A Vision of Certain Hope

These lines, adapted from a speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. at the end of the Selma to Montgomery march in 1965, are a reminder of the certain hope that is shared by all who seek LGBT justice.

“And so I plead with you this afternoon as we go ahead: remain committed to nonviolence. Our aim must never be to defeat or humiliate our adversaries, but to win their friendship and understanding. We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience. And that will be a day not of straight or gay or transgender humankind. That will be a day of all humankind.

“I know you are asking today, ‘How long will it take?’ Somebody’s asking, “How long will prejudice blind the visions of men, darken their understanding, and drive wisdom from her sacred throne?’ Somebody’s asking, “When will the radiant star of hope be plunged against the nocturnal bosom of this lonely night, plucked from weary souls with chains of fear and the manacles of death? How long will justice be crucified and truth bear it?’

“I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long because truth crushed to earth will rise again.

How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever.

How long? Not long, because you shall reap what you sow.

How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Now, as then, I believe we shall overcome.

MSU Rally

I recently spoke at one of the 300+ rallies that were held in protest of the California vote on Proposition 8. It was held on the campus of Michigan State Univeristy. Here is what I said:

We are here today to celebrate the beginning of the end of the political power of the extreme right. They have lost their self-proclaimed moral authority and we have now claimed the moral high ground. Outright lies - like saying kindergarten kids will be required to study books about gays and saying churches will be forced to marry gay or lesbian couples – this descent to the mud and slime of hate has left us alone at the top. We now stand on the moral high ground because our cause is just and our rights are unassailable. There may be speed bumps along the path – there always have been speed bumps in pursuit of civil rights and justice – but we shall overcome. We can bring change. As someone recently said, yes we can!
We are angry today. It is a righteous and just anger but we must avoid words and deeds of violence or hate and harness that anger into positive expressions of the dreams we have. We are angry at some religious leaders, but we must not forget that many religious leaders, and true religious expression, are on our side. Many know that “Love thy neighbor” means enabling others – gay or straight – to enjoy expressions of love – including marriage – just like they do. It’s okay to be angry, but let that anger be channeled into positive actions for change and not words of hate or acts of destruction.
230 years ago our country – our country! - issued a bold declaration proclaiming ALL are created with the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It took awhile before ALL included blacks, but we got there. It took awhile until ALL included women, but we got there. “ALL” still does not include lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people, but we will get there!
What is different now about the situation is that instead of denying rights everyone thought we had, rights that have been affirmed as constitutionally protected by the California Supreme Court have been taken away. Taking away of rights from a sub group of society is the beginning of a totalitarian state. It must stop now.
The denial of rights is what started the American Revolution – rights being taken away – and that is what has started this revolution. Ours is not a revolution of guns and war but of the non-violent soulforce power so beautifully modeled in Martin Luther King, Jr., and Gandhi before him, and even in the life of Jesus. Ours is a revolution that is non-violent but not passive, that is gentle, but not quiet, that recognizes that the universe is on the side of justice and God is on the side of love and that, for us, failure is impossible. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are rights that belong to us too. And, they are each under attack.
Life.
There is an effort to kill us; to take away our life. Sometimes it is physical violence against LGBT people. One of the most meaningful days of the year for me is the Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is a time when we remember those whose lives have been taken during the preceding year. I have spoken at many such memorials and they never fail to move me and inspire me to do more. Make no mistake, this violence still happens, often fueled by the foul lies we heard in California. We need to pass hate crimes laws now. This week hate crimes legislation passed the Michigan house and the senate must not delay in passing it as well.
Physical death is real, but more often than physical death; it is a death that simply dehumanizes. The political far right – aided by some religious leaders – declares by their words and actions that certainly marriage is a human right but these “creatures” –“these gays, lesbians, and trans people” are not human. Civil rights are human rights and when our civil rights are denied, ignored, or taken away the message by those that do it to us is . . . “I can do this because you aren’t human”. Our inalienable right of life itself is being eroded, challenged, and even denied.
Liberty.
Your liberty to work where you are qualified to work is being taken away when you can be fired simply for being gay. This is legal in most of Michigan! Your liberty in housing is being taken away when a landlord says “no gays allowed” and gets away with it. Your liberty to live in love is taken away when “No Marriage Allowed” is waved in front of your face. Our liberty is being denied.
Life, liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
One of the most fundamental pursuits of happiness is the happiness that comes from love. One of the most loving – and yes, sacred – expressions of this love happiness is marriage. When marriage is denied gay and lesbian people, our inalienable right of happiness is strangled. Gay marriage is not about taking away someone else’s rights. Gay marriage is not about teaching kindergarten kids about gays. Gay marriage is not about some mythical gay agenda. Gay marriage is about a profound expression of love and the innate, deep, human desire for relational happiness in life.
Joanne and I have been married for 36 years. I wasn’t sure what my transition would do to our marriage; coming out is often a deal breaker. In reality, it has made our marriage stronger and our love deeper. Anyone that tries to take our marriage away is in for a fight. I am in favor of marriage. As an ordained minister I have performed scores of marriages. My favorite lines in the ceremony are pronouncing the completion of the union and the announcement to the couple that “you may kiss”. Whatever California, Florida, and Arizona might have said let me say tonight that you may kiss! You may kiss!
War has been declared on us but it is a war that we will win peacefully and soon because we do stand on the moral high ground. It is a war that will be won if we follow the models of Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, and Jesus. It is a model that patiently and persistently let’s truth ring out and justice roll down. It is a model that lives in quiet confidence but breathes with unstoppable soulforce power. It is willing to change hearts and minds one at a time. It recruits the informed to be active. It informs the uninformed. And it helps the uniformable become aware of their ignorance. It is out and open and proud. It is gentle but bold and it will not be denied. It is you and me, here and now. It is tens of thousands across America in rallies today just like this one. Victory may not come today, but failure is impossible.
Today is a great start, but it is only that. Make your voice heard again and again until the collective roar of our voices can no longer be ignored. Write your state and federal representatives, write your newspapers, speak out - shout out - whenever justice is being denied. Stand with your oppressed brothers and sisters. Their pain is our pain and their loss is our loss. Do not let your fervor wane or your voice be silenced or your candle be dimmed. We shall overcome.
Failure is impossible because we stand on the self-evident truths that we too are equal and we too have the inherent, inalienable, just and certain rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We have these rights. We will exercise these rights. We will live. We will love. We will marry.

Dobson's Dotage

A man who never had theological training promulgates his theology as the theology for all Christians. A man who advocates practices rejected as ineffective and even harmful by every major counseling organization (plus many medical groups), says his “therapeutic” ideas need to be followed by every Christian parent. A man, who is not a scientist, manipulates scientific data so much that even those he quotes are angered by his blatant misrepresentations and deliberate lies. A man who has never had a course in constitutional law now believes he knows more about the constitution than a constitutional law professor. Fruitcake?

Dobson’s dotage is not pretty.

Soulforce, Willow Creek, and Me

(or why I drove 500 miles this weekend)
This weekend Joanne and I were in Chicago as part of a Soulforce action group. The American Family Outing (see http://soulforce.org/ ) was conceived as the beginnings of a movement to increase the understanding and dialogue between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Christians and the evangelical church. Six key churches were selected for visits between Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day. Once the date for the visit was set, letters and phone calls went out in an effort to get a face-to-face meeting with the Soulforce group and the senior pastor and as many staff members as possible.

The church that our Soulforce group visited was Willow Creek Church near Chicago. Willow Creek is a 38-year old mega church with an average weekly attendance of over 22,000. The784,490 square foot building is beautifully sited on a 155 acre site, including a 5-acre lake that is used for some baptisms. (Winter baptisms happen in a large, glass, hover-craft baptismal platform that floats on air as it is moved out to the platform.) The church has 350 full-time employees, 150 part-time staffers, and 12,500 regularly serving volunteers. Their weekly budget is $550,000.

On Saturday our group met at a community center in the Boystown area of Chicago (just north of Wrigley Field). Our 29 members included two sets of parents with their adult gay sons and one set of parents who lost their daughter to suicide (as told in the award-winning documentary For the Bible Tells Me So). There was a gay couple with their three kids, a lesbian couple with their son, and a lesbian couple with their service dog, Rylee. There was a straight ally (the son of evangelists Jim and Tammy Baker), a number of gay or lesbian couples and us . . . the transgender couple. There were five ordained ministers in the group, 2 PhDs and a mix of ages and sexes. Five couples have June 17th weddings planned!

We reviewed the non- violent, reconciliation principles of Jesus, Ghandi, and Martin Luther King, Jr, that define Soulforce’s approach. We shared our own stories and heard from former members of Willow Creek Church. We watched a 2006 teaching session by one of Willow Creek’s pastors. The Willow Creek teaching session was filled with much misinformation and false teaching. It helped us focus on our goals for the next day.

There was a gentle, wounded, but positive spirit among this group of Christians that came from all over the country to be together for this weekend. We clearly sensed the presence of Christ in our midst as we prayed together and heard more about each others’ faith journeys. Our four hours together helped make this diverse group a people a cohesive Body of Christ.

On Sunday we arrived at Willow Creek at 10 AM for a tour (at Willow Creek’s invitation). There were some non-Willow Creek protestors near the campus entrance proclaiming their “Christian” certainty of our destination in hell. Most of our group had a white top and we all wore name tags indentifying us as part of the American Family Outing. With the white shirts; nametags; presence of our mascot, Rylee; and loving couples holding hands as we walked, we turned a few heads as we toured the massive, high-tech, church village.

At 11:15 AM we were ushered to reserved seats near the center front of the mezzanine section. The rock-star like stage had a 17-member worship team that led us into a meaningful time of worship. They had a VERY adequate sound system. The speaker for the day was a guest mega church pastor from Cincinnati. He had a powerful message about the importance of serving others as a way of expressing Jesus’ love. We wondered if this included LGBT “others” as well. The guest pastor referred to Willow Creek as “the most influential church in America” in part because of their regional churches and the many churches that are part of the Willow Creek Association.

After the service we were led to a private meeting room where we ate together (wonderful boxed lunches provided by the church) and talked casually around tables arranged in one large, open-in-the-middle, rectangle. There were 29 of us allowed at that meeting and 5 people from Willow Creek including their founding (and current) pastor, Bill Hybels. Both sides shared their issues and concerns in a very gracious dialogue. The Willow Creek staff seemed genuinely taken back that our emphasis was on committed, monogamous, loving relationships and families . . . not sex. One of our group members said, “We’re just like everyone else; too busy with our lives to have much time for sex!” Pastor Hybels also responded in disbelief on hearing that many gay and lesbian Christians are being told to marry heterosexually if they expect to be part of a church.

One of our team members is a survivor of “ex-gay” therapy. He went through $35,000 of therapy – including electroshock treatments – before he came to reject this hateful treatment and accept the truth that God made him as he is and the problems people had with this were their problems and not his. He now works with thousands of others who suffered ineffective – often harmful – indignations because they wanted to be welcome in unwelcoming churches.

For our part, we were surprised and pleased that Willow Creek’s own 30-year study of homosexuality has led them to conclude that: (1) Sexual orientation is unchangeable. and (2) Sexual orientation should not keep someone from being received into their church. They acknowledged that 6 of the 7 verses used to condemn homosexuality are irrelevant; really referring to other things. Unfortunately, they still felt that one Genesis text supported their position that gay and lesbian members must commit to celibacy to become members. We told them how this perspective has caused many in their congregation, because of their love for Willow Creek, to live lives of deception and secrecy in order to be accepted and still enjoy sexual expression in their committed relationships.

As we looked for action steps at the end of over 2-hour meeting, we agreed to continue the dialogue. Bill Hybels also indicated that their church will continue to study the subject and that he would begin to speak out against the misinformation that some Christian groups publish. We then, stood, held hands, and prayed together.

Please pray that God will use these visits for His glory and the healing of the Body of Christ. Blessings, Julie

Kudos to the AMA

Yesterday the American Medical Association (AMA) passed Resolution 122 calling for the removal of financial barriers imposed by insurance companies on transgender people. Insurance companies often arbitrarily call care for transgender people “cosmetic” or “experimental” or “not a medical necessity”. The AMA rejected those “myths” (their term) and affirmed the necessity and effectiveness of a combination of mental health care, hormonal prescriptions, and surgical interventions that provides “safe and effective treatment for a serious health condition.”

The AMA noted that, left untreated, Gender Identity Disorder (GID) can cause “serious psychological distress, dysfunction” and even “suicidality and death”. In contrast the AMA noted that the treatments recommended by health experts in GID can help persons with GID achieve genuine and lasting comfort. In discussing this “serious medical condition”, the AMA referenced the “established body of medical research” and the “sound scientific evidence” behind the internationally recognized standards of care. They further stated that delaying treatment can “cause and/or aggravate serious and expensive health problems.”

So what is it that causes so many people to react with rejection, disdain, and even violence toward transgender people? I think there are three main reasons for the willfully retained ignorance and discrimination. First, some people are very insecure about their own sense of gender identity. For them, people with gender identity conflicts only intensify their own questioning . . . and they don’t want to do that. Second, some people presume that the Bible condemns transgender people. In reality, like many other medical conditions, the Bible is silent about GID. Third, some people just do not want others to be happy. It’s a perverse twist on the adage that “misery loves company”; no one else should be happy if I’m not.

The AMA is right on target on this one. Even though I lost my job, had to change churches, and lost some friends in my transition (transitioning is part of the medical standards of care), I would do it again. I did not know it was possible to be this happy. Hopefully, the AMA’s action will change some hearts and minds and open up care for others trying to deal with this serious medical condition. AMA, you rock!

A Special Sunday

For the first time in a few years I preached yesterday. I was the guest preacher at an area church. I read the little book The Rainbow Zebra for the children’s story. Seven kids nestled up close so they could see the colorful pictures while I read to them as the adults listened and smiled. My sermon was from Galatians 3:28 on tearing down the walls that divide. This church was celebrating diversity Sunday with songs, hymns, and readings honoring the worth and dignity of all people. There was about a half hour for questions after the service. Most of the questions were about transgender issues (many of the people have been following my story in the local newspaper), but some questions were also about the sermon. Some shared their own stories. One genetic woman talked about being harassed in a bathroom because she looked too masculine. Another couple talked about being uninvited to a family wedding because of their sexual orientation. Another talked about a co-worker who transitioned from female to male and the loving and caring response of her co-workers.

After the service a number of people (including the pastor) said that my message was precisely what the church needed (another “God thing”). Others said I should be preaching more often or serving a church somewhere. It felt good to get this affirmation of the gifts God has given me. We spent some time in conversation (and some more questions) with those who stayed for the “Rainbow Brunch”. As Joanne and I drove home, I couldn’t help but feel that God was pleased with this church on this Sunday.

Lansing State Journal

The following guest editorial was published in the Lansing State Journal in an abbreviated form in late March.

The season of the year that includes Black History Month and Women's Month seems an appropriate time to reflect on our progress towards equality in America. In the recent movie The Great Debaters, Samantha, one of the college students from an all-black Texas school, boldly argues, " . . . the time for equality is always, is always right now!"The movie is set in 1935. It took nearly 30 years for congress to enact The Civil Rights Act. Michigan's civil rights act was passed 13 years later. It seems Michigan was slow to get it. So how are we doing now? Over time, the federal government and many states added various groupsof people to their civil rights acts such that discrimination based on religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status is forbidden in most states.Michigan, though, still excludes one of the most discriminated groups in our state from protection. Many estimates would place this collective group at about ten percent of our population. These unprotected citizens of Michigan are those whose sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression is "different". Accepting the "different" was precisely the catalyst for adding religion, race, color, sex, and handicaps to civil rights protection. It is still what civil rights - and our country - are all about.Jefferson's reminder of the self-evident truth that all "are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" is still true and yet some persist in seeking to deny these rights to others; others who are different. Coretta Scott King understood this pursuit of civil rights better than most. She boldly proclaimed, "I believe all Americans who believe in freedom, tolerance and human rights have a responsibility to oppose bigotry and prejudice based on sexual orientation." The time for equality is always now. Amending Michigan's Elliot Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1977 to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression is quite simply the right thing to do. In addition to fundamental fairness and equal opportunity, protecting the civil rights of this currently unprotected population is pragmatically good for Michigan. Academician and researcher Richard Florida (The Rise of the Creative Class) has made it clear that the current generation of college and university graduates place the honoring of diversity as a very high priority for their lives. The brain drain (and concurrent job drain) from Michigan is at least partly the result of Michigan being an unfriendly state for this diversity. Many businesses, including most of the Fortune 500, have already added diversity protections in their workplaces because they know it is not only the right thing to do, it is also simply good business sense to do so. Yet these workplace pockets of protection in Michigan are not enough. As one who lost her job because of the lack of job protections for simply being different, I know the time for statewide equality is now. The time is now to amend the civil rights laws of Michigan to protect these who are excluded and too often the victims of hate, exclusion, and even violence. The time for equality is always now.