God loves gays. Jesus is completely comfortable in his skin. Now I’m sure that it’s the right cover for the German edition.

The German translation of Jesus in Love was released in time for Christmas by Edition EuQor, a start-up German press specializing in provocative books.

“When Jesus in Love was published in English, websites in Germany buzzed with excitement,” the publisher told me. “The idea of a bisexual Jesus seemed to fascinate Germans more than anyone else outside the English-speaking world.  Soon Edition EuQor offered to do a German translation.” 

Reactions to the Jesus in Love cover vary widely from delight to shock and disdain, even within the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community.

The original English version of Jesus in Love was published in 2006 by AndroGyne Press with a more romantic cover drawing of Jesus and John wreathed in roses. Conservative Christians attacked the novel as blasphemy because it portrays a Jesus who felt sexual attraction to men. However, it received praise from literary critics and GLBT Christian leaders.

Toby Johnson, author of Gay Spirituality, described it as “a wonderful, gay-sensitive, and delightfully ‘shocking’ reassessment of the stories of the old-time religion.”

What do YOU think of the new book cover? Please post your comments here or email them to kitt@JesusInLove.org.
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Kittredge Cherry is an author who promotes queer spiritual art at the Jesus in Love Blog and JesusInLove.org. Her most recent book is Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu "would not worship a homophobic God"

Archbishop Desmond Tutu took a strong pro-Gay stand in an interview last week with the BBC's Radio 4.  The 40-minute radio program, to be aired next Tuesday, will focus on the conflict over homosexuality in the worldwide Anglican Church.

"Our world is facing problems - poverty, HIV and AIDS - a devastating pandemic - and conflict. God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another. In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality..."

"If God as they say is homophobic I wouldn't worship that God."

BBC Radio 4 will air From Calvary To Lambeth on Tuesday, Nov 27 from 8pm-8.40pm and again on Sunday, Dec 2 from 5-5.40pm on Radio 4 FM. The programme can be heard online at bbc.co.uk/radio4. 

READ THE FULL STORY ON FRIDAE.COM