Jennifer Vanasco: Some Churches Support Gay Rights.

This isn’t news for most of my cohorts, it’s news for the country. It’s absolutely terrible that a lot of secular people, gay people, AND Christians don’t know that there are TONS of Christians who ARE gay (and straight, and queer) who support all LGBT rights.

Perhaps the most important selection from the article:

“‘On a range of policy issues, Mainline Protestant clergy are generally more supportive of LGBT rights than the general population,’ according to a report released last week from the progressive think tank Public Religion Research. ”

Back to me: This can’t be emphasized enough. Mainline clergy support glbt rights more than the general populace. So these are not FRINGE clergy supporting same-sex marriage, full ordination rights, etc. They are mainline pastors, like I’m going to be!

Three groups need to know this:

1) GLBT folk, whether or not they want to come to church or find an ally in the pulpit. The media AND the conservative Christians want gay people to believe they have no friend in the church unless they repent. This is wholly untrue, and shame on those organizations for such lies. GLBT people have plenty of friends and colleagues in the Metropolitan Community Church, and reconciling (glbt-loving) congregations of the Methodists, Presbyterians, United Church of Christ, and Disciples of Christ. GLBT Christians (or those shopping around) should know that they are welcome at many congregations, and secular GLBT folk need to know this as well, so they give good referrals to their Christian/seeker friends.

2) Secular folks, whether GLBT or not. They are subject to the same propaganda from the media and conservative Christian block. Don’t believe it! By saying that all Christians are alike, you are displaying your own ignorance. You’re generalizing about one-third of the world’s population. You too can find an ally in the church when supporting a progressive (and even radical) social position. Call me up.

3) Conservative, Evangelical, and Mainline Christians. Those of you who are gay may know that there are lots of openly welcoming congregations and pastors out there, but if not, please look into the various denominations I mentioned above. There are pro-GLBT movements and congregations in all of the mainline churches. Those of you who are not GLBT, know this as well. If you say that Christianity, as a rule, does not welcome and celebrate GLBT persons, you are a LIAR and a FOOL. You can only speak for your own bigoted version of Christianity, not the faith as a whole. Woe to you who put a stumbling block before God’s family. You have swallowed a poison of hatred without knowing who handed you the vile. It was the Devil of Oppression, Domination, Sexism, and Exploitation. As for you Mainline Christians who are not GLBT-friendly. Guess what? Your pastor probably is.