Religious Left

Last night Felipeh Campos and Rafael Scapucim got married in a ceremony for over 1,000 guests which was broadcast live on the TV show Superpop. I watched most of it, and have to admit that it was one of the tackiest weddings I have ever seen, which made it even more camp and fun. I'm hoping this is going to become a trend. The couple is spending their honeymoon in San Francisco. I wish them the best, and applaud them for having the balls to get hitched on national TV. More pictures at Terra . original article

When the first congregation of the Metropolitan Community Church was formed 40 years ago, it became a place of worship and solace for homosexuals who were shunned from other Christian institutions. Alive and thriving four decades later, MCC has hundreds of congregations around the world. Also still rampant is the homophobia that exists in churches black, white or otherwise. MCC has chosen St. Louis, a city rich in diversity, to play host to the 2008 People of African Descent, our Friends and Allies conference, April 17 to 19, at the Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet. Program topics will include Homophobia and the Black Church, Leading and Building an Inclusive Church and the State of HIV/AIDS in the Black Community, among others. The Rev. Elder Darlene Garner will attend and moderate some programming, as well as perform the Sunday services at MCC. While members of the St. Louis MCC are planning to attend, the conference is also attracting visitors from outside the area — record numbers...

By REV. DR. CYNTHIA LOVE On Tax Day, April 15, clergy are gathering outside Atlanta's regional post office to protest the financial and legal inequities facing their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender parishioners. To some it might be surprising to see faith leaders standing up for economic justice. Aren't faith leaders supposed to be concerned with our souls? Why are they coming out on tax day to talk about our pocket books? As faith leaders it's time to clarify what we mean by economic justice and why it is a fundamentally religious issue. Economic justice is not about getting a tax break to go to the Bahamas. Economic justice is about the life and death decisions that affect all of us. It's about who will take care of the kids if a partner suffers from an unforeseen illness; it's about older LGBT couples making the gut wrenching decision to go 'back in the closet' in order to get assisted living care; it's about establishing a nest egg for our par...

Actor and Buddhist Richard Gere joins Tibetan monks during a rally in United Nations Plaza Tuesday, April 8 to protest China's human rights record ahead of Wednesday's Olympic torch relay in San Francisco. The 2008 Olympics are set to be held in Beijing in August, but thousands of people angry at China's policies in Tibet, Sudan, and in its own country have disrupted the torch relay as it passed through London and Paris earlier this week. full article

(Austin, TX) This spring, Soulforce celebrates 10 years of relentless nonviolent activism for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) freedom. In keeping with Soulforce's "take it to the streets" ethos, a mix of formal events and grassroots action will mark the milestone anniversary: On Saturday, April 5, Equality Virginia will present the Fifth Annual Commonwealth Award to Soulforce Co-founders Rev. Dr. Mel White and Gary Nixon. On Friday, April 25th at 7:30pm, Soulforce hosts a 10th Anniversary Gala and Reunion at the Marriott Dallas/Fort Worth Airport South. On Saturday, April 26th, at 7:00 am, Soulforce invites all who care about justice for LGBT people to gather in downtown Fort Worth's General Worth Square for a training in nonviolence and a vigil outside the United Methodist General Conference. Ten years ago, Rev. Dr. Mel White and his partner Gary Nixon began laying the groundwork for a new social movement. Under the auspices of "Soulforce," a...

For years, Robin Tyler has been trying to wed her partner, Diane Olson. Every Valentine's Day they show up at the courthouse with a wedding cake and their attorney, Gloria Allred, only to be denied a marriage license. Last month, Tyler sat in the plaintiff's chair in a case before the California Supreme Court, challenging the legality of the state's definition of marriage as between a man and a woman. But even this well-seasoned activist -- she was one of the first openly gay comics, and she organized marches on Washington in 1979 and 2000 -- is glad to have a new ally: 100 rabbis who support Jews for Marriage Equality, an organization advocating for same-sex civil marriage. "Society is strengthened by allowing gay and lesbian couples to legally formalize both their bond with one another and their mutual responsibility for their household and children," it reads. "Society should not only permit but also encourage civil marriage for such couples." Since 1...

Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" rang through Hayden Lawn Wednesday as four couples were pronounced lawfully wedded partners — kind of. The ceremony came as part of theatre senior Candace Brayer's final project for Theatre in the Future, her capstone class. The project requires students to construct a performance or event, and Brayer picked an issue important to her: gay marriage. In the political world, she said, civil rights issues take a backseat to other issues." I don't think civil rights should ever be pushed to the back," she said. Coffman is an ordained minister through the Universal Life Church." I wish it was something that had legal affect here in the state and maybe someday it will," Coffman said. Music senior Ashley Haney stopped to watch the ceremony and share her thoughts on gay marriage." We all deserve equal rights, and I think it's something that's kind of a no-brainer," she said. full article