Second Stone #25 - Nov/Dec 1992

Second Stone #25 - Nov/Dec 1992

25

1992

Nov/Dec 1992

1
_AMl;RIC(( S GAY & LES~ !AN CHRISTIAN· NEWSJOURNAL I .- , .
Treacherous path
couldn't erase
pastor's vision
~!ways wanted to be an she was inde ed guilty of, and sen- ''I BY JIM BAILEY
evangelist, " says Pas tor tenced to 17 years in prison. The
Naomi Harvey . By the newspapers reported the crime as
age of 16, Harvey was having homosexual overtones. She
ministering in the Assembly of God felt like she h ad lost eve rything,
and beginning to nurture the faith especially the chance to ever parthat
was to later sustain her through ticipare in ministry again, after being
personal tragedies that could have left outed as a lesbian by the press.
her lost, defeated, and faithless . 'Th e fact that I had taken a life felt
Harvey, 52, is now pastoring Potter's
House in Portland, Oregon, and, like cancer to me," says Harvey. "I
aJongwithRonnie Pigg, is co-pastor of could not forgive myself and certainly
Fountain of Life Church in Seattle, did not expect God to forg ive me ."
Washin gton . Harvey founded bo_th That changed one day when she was
ministries, which are spirit-filled out- walking across the prison campus and
reaches to th e gay and lesbian com- stopped to talk with a woman she was
munity. serving time with . "Naomi," the
Pastor Harvey stayed with the woman said, "I took the lives of nine
Assembly of God only two years and people and I know God has forgiven
then put her youthful energy into the me." The woman was Susan Atkins
founding .of a church in Aberdeen, who, along with Charles Manson and
Washington, where she pastored for other memb ers of his clan, com--
18 mitt ed the grisly murders of actress
fue::~ late 1970s, Harvey saw her Sharon Tate and others in the late
life slip into a dark nightm are. She
was convicted of murde r, a charge SEE COVER STORY, Page 10
. A TESTED FAITH
Naomi Harvey, founder and co-pastor of Potter's House in Portland, Ore.,
and Fountain of Life Church in Seattle, Wa.
FUNDAMENTALISTS VS. GAY / LESBIAN RIGHTS
Colorado vote rs approve anti-gay amendment _
Anti-gay 'twisted efforts' rejected by Oregon voters
ANTI-GAY FUNDAMENTALISTS
in Oregon may look to their associa
tes in Colorado for help in
planning th eir next move against
gay rights. Oregon voters on Nov.
3 rejected an attempt to crush gay
rights while Colorado voters
banned state and local governments
from passing laws to protect Gays
and Lesbians. Voters in Tampa,
Fla., overt urne d a city ordinance
protect ing Gays and Lesbians,
while voters in Portland, Main e, .
turned back a similar repea l effort.
The Orego n Citizens Alliance, the
group beh ind the failed proposal, is
expected to attempt to bring the
issue in some ne w form befo r e
voters again in two years.
O r egon's gay and lesbian
SEE 'TWISTED EFFORTS,'
Page 11
But '·
com-
BULK RATE
U.S. POSTAGE
PA ID
NEW ORLEANS. lA
PERMIT No. 511
Celebrate _ Gay Pride all year long!!
GENRE "READS LIKE A GAY VERSION OF
ESQUIRE OR GQ ...
OFFERS GAY MEN AN UPFRONT, UPSCALE, UNASHAMED
CELEBRATION OF THEIR LIFESTYLE".
--USA TODAY
"Wake up world! Sexuality, gay
or straight isn't the issue. Tell
that kid to come out of the
closet and I'll meet him
on the other side".
--PATTY LABELLE
. "It's ridiculous when they say
'stop having sex .' We hope
people never stop having sex."
--DE EE-LITE
Pertaining to it's magic,
Barcelona has few equals. A
Hydra of the best faces of
Europe, it embraces the
excitement of Paris and the
beauty of Rome .
--BARCELONA
For a one year subscription (6 bimonthly issues mailed discreetly) send $11.95 and
Name ____ _ _________ Address. _________ __ ___ _
City ______________ _ State ____ Zip. ___ _
TO: GENRE; Box 25169; Anahiem, CA 92825 _$11.95 enclosed __ Bill me
. m' Second Stone-November/December, 1992
L..C::..-.., '
- - - - - - . - - - - - - .,
•
T From the Editor T . . . . . .. . ..................... .
Have you found community?
By Jim Bailey
When I was growing up, a treehouse was a necessity, especially as an
escape from a Southern summer's blistering sun . Almost as soon as the final
bell ·rang on nine months of early morning bus rides anp. unbearably
structured days, the plan would be laid in our minds. With wood scraps from
the cabinet shop, a palace would begin take shape in the tallest tree in the
densest part of the woods. Hands working together toward a single goal. A
few days later we would be enclosed in safety, imperceptibly swaying, high ·
above any who would be unfriendly toward us. I remember sitting quietly
there, glancing at my buddies, asleep, exhausted from the construction task.
The breeze rustling the leaves · was the only sound . All was truly right.
From the earliest years, we seek community. Family, friends, spouses, like
minds, ext ended family ... working toward common goals. Providing
companionship and support. Providing a plac e of security.
Have you identified and established community in your life? My
perception is that more often than not, gay and lesbian Christians ar e
struggling to find a place. Many times there is a feeling of being an outcast
among outcasts. Fitting comfortably into the gay and lesbian community
may be too much of a compromise. And fitting comfortably elsewhere ... in
our families, in· our churches, is often not a choice available to us.
The next issue of Second Stone, our first of th e new year, will be dedicated to
community. How have you established community for yourself? Wqo
provides that sense of connectedness for you? Is it family, special friends,
roommates, your spouse, your church, a religious community, a gay or
lesbian group? If you have something good to share about how your life is
connected to and involved with others, Second Stone. would like to hear from
you. Make lime between now and the busy days of Christmas to send us a
brief essay . If a photo that reflects your community is available, send it along
as well.
I hope you share my excitement as we begin to plan this issue on
community, and I hope you'll participate.
SECOND STONE Newsjoumal, ISSN No. 1047-3971, is published every other month
by Bailey Communications, P. 0. Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182. Copynght 1992
by Second Stone, a registered trademark.
SUBSCRIPTIONS, U.S.A. $13.00 per year, six issues. Foreign subscribers add $10.00
for postage. All payments U.S. currency only. .
ADVERTISING, For display advertising information call (504)899-4014 or wnte to
P.O. Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182.
EDITORIAL , send letters, calendar announcements, noteworthy items _to (Department
title) Second Stone, P.O. Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182. Manuscnpts to _be returned
should be accompanied by a stamped self addressed envelope. Second Stone ,s otheTWise
not responsible for the return of any material. .
SECOND STONE, an ecumenical Christian newsjoumal for .the nabonal gay and lesbian
community.
PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Jim Bailey
CONTRIBUTORS FOR THIS ISSUE: Jack Pantaleo , Johnny Townsend, Kim Byham,
Rev . Dr. Buddy Truluck, Dr. Paul R. Johnson, Rev. Richard B. Gilbert,
William L. Day, Kevin Gepford
Contents .............................
if 1 LJL_j
[5J
00
~- 1 ilOJ
IT2l __ ::.::::::.__J
lrn
[HJ
From The Editor
Sense of community oftentimes evasive
Commentary
Guest comment by Dr. David Deppe
Your Turn
Interpretation of 'raca'. causes racket
News Lines
Art Imitates Episcopal Life
Daytime television gives viewers a dose
of religious homophobia ... by Kirn Byham
Cover Story
Through it all, Pastor Naomi Harvey kept
ministry in her hopes ... by Jim Bailey
Confronting Religious Bigots
They're part of our future. We have to learn now
how to handle fundamentalist bigots . ..
by Rev. Dr. Buddy Truluck,
Uncle Fred's Ministry
Enough of this perversity! Uncle Fred can change
your life. A short play by Jack Pantaleo
In Print
The Dysfunctional Church reviewed by Rev.
Richard Gilbert; Rescuing the Bible from
Fundamentalism reviewed by William Day; Gay
· and Still Catholic: A Journey Home reviewed by
Johnny Townsend •
Essay
Kevin Gepford remembers his 'Grarnps'
Just Out
'Looking for Langston' on home video
Calendar
Noteworthy
News about people, churches and groups
Classifieds
-- - - ---------- - --------------'---- -- - · ·--·.-
Second Stone•No~-~ber/Deceinber, 1992 [[J
.. ,
•
Comment T .............................. ·• .................................. ·• ...... ·~
Not a curse
It's just a part of life
By Dr. David E. Deppe
Guest Opinion
Homosexuality is a part of
life , not a curse," says
Bishop John Spong in his
book Living in Sin? Recently
I brought this quote to the attention
of a friend of mine, and his response
was, "Well you could have fooled me.
Why doesn't someone tell the church
that?" Indeed, it is stange, in fact
distre ssing, that the church seems to
discr edit or ignore current research
that points to a conclusion that homosexual
persons do not choose their
sexual orientation, cannot change it,
and constitute a quite normal but
minority expression of human sexuality
. In spite of the evidence, the
church continues to pass social statements
and "expectations," based on
traditional and often prejudicial thinking
that is not supported by the
scientific community. Many in the
church, including ecclesiastical authorities,
judge homosexuality as a
perversion deliberately chosen by
those of a depraved or sinful n&ture.
Such thinking is most often expressed
by those of the dominant sexual
orientation who reason that what is .
normal for th em is also natural. If
something is not normal for them it is
deviant and therefore "unnatural."
How can the clrnrch, which has long
practiced circumcision and institutionalized
celibacy, ever dismiss any
other practic e on the basis of its
unnaturalness? As Bishop Spong
points out, "Sanctified ignorance is
st'ill ignorance."
It is true that any sexual behavior
can be destructive, exploitative, predatory
. or promiscuous; and therefor e
evil, regardl ess of the sexual orienta-
T YourTurn T ................................
Raca?
Honolulu, Hawaii
Dear Second Stone,
The Rev . Dr. Timm Peterso n's
intent was laudatory (Commentary:
Jesus did have something to say
about homosexuality, September/October,
1992), giving critics the opportunity
to dismiss the uncontrovertible
with the questionable. It is disturbing
when we see statements that are open
to question rendered as categorical
fact.
"unsuitable for marriage." How apt
that might be applied to today's
homosexual. It was unque stionab ly
comforting . to the worried childless
disciples.
Dr. Peterson had something of
importance to say. It is regretful that
this statement rendered categorcially
detracts, when challenged, from the
genuinely important truths he
wanted emphasized.
Sincerely yours,
Fred R. Metliered
Dr . Peterson should have left
unchallenged the NRSV comment Don't ask for .
about "raca," a little used Aramaic mercy Of
term. He gets on shaky ground
when he states categorically that those who
"raca" means ."faggot." Someone who Can't g"IVe-· "It might be called "faggot" today might ·
have been called "raca" in biblical Longview, Texas
times. The term was more likely to Dear Second Stone,
have been used, less pejoratively, as As a gay Christian, I think that we
"oddball," "nutty, " "silly," maybe should take a .closer look at Ephesians
"queer" or some other somewhat 6:11-18•. · · ·
derogatory term. It seems impossible It is time we stop playing these
that it was used in biblical times to , • sado-masochistic games.with these so
apply only to .homosexuals. · called religious leaders of power . To
Personally, I think Dr .· Peterson me, Lou Sheldon comes across ·as a
would have b een on more solid satanic homo sexual. · We must reground
with the term used in Mat- member Satan does. not have the
thew 19:12 and elsewhere, translated power to give . mercy. Mercy is a
as "eunuch" in the · King James powe r and a right given only to Jesus
version but also by a great variety of Christ to bless his people with.
terms in modern . translations, Therefore , we should stop begging
including "incapable of marriage" these satanic idol gods for things only
and, personally preferred, the Ger- Christ has the power to give.
man "eheuntauglich," roughly, from In Christ,
Greek to German to English, as Paul Ennis
[IJsecond Stone-November/December, 1992
tion of those involv etl. Whenever
such conditions exist, a word of moral
judgment must be spoken. The difficulty
comes when society in general,
a nd the church in particular, evaluates
heterosexuality per se as good
and homosexuality per se as evil.
Such moral judgments leave gay and
lesbian persons with no options save
d enial or suppression. Indeed, many
church bodies have s uggested that
these are in fact the only moral
cl1oices open to homosexually oriented
people . However, by refusing to
accept any homosexual behavior as
normal, the church drives many gay
and lesbian people into the very
behavior patterns it condemns and
fears most. ·
The difficulty comes
when society in
general, and the
church in particular,
evaluates heterosexuality
per seas
good and homosexuality
per se as
evil.
Spong notes, how ever, that th ere
are some sig ns that the church is
beginning to temper its traditional
positions, although those signs are
often too little and too late. Today
almost every church ·body has passed
some sort of justifying resolutions
designed to soften the continued
oppression of gay and lesbian
persons. The earliest of these resolutions
· were couched in the sweet rhetoric
of piety. Homosexual persons
were declared to be the children of
God and commended to the pastoral
ministry . of the church. Such statements
are based on the premise that
we love the sinner but hate the sin.
Funny how few . of those labeled as
sinners experienced that love. Funny?
No, tragic! Many gay and lesbian
people, no long er trusting the
church or its "pastoral ministry," have
simply left.
A second step in this tempering is
seen in some of the church's social
statemen\s which urge justice before
the law for all people, even homosexual
people, incluaing equal opportunity
for employment and housing .
The church has felt qui te proud of
these "liberal" resolutions, and yet the
church has never pressed the implementation
of these resolutions. Consider
the social and economic penalties
a gay or lesbian person pays
when not able lo claim his or her
mate as a dependent, discrimination
in health insurance, or closer to home,
the refusal to ordain a gay or lesbian
pastor.
The next step follows on the heals of
justice and is seen in those resolutions .
which affirm the orientation but
deplore 'the behavior. Whereas such
resolutions may signal a dawning
realization on the part of the church
that homosexuality is. not an orientation
that is chosen but a reality that is
given, they are surrou nded by incredible
naivete. 'What they suggest
is that those who have a homosexual .
orientation also have a capacity to
refrain from all sexual activity. They
assume that ten percent of the
population can or will be willing to
affirm and accept the vocation of
celibacy that someone other than
themselves has approved for them.
Such thinking portrays an irrational
belief in a sadistic God who created
gay and lesbian people complete with
sexual drive, and then says that
morality demands that this drive be
repre ssed .
The time has come when the church
must do some serious re-thinking of
its traditional attitudes and official
pronouncements about human sexuality
that is solidly grounded in the
Gospel that it is ·called to proclaim,
rath~r than in the fear by which it is
imprisoned. The church must give
up its elevated stance of righteousness
. and enter with its people into the
more difficult gray areas of life to
seek a basis for decision making that
is life giving, not life destroying and
is appropriate to the age and
circumstances of the people involved.
We all have much lo learn in this
regard.
QUOTABLE:
God's hands
GOD has no other hands than
ours. If the sick are to be
healed, it is our hands that
will heal them. If the lonely
and the. frightened are to be
comforted, it is our embrace,
not God's, that will comfort
them. The warmth of the sun
travels on the air, but the
warmth of God's love can travel
only through each one of
us."
-Rabbi Robert Kirschner
.................T... ..............N....e..wL...si..n ..e..s.. .......T.... .... •. ..... .
ArchbishoJpo hnR oacha gainb ootsD ignitcyh apter
t.DIGNITY /TWIN CITIES has been forced to prolong its search for a permanent home
following an Aug. 27 directive from Archbishop John Roach prohibiting the organization
from renting space at St. SteJ?hen's Church in Minneapolis. Dignity has been meeting at
the University of Minnesota s Lutheran-Episcopal Center since being evicted from the
Newman Center in 1987. According to Dignity /Twin Cities President Brian McNeill,
the organization decided several months ago to attempt to find a home in a Catholic
facility. They subsequently approached three Minneapolis parishes, ·and, of the three, St.
Stephen's responded affirmatiyely. Before Dig~ity could meet with St. Stephen's, Roach
fired off a letter to Rev. Pat Griffin, St. Stephens pastor, saying simply that he intended
to enforc~ the 1987 Vatican directive and that he expected parishes to comply.
-Equal Time
Baltimobreis hopin f avoro fo rdaininwgo men
t.A CA 1HOLIC NEWSPAPER has published statements showing that two leaders of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore disagree over the ordination of women.
Archbishop William H. Keeler defends _the church's longstanding opposition to ordaining
women. But Auxiliary Bishop P. Francis Muq>hy would like to see women ordained as a
way of revitalizing the church. The Catholic Reuiw published Keeler's and Murphy's
opinions side by side. A pastoral letter about the role of women and the church will come
up for a vote by the nation's nearly 300 Catholic bishops in November. There is a
growing movement among the more liberal America bishops lo put more pressure on the
Vatican to reopen discuss10ns on the issue. Pope John Paul If so far has blocked such
efforts. -11ie Baltimore Alternative
SouthC arolincah urcahs ksh omophobsieam inartos m ove
t.A ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP in Columbia, S.C., objected to holding two seminars on
homosexual issues at Catholic churches, forcing seminar organizers in Columbia and
Charleston to find different locations. Bishop David Thom(>son of the Catholic Diocese
of Charleston said that the programs "would not be in the best interest .of the church,"
even though they were co-sponsored by the Catholi _c Charities of the diocese. Sister
Jeannine Gramick and Rev. Robert Nugent present the seminars for the church-affiliated
Center for Homophobia Education. "We have presented this program in nearly all of the
dioceses across the country," Gramick said. "This is only one of a few times that this has
happened." -Associated Press ·
ConservatiCvhe ristianass kedn ott oc riticizBeu sh
t.A SOUTHERN BAPTIST LEADER said he was contacted by White House staffers and
asked to halt his criticism of President Bush's views on homosexuality, at least until after
the election. But Richard . Land, of the Southern Baptists' ethics agency, said he was
speaking out for Baptist values. Bush was blasted by some conservative Christians
when he appeared vague when asked in a TV interview whether he would support an
openly gay fers _on in his cabinet. Bush remained the\ clear choice of. the far right,
however. "If were homosexual," said evangelical organizer Ed McAteer, 'Td be a fool to
vote for Bush." -Associated Press
Houstocnh urcqhu itsS BCo verh omosexuailsitsyu e
t.COVENANT BAPTIST CHURCH, Houston, voted unanimously in August to cut ties
with the Southern Baptist Convention over the convention's action regarding churches
which affirm Gays and Lesbians. The convention last summer endorsed an amendment to
its constitution stipulating that churches approving homosexual behavior are "not in
friendly cooperation" with the SBC. James Leach, pastor of Covenant, said that his
church "affirms the sanctity, dignity and equality of human beings and the ~value of. all life
in the universe." Says Leach, "We welcome persons of all racial and ethnic heritages, all
sexual orientations and all faith perspectives to our Christian community."
-Baptist Today
Anglicaonr dinatioinnA ustralciaa usecso ntroversy .
t.DAVID McAULIFFE is the first openly non-celibate gay priest ordained by the
Anglican Church in Australia. Perth Archbishop Peter Carnley quietly frocked
McAulif.fe in August, Agence France Presse learned in September. McAuliffe was
appointed curate of a suburban Perth church, which reportedly has caused some
controversy there. -Chicago Outlines
Canadiacnh urch asf irsto penlgya ym inister
t.THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANAN A has ordained its first openly ga,: minister, f~ur
years after passing a controversial resolution that approved such ordinations. Tim
Stevenson, 46, of Vancouver, was ordained by the church's British Columbia branch.
Delegates to the annual meeting of the UCC's Saskatchewan branch resolved to fill 10
i:,ulpits with open Gays within three years. The UCC's Manitoba branch voted to
develop a liturgy for gay unions. -Outlmes
Unitarianssu ppogrta va ndl esbiarnig hts ·
t.THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST General Assembly voted last summer to oppose
"legalization of discrimination against ga_ys, lesbians, and bisexuals," in response to the
amendments which appeared on the l:iallots m Oregon and Colorado. The Umtanans
Board of Trustees also passed a resolution denouncing the Boy Scou_tso f America_'s
anti-gay policy, and called for the BSA to allow Gays to fully participate m their
activities and community. -Outl111es
Clintono C hristiasna, ysT exasm inister ·
t.REV. W. N. OTWELL, a Texas-based fundamentalist minister, and about 50 followers
protested outside Gov. Bill Clinton's church, saying Cl),nton cannot call _him~elf a
Christian and embrace gay rights, abortion and feminism. __W e believe that Bill Clinton
ought to either repent of his stand with the sodonutes, the militant femmist movement and
·the abortion crowd ... or either withdraw himself from this church," Otwell said, standing
outside Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock. -Southern Voice
ItalianG ayss aya bandotnh ec hurch
t.ARCIGAY, ITALY'S LEADING gay rights organization called on Catholic Gays and
Lesbians to abandon the church for "other more tolerant Christian religions" because of
the Vatican letter urging U.S. bishops to oppose i,ay rights legislation. The group, which
has long opposed church ·influence in Italian politics, said it was time for gay and lesbian
Catholics to "defect" to churches with more enlightened attitudes about homosexuality.
-GayNet
EnglisGh aysp rotesVt aticana'sn ti-gasyt and
t.MORE THAN A DOZEN gay rights activists from the radical group OutRage dressed in
nuns' habits interrupted services at Westminster Cathedral on, Aug. 9, protesting the
Vatican's call on U.S. bishops to oppose gay civil rights measures. The protestors
paraded in front of the altar with pfacards and attempted to deliver an alternative
sermon. Authorities said no arrests were made despite the noisy disruption. -GayNet
Teacherre primandfeodrA IDS'p unishmesntta' tement
t.BEVERLY REAGAN, a St. Petersburg, Fla., adult education school teacher has been
formally reJ>rimanded for telling a health education class that AIDS was God's
punishri1ent for homosexuality, reported the St. PetersburgT imes.
Methodisbtsa ng ay' marriage'
t.THE HEAD BISHOP OF INDIANA told United Methodis.t pastors not to perform
rituals between same-sex couples that "resemble the rite of marriage," the ChicagoT ribune
reported. Bishop Leroy C. Hodapp initially supported a July ceremony between two gay
men, but reversed his opinion when he learned the men exchanged rings; Although
Hodapp retired Sept. 1, bis successor, Bishop Woodie White, wjlf continue Hodapp's
policy until the issue is discussed by both Methodist districts in Indiana. Rev. Morris
Floyd of Minneapolis commented that the decision "put[s] a chill not only on this
particular type of ministry but upon all other forms of relationships between gay and
lesbian people." -Chicago Outlines
UnitedM ethodiswto matnu rnsd owna ppointment
t.MICHIGAN REV. ELION A SABO-SHULER, who took part ill a celebration of Holy
Covenant between two gay men, has turned down an appointment as a United Methodist
district superintendent, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Sabo-Shuler, pastor of
William_stown United Methodist Church, who along with four other Indiana United
Methodist clergy took r.art in a July 25 ceremony for two men in Indianapolis, said she
did not want "to embroil the conference ... in controversies ... involved in ministries among
gay and lesbian persons. -Chicago Outlines
Discovtehre c atalog
ofs portsweaanrd
accessoritehsa t
Ills the "lifestyle"
oft heG aya nd
Lesbiacno mmunity.
Men• Women• Children
eatt7M4tf,.,.
1-800°952-7520
FRE*E FRE*E FREE
◄
~'th
~eiro -·
NeWs Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ELCA won't ordain open lesbian .
li]ODIE BELKNAP has had her approval as a pastoral candidate in th_e Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America witlidrawn by a synod candidacy committee after she
publicly acknowledge _d her lesbianism. Belknap gr:3du_ated from Luther Northwestern
Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., in January 1 and her ordmation was approved before synod
officials knew of her sexual onentat10n. After graduation she took a position with
Wingspan Ministries, a ministry for gay and lesbian people in the Minneapolis-St. Paul
area. She told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that she feels hurt and anrgy about the
church's decision . "Although [the ELCA] isn't accepting of who I am , the gospel is
embracing of me and of other gay and lesbian people," she said. -The Lutheran
Catholic newsoaoer criticizes Bishop Wuerl .
t:,A NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER criticized Pittsburgh's Roman Catholic
bishop for letting a ~ay group conduct its own service and allowing a key position to go
to a "homosexualist nun . TTie Wanderer, a weekly based m St. Paul, Minn"! said _Bishop
Donald Wuerl has lost the "conservative" image lie had when he was appointed in 1988.
It also described Wu~rl as "dialoguing with fominist factions and showing support for
their cause by washmg the feet of women m Holy Thursday ntuals ... and placing
radicalized nuns in key chancery positions."
Catholic priest comes out in support of gay riahts ordinance . .
t:,A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST surprised the Board ot Aldermen in Louisville,
Kentucky by announcing that he · is gay and urged them to pass ~- gay ~vii nghts
ordinance. The Rev. Josepn_Vest had requested to sreak at the open mike sess10n, but he
didn't decide to tell about his sexual orientation until after Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly
announced his opposition to the gay rights measure. "I stand before you as a Rol!'a~
Catholic priest saddened that the Gospel of Jesus has been used to diVIde our commuruty ,
Vest told the board . "And I stand before you as a gay man who is plain tirw of having my
rights denied. -Cruise, GayNet
Fundamentalists air anti-gav ads ·
t:,THE CHRISTIAN ACTION NETWORK sponsored a $500,000 national advertising
campaign against President-elect Bill Clinton, linking him with ''.homosexual hiring
quotas" and using sensational selected clips from gay and lesbian pnde festivals. The ad
made a direct appeal for financial support for CAN . · ·
Homophobe attacks own church
tJNF AMOUS HOMOPHOBE Rev. Joseph Chambers, pastor of Paw Creek Church of God
and the president of Concerned Charlotteans, has added his own Church of God
denomination to his lengthy list of foes._ Chambers stated th~t his North Ca,~olina
congregation voted to leave the denomination due to the fact that _ extreme liberals were
leading it toward a _m~re "worldly" stance. One of the cited instances mvolved the
denomination's sanctiorung of choreographed dancmg.
-QNotes
Case dismissed against Minneapolis pastor . . .
!:,REV. DAN GESLIN, co-pastor of Spirit of the Lakes Ecumenical Community Church,
Minneapolis, said he was "very happy and relieved" that ~ Cahforma felony case
alleging that he sexually abused three .minor boys was disnussed due k> insufficient
evidence on August 13." Geslin, who has been on suspension from church duties du!ing the
ordeal, said, "I think that the D.A .'s office rursued this case because of, my positio_n and
because th ey knew early on that they had some kind of gay leader .
Despite the dismissal, the congregation of Spirit of the Lakes voted on Oct. 4 to remove
Geslin. The pastor resigned within 48 of the vote, 51 percent in favor of his removal.
Sources said that internal and externa l allegations of sexual misconduct, though not
proven, contributed to th.e decision to remove Geslin.
-Equal Time
Nuns criticize Vatican stance on Gays ·
6THE SISTERS OF LORETTO, a Roman Catholic order of nuns, has_ criticized the
Vatican document that approves of discrimination against Gays and Lesbians. Then~
say the missive "contradicts a belief in basic human dignity .'' In a statem~t adopted at its
general assemblr, the517 member order said, "It saddens us that the Vatican would enter
the U.S. politica arena by encouraging a departure from the finest ideals of our 1;ohtical
tradition, ideals which promote eq1;1ahty and basic civil pghts for eve'.yone. While
concurring with a part of the Vatican s stateme,(\t opposmg violent m~hc~ against Gays
and Lesbians the sisters said the document by approving of discmmnation ... helps
create the ve(y climate which fosters the violence and 'gay-bashing' which it seeks t9
condemn.'' -Southern Voice ·
Madonna's publisher wouldn't print gay book
.iR. R. DONNELLEY, one of the country's largest book manufacturers and printer of
Madonna's steamy riew book Sex refused to print a gay-themed novel, according to Sasha
Alyson of Alyson Publications. "In 1984, Donnelley refused to print a novel we sent, and
flatly told me they would not print any new books fro~ us_that h;,d·gay subject matter," '
Alyson said. A year ago, when Alyson had trouble finding a prmter for Gay Sex: A
Manual for Men "Who Love Men, they re-arproached Donnelley. "We were turned down :
again," said Alyson. "So naturally, when rlearned they were printing Madonna's.Sex, I
was astounded. Even by election-year standards, this is a startling level of hypocnsy .
· Group goes after gay" rights in Missouri
6FIRED UP (Freedom Involves Responsibility Exposing Decadence and Upholding
Pdndp le), an anti-gay religious g'.oup, has presented petitions t? ci_ty_ officials in Kansas
City man effort to have sexual orientation deleted from the city s civil nghts ordmance.
The group presented more than 9500 signatures opposing the newly formed Human Rights
commission and a task force on gay and lesbian issues, slightly more than the number of
signatures needed to place the issue on the ballot.
-Southern Voice . · · rn Second Stone•November/December, 1992
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••• i •• • . •••
Church offers march housing . . .
t:,ROCKVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, a gay-affirming More Light congregation in
a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C., has 30 beds available for gay an_d lesbian
Christians and their friends ,~ho are planning _to attend the March on. Washmgton for
Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. The march is Apnl 25,_ 1993, with
related events planned for the entire weekend. Planners have set a goal of brmgmg out 1
million supporters for the event. For information on housmg at Rockville Cliurch call
Liz Magill, (301)m--0475, between 11:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., Eastern time .
Gay flag under attack in San Francisco .
/:,RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISTS in San Francisco are callmg for the removal of the
rainbow flag, a gay pride symbol, tha t flies over the Harvey Milk Branch Library in N°'."
Valley. The library 1s named in honor of the first openly gay me.mber of San Franciscos
Board of Supervisors. Milk was assassinated m 1978: Complaints against the flag were
lodged with the city by the Chnstian Coalition. Coahbon member Josef Youmtom~ called
the flag a "divisive symbol that proves once agam that Gays are given more nghts. Other
members of the group called the flag a "glorification of the homosexual lifestyle."
The San Francisco Library Commission rejected the demand, how ever, a_nd the
Christian Coalition threatened a lawsuit against the city for flying the flag, which has
flown over the library since 1989, when it was donated by the Alexander Hamilton Post
of the American Legion.
-Southern Voice
Savannah churches told to do more about AIDS
6CHURCHES SHOULD INVITE people with AIDS to their services and embrace
families who have loved ones dying of the disease, participants at an AIDS fo':'m m
Savannah were told. The forum, sponsored by First Baptist Church and Umon Mission,
drew 70 people. "We had the feeling that the churches were really silent," about AIDS,
said Dianne "Fuller, chairperson of tli.e pastoral care committee of First Baptist Church.
"We wanted to foster discussion.'' Betty McCloud, whose son died of AIDS last
December, told the audience the church was not so responsive . After her son announced
to the congregation that he had AIDS, the church turned its back on him and his family,
McCloud said .
-Associated Press
Billy Graham silent on Oregon measure
!:,EV ANGELISTBILLY GRAHAM refused to condemn Oregon's Measure 9 during a·five
day revival swing through the state . Graham said he dicf not want to get involved in
politics. "One side is going to win and one.is going to lose," he said, "but it woul!1 be a
great thing if after it was over they wouldteafize that they must love each other, it they
are to obey God."
-Seattle Gay News
Priest to oreside at lesbian rite ·
M DETROlT EPISCOPAL PRIEST says he is within the bounds of an order against
blessing gay marriages in his church by holding a ceremony to help a lesbian c~uple
declare tlieir love. But critics of the plan said the ~ev. Ervin Brown is usini:, semantics to
sidestep the two-year-old order from Bishop R. Stewart Wood, Jr. Brown said he will
hold a ceremony for two lesbian members ofhis Christ Episcopal Church congregation at
an unspecified date to give them "a pastoral and liturgical affirmation of the covenant <;f
fidelity be tween two people." He said the date of the ceremony, as well as the womens
nan1es, will be kept secret to avoid protests. "!,,am only trying to make a pastoral
response to two women who are my parishioners, he said. Wood, who two years a~o
told Michigan priests to refrain from blessing or marrying gay couples agreed. A
congregation seeking to respond pastorally to its own people certainly needs some
freedom to do so," he said. "And there will be no confusion between this and a so-called
marriage or a blessing.''
"To call this anything other than a blessing_. .. is playing a semantic game that underrates
the intelligence of the average Episcopalian," said the Rev. Eugene Gerome! of Swartz
Creek, a spokesman for tradibonalists m the diocese.
-Associatea Press
Falwell claimsecondeath threat ·
MNTI-GAY TELEVANGELIST. Jerry Falwell told his Thomas Road Baptist Church
congregation that unidentified activists ,yith Queer Nation had mailed him a package
claimil)g to contain a material saturated with HIV-mfected urme, gay pornography and a
letter threatening to kill him sign by the activist group. It was the second time ~ less than
a year Falwell has claimed members of the activist group have threatened his hfe.
Minister preaches comoassion to Bush . . .
/I.PRESIDENT BUSH heard a plea for compassion for people with AIDS and mclus10n of
Gays and Lesbians in churcli ministry as he attended St. John's Church, Washmgton,
D.C., during observance of AIDS Awareness. The Rev. John Harper, re~tor oI the
Episcopal church across Lafayette Park from the White House, preache1 that Jesu~ calls
us to respond with_love to everyone, especially those who are suffermg. ~arper said the
ministry of the Episcopal Church, of which the president is a member, must be to all
people, regardless of position or need or sexuaf orientation." "Listen to them, care for
!hem, take !hem in our arms," he said. 'They are the people for whom Christ died."
Photoaraoher seeks portraits of our lives .
!:,NANCY ANDREWS, a 28-year-old lesbian from Virginia is writing and photographing
Family: Portraits of Gays and Lesbians, scheduled. to be rublished in the spring ofl 994.
The award winrung newspaper photographer is loolcmg for couples wno liave been
together for 40 years or more - or a Holy Union between now and May, 1993. Andrews
has been a staff photographer at The Washington Post since 1990. She may be contacted
by writing 1201 S. Barton St. No. 180, Arlington, VA 22204 or by calling (703)979-9316.
Episcopal renewal movement
leader comes out involuntarily
THE REV. W. Graham Pulkingham,
one of the best known members of
the charismatic movement in the
Episcopal Church, has been temporarily
suspended from functioning as
a priest by the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Fr. Pulkingham has acknowledged
having had sexual relationships with
several men who were members
either of the parishes he served or of
the religious order he founded.
Fr. Pulkingham gained fame as
rector of a widely publicized Episcopal
charismatic parish in Houston,
the Church of the Redeemer.
The revelations began as a result of
a woman from Topeka, Kan., writing
to the Bishop of Kansas, the Rt. Rev.
William Smalley, in early August.
She claimed that her marriage had
been destroy ed by Pulkingham's
affair with her British-born husband.
The husband, who was in his 20s at
the time, had been counseled by
Pulkingham. Pulkingham has admitted
the affair with the man, who now
lives in London, which continued
from 1978 to 1982 while the man was
a member of the Community of
Celebration, the order founded by
Pulkingham in 1964.
Smalley forwarded the letter to the
Bishop of Pittsburgh, where Pulkingham
is now canonically resident. The
Rt. Rev. Alden Hathaway summarily
inhibited Pulkingham from performing
prie s tly functions as well as
serving as leader of the Community
of Celebration, located in Aliquippa,
Penn., since 1985. ·
The news was especially upsetting
in Aliquippa, where Pulkingham had
been Vicar of All Saints mission from
1986 through the end of 1991.
Aliquippa is northw est of Pittsburgh,
only three miles from Ambridge, the
home of Trinity School for Ministry
and the nerve center of the charismatic
or renewal movement in the
Episcopal Churdi. The Community
of Celebration, which had 26 members
when they arrived in Aliquippa
but now has only 18, is best known
for its musical component, the
Fisherfolk, who have made 45
recordings. Pulkingham's wife,
Betty, was the principal arranger of
their music and two of her
arrangements are in The Hymnal
1982.
Pulkingham, 66, was born in Ohio
but raised in Canada and went to the
Seminary of the Southwest in Austin.
He spent his early ministry in the
Diocese of Texas. He became Rector
of Redeemer, Houston, in 1963. The
following year he received the
"Baptism of the Holy Spirit" from
Pentecostal minister and leading
anti-gay crusader David Wilkerson.
Pulkingham never m entioned anyt_
hing about being "healed" of his
homosexuality in the three books he
authored (he does refer to being
"swept clean of all defilements") nor
in any public statements; he was not
a public supporter of so-called
"ex-gay" ministries. Nevertheless,
following the August revelations, he
said in an interview, with Julia Duin,
"I am deeply ashamed and totally
guilty of what I did." He said he had
been "tormented" by homosexual
inclinations since adolescence.
-Kim Byl1am
Honesty member to serve as resource
Southern Baptist dissidents
to study sexuality issues
THE ALLIANCE OF Baptists (formerly
the Southern Baptist Alliance)
has commissioned a task force to
study issues of human sexuality following
the much publicized affirmation
of gay persons by two Southern
Baptist churches in North Carolina.
Most Baptist bodies have criticized the
two churches. After 13 years of domination
by fundamentalists and political
conservatives, the Southern Baptist
Convention now declares such church
actions to warrant denominational
exclusion despite a strong tradition
protecting the autonomy of congregations.
·
David Reed, a 33-year-old selfidentified
gay Baptist has been
appointed a resource person to the
task force. Reed is a founding member
of the Ft. Worth chapter of
Honesty (Southern Baptists advocating
equal rights for Gays, Lesbians,
and Bisexuals) and immediate past
president of the Tarrant County Lesbian/
Gay Alliance.
Quinn T. Chipley, an ordained gay
Southern Baptist minister and Honesty
member, said, "I am excited and
hopeful since hearing of the Task
Force's recognition of David Reed.
The Alliance of Baptists' demonstration
of good faith means I can now
join their membership in good conscience."
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,
an emerging moderate faction, has
not commented on gay-affirming
churches. The Alliance of Baptist
Task Force will not produce policy
declarations, but will certainly inform
constituent opinion. The Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship and the Alliance of
Baptists . are groups of dissenting
Baptists spawned by the 13-year
controversy in the Southern Baptist
Convention.
Subscribe
Today.
AND YO U1 LL NEVER
A FRIEND
JOURNEY.
WITHOUT
YOUR
BE
FOR
Second Stone The National Gay and Lesbian
Christian Newsjournal
···YES!·······································Begin my subscription to
SECOND STONE for:
[ ] One year (6 issues) S 15.00
[ ] Two yrs. (12 issues) $25.00
[ ] Three yrs. (18 issues) $36.oo·
NAME ........................................................... _ ..
ADDRESS
CITY /STATE/ZIP CODE
CHECK HERE l ] If a plain envelope is required and add $2.00 per year. Allow 6-6
weeks for delivery of your first Issue, International subscribers add $10.00 per year,
U.S. currency.
Mail To: SECOND STONE, Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182
THANK YOU
for your subscription support!
Second Stone-November/Deci:mber, 1992l 7 l
. I
'
Church's highest court :
Spahr can't serve
THE REV. JANE SPAHR will not be
allowed to serve in the Rochester,
N.Y., Presbyterian church that
ask ed her to become a pastor, the
church's highest court ruled Nov. 4.
The General Assembly Pe rmanent
Judicial Commission said it
was upholding denominational policy
by denying the "self-affirm ed,
practicing homosexual" her
appointment. .
The ruling overturns an earher
9-1 decision by the Permanent
Judicial Commission of the Synod of
the Northeast which on July 31
rul ed that Spahr's appointmen t is
valid despite the fact tha t she is an
open lesbian.
Spahr was optimistic following
the July ruling. "Hopefully this will
be a beginning for lesbian and g ay
people who are qualified candidates
to serve in th e church that they
lov e," she said.
After the most recent ruling,
Spahr told the Associated Pr ess th at
she maintains that her sexuality is a
gift from God. "For any institution
to encourage that a person lie, or
th.it person cannot say or be who
they are, I am deeply troubled by
th e decisio n," she said.
Spahr's appointment last
November as co-pastor of the
Downtown United P resbyter ian
Church was challenged by 10
upstate New York church es.
The challenge was based on a
1978 declaration by the Pr es byterian
Gen eral Assembly that
homosexuality is "incompatible
with Christian faith and life."
Tl1e assembly said homosexuals
could not be ordained as minist ers,
but said its ruling should not affect
Pastor files discrimination complaint
with Chicago's Human Relations Commission
A MINISfER whose job offer as an
interim pastor was revoked after he
revealed he would be sharing the
parsonage with his same-sex mate has
filed a complaint with the Chicago
Commi ssion on Human Relations .
Rev. Dr. Timm Peterson has charged
St . Nicl1olai United Church of Christ,
Chicago, with discrimination based
on sexual orientation.
Peterson was interviewed by St.
Nicholai's search committee on Septemb
·er 13 and, according to the
complaint filed, accepted an offer of
salary and housing. When he stated
that the housing arrangement wo uld
include another man, a committee
member asked Peterson if he was a
homosexual. On Sept. 15, Peterson
was told he could lead worship for
two Sundays, but that he would not
be appointed to the interim pastor
job.
"My offer of the job was revoked
only after the seach committee
learned I was gay," said Peterson.
'T he Church's guidelines state that
homosexuality is acceptable, and the
Church's tenets do not include
refusing to . allow gay pastors or
members. Nevertheless, the search
. committee refused to hire me after
they learned that I am gay."
Peterson said that he filed the
complaint because he had faced ten
years of discrimination with th e
Reconciling Congregations up to 60
SEVEN MORE United Methodist congregations
have publicly declared in
the last three months that they welcome
all persons; including Lesbians
and Gays. This brings the total
numb er of Reconciling Congregations
across the U.S. to 60.
These new Reconciling Con-
Mass wedding to be performed
gregations include the first in Massachusetts,
Osterville UMC, and the
first campus ministry , the Wesley
Foundation at the University of
California Los Angeles. In addition to
the 60 U.S. congregations, five congregations
of the Methodist Church of
New Zealand have declared them-
UFMCC endorses March
on Washington
THE ELDERS OF the Universal Fel.
lowship of the Metropolitan Community
Churches have voted to endorse
the 1993 March on Washington for
Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights
and Liberation. Rev. Troy Perry,
founder of the UFMCC has agreed to
o~ganize a second non-sectarian cerernimy
to formalize the union of hundreds,
perhaps thousands of lesbian,
gay and bisexual relationships. The
ceremony is scheduled for Saturday,
April 24, 1993, the day prior to the
March.
"We lift ourselves up against the
weight of discrimination and bigotry
when our unions are celebrated and
blessed," said Perry, "Spiritual health
and self respect give us the strength
to fight on for the legal recognition of
our marriages."
Billy Hileman, national co-chair of
the March, said that the sixth of seven
demands in the March platform asserts
that the definition of family
includes the full diversity of all
family structures. "Our march is
fighting for the legalization of same
sex marriages and . recognition of
domestic partnerships. Society's
hqmophobia is crushing lesbian, gay
and bisexual families. We are denied
custody of our children, adoption,
foster care and visitation rights. We
are discriminated against even as
taxpayers and we are robbed of
medical and insurance benefits."
00 SecondStone•NovemberlDecember. 1992
. selves "reconciling."
'The movement of congregations
welcoming all persons, including lesbian,
gay and bisexual persons, is
rapidly growing arouμd the country,"
said program coordinator Mark
Bowman. 'There are now more than
300 Disciples of Christ, Lutheran,
Presbyterian, United Church of
Christ, and United Methodist congre gations
that have adopted welcoming
statements."
"Last weekend I spoke to about 125
members of ten different congr e~
gations in the Troy Conference of the
United Methodist Church (Vermont
and northeastern New York) who are
e ducating their fellow church members
about the need to be 'reconciling,"'
Bowman said. "Our office is
aware of about 200 United Methodist
congregations across the country that
are discussing becoming Reconciling
Congregations."
"Our movement is growing as
Christians are becoming increasingly
disturbed by the discrimination gay
men and Lesbians face in our church
and society," explained RCP Board
chair Susan Spruce. ''The UMC
General Conference's affirmation of its
unwelcoming stance last May, the
gay-bashing at the Rep_ublican. convention,
and the anti-gay nghts
SEE RECONCILING, Page 17
any pre viously o rdain ed deacon,
el der, or minister.
Spahr was ord~ined in 1974, but
she did not publicl y acknowledge
he r homosexuality until after 1978.
Spahr said she hopes th e church
will evei 1tuall y change its policy
and ordain openly gay and lesbian
candidates.
Of the major Christian denominations,
only the United Church of
Christ officially allows ordination of
homosexuals.
-Associated Press
American Baptist Church, USA, and
three years of same with the United
Church of Christ. "I have lost tens . of
thousands of dollars and professional
development by church staff and local
church search committee's continual
discrimination in employment solely
based upon by open sexual orientation,"
he said.
Rev. William Voelkel, Conference
Minister of the Chicago Metropolitan
Assoc iation of Illinois Conference of
the United Church of Christ sa id, in a
letter to Peterson, that he was "truly
saddened" by Peterson's decision to
seek redress outside of th e
community of faith. Voelkel had
recommended that Pe terson seek
counsel and support within the
Association.
The Top 12 GaySupportive
Companies
A = offers health benefits to
JOmestic partners.
B = bans anti,gay bias.
C = offers other partner benefits.
D = has a gay and lesbian
workers group.
American Psychological
Association: A,B,C
American Telephone &
Telegraph: B,C
Ben & Jerry's Homemade,
lnc.: A,B,C
Digital Equipment Corp: B,D
Levi Strauss & Co,: A,B,C,D
Lotus Development
Corp.: A,B,C,D
Microsoft: B,C,D
Montefiore Medical
Center: A,B,C
Proctor & Gamble: B
U.S. West Communica•
tions: B,C,D
Village Voice: A,B,C,D
Xerox Corp: B,C
• ' •
l e extremely handsome but
unmarried rector of a promnent
Episcopal parish on
Philadelphia's mainline has
been removed from his post by the
Bishop of Pennsylvania. This resulted
from an effort by the Vestry of St.
James, Llanview, Pa., to sever the
pastoral relationship under Title III,
·Canon 19, following rumors in the
parish that the priest, The Rev .
Andrew Carpenter, was gay. Fr.
Carpenter refused to directly answer
the allegation which stemmed from
his counseling of a gay teenager and
the fact that his brother died of AIDS.
Although the congregation seemed
largely reconciled following a display
of the AIDS quilt on the church lawn,
the bishop nevertheless decided that
Carpenter was too controversial and
should be shifted to administrative
duties in the diocese.
All of this controversy was played
out before eight million people every
day, a far larger audience than is
usual for Episcopal disputes over gay
and lesbian issues. It was the main
summer story line on the 24-year old
soap opera, One Live to Live.
The Episcopal Church's reaction to
homophobia became a part of daytime
drama because of One Life's
head writer, Michael Malone, who is
a parishioner at St. Peter's Church in
Philadelphia's Society Hill. He says
the model for Andrew Carpenter,
· though not for the story line, is his
rector, the Rev. Tad Meyer.
'Malone is not a typical soap ·writer.
A Harvard Ph.D ., he taught fiction at
Yale, Swarthmore and the University
of Pennsylvania and has published
seven novels, the most recent being
Foolscap, a humorous adventure in an
academic setting.
When ABC hired movie producer
Linda Gottlieb (Dirty Dancing) to revitalize
the ailing One Life, she l_ooked
for a special writer. nWhat she said
was, Tm looking for the American
Dickens,' and what novelist could
resist that?" Malone told The Los
Angeles Times. He had never
watched an episode of a soap opera.
One Life needed a lift when Malone
joined it in September of 1991. In
taking the show from eighth place out
of 11 daytime soap operas to fourth,
Malone has balanced stories about
the show's core family, the Buchanans
(Mrs. Victoria Buchanan is Sr. Warden
at St. James), with interesting new
characters. Not surprisingly, Malone
added an Episcopal priest since there
is one in each of his novels.
The Rev. Andrew Carpenter,
played by Wortham Krimmer, was
introduced several months before the
homophobia story line began on
June 18. "He looks like an Episcopal
priest," sajd vestment designer Victor
Challenor, 'They did his garb well.
Andrew is tastefully apparelled in
cassock and surplice and even the
"It's not something you figure out. It's
something you know deep down
inside. It's like I've been holding my .
breath all of my life and I finally can
let it out."
As· a summer story, it was design ed
to expand One Life's core auruence -
women ages 18 to 49 - and "hook"
younger viewers, home from high
school and college, on daytime television.
And it did that. Malone
reports, "We have received thousands
of letters from young people, many
saying 'I thought I was the only gay
teenager."'
BY KIM BYHAM
Billy is the first gay teenage
character on daytime TV. Although
adult lesbian and gay characters
made low-key appearances on All My
Children in 1983 and on As the World
Turns in 1988, there had never b.efore
been a lesbian/ gay plot line in a soap
opera.
requisite tweed jacket." The character
appeared so much like a priest that
when he dated women the show
received numerous letters of complaint
from viewers who assumed h e
was Roman Catholic. To offset this,
the show meticulously refers to him
as a "minister.'' Th.is led Challenor to
write a protest letter to which M.id1ael
· Malone responded. Challenor was
satisfied and concluded that this one
"liberty" with Episcopal polity was
forgivable, "I've watched them like a
hawk and they've done well [with
their portrayal of the Episcopal
Church.]"
The credit for this accuracy clearly
goes to Malone and to Fr. Meyer, who
from Andrew's arrival has served as a
special consultant to the show. 'Tad
is a model for Andrew in_ many ways:
his Anglophilia, his bird watching,"
Malone said, "but so is The ·Rev. Peter ·
·Hawkins, professor at Yale Divinity
School, and godfather. of my
daughter." Malone and Meyer met
when the latter was Curate at Christ
Church, New Haven. Fr . Meyer
subsequently attended Cambridge
University where he received at
Ph.D. After his move to St. Peter's,
Malone and his family, who had
earlier moved to Philadelphia, joined
the parish.
. Not surprisingly, One Life has
become a staple of conversation at St .
Peter's, from Malone's wife, ·Maureen
Quilligan, a professor of Renaissance
Studies at the University of Pennsylvania,
to the parish secretary, to
Meyer and his wife. Meyer has been
closely consulted about the current
story line. While he hasn't had any
personal confrontations with homophobia,
it is an issue on which he
agrees with the character. "Andrew
takes stands that are dear to me, but
they don't necessarily reflect mywords,"
he said . As chair of the diocesan
Commission on Ministry, he
believes sexual orientation should not
be a matter determining fitness for
ordination.
Meyer gave suggestions about
dealing wit(l a Vestry and how priests
dress. But what fascinated him was a
"priest who's _being depicted as a
human being and going through
Sturm und Orang about issues of
prayer and principal. Michael
wanted the priest to have strong faith
and wanted to show how that faith
could be lived out."
Meyer was an adjunct professor .at
General Theological Seminary last
spring and the actor playing the
priest came to his class. Meyer also
visited the set. When Malone introduced
him as the model.for Andrew,
he received an enthusiastic response
from the cast.
Phillippe, 17 and staight, was
hesitant about accepting the role of
Billy. "I wasn't sure how my friends
and family would handle -it. I
worried about telling my parents,
about hate mail, you know_."
There have been some negative
reactions back home in Delaware.
"I've grown up in a Baptist school. I
go to church every Sunday. Some
people in the church don't accept my
decision; I can tell by the way they
look at me, which is how a gay
person must feel,'' Phillippe told The
Chicago Tribune. "I wanted to talk about prejudice, "
Malone said. 'That's why we made
the -story one based on an accusation . Before filming started, Gottlieb
The Church is beautifully placed to brought in psychiatrist Richard !say,
illustrate the effects of prejudice and author of Being Homosexual: Gay Men
how it is overcome. Andrew, like and Their Development and a specialist
Thomas More, is a man of conscience. in issues faced by gay teens. "I had a
His refusal to name names is like lot of questions," said Phillippe in
Germans who refused to give the Entertainment Weekly. "But when he
names of Jews and those who refused told us that three times as many gay
to give the names of Commurusts to teenagers kill themselves as do
Joseph McCarthy. _ straight teens, I realized that maybe
"Bigotry divides, tolerance and this role is where I'm supposed to be.
acceptance unite people,'' he con- Maybe some kids will see that there
tinued. 'That's what made the quilt are ways to deal with this positively."
such a wonderful symbol - it's 'The emotional scenes are very
stitching people together." difficult," Wortham Krimmer, who
With a Daytime Emmy nomination plays Fr. Carpenter, said, also in
for outstanding writing to his credit, Entertainment Weekly. "But I feel a big
Malone found ABC receptive to his responsibility to make it Work. We
story but somewhat frightened . 'Tm read about homQphobia every day in
proud of our audience. We had the newspapers, but it's informafeared
loss of affiliates and sponsors. tional, not emotional. These scenes
That hasn't happened. 99% of the really hit you hard." ·
mail has been positive. But there 'The gay community in our ·country
have been hate letters - all religiously is large and the fears that attend it are
couched, saying things such as, rarely explored,'' Linda Got1lied told
"You'll bum in hell."' USA Today . 'This is the first.time we
The story line began with a young . (in daytime) have examine 'd where
woman that Fr. Carpenter had been homophobic fears come from:" · _
counseling trying to seduce him. "Michael [Malone] has a hidden
Next 16-year-old Billy Douglas, agenda,'' Meyer revealed, "not to
played by Ryan Phillippe, confessed proselytize people to Christianity or
to the priest that he was gay. to the Episcopal Church, but to get
'Tm wondering how you figured it people to ask basic faith questions . In
out," asked Carpenter. 'That's just it," this age· we've lost the ability to ask
Billy, president of his class and questions. The story is an excellent
captain of the swim team, explained. paradigm of the faith."
-- - ---'------- -- ~- -- --------'---- - -----::-:---,-,,-------:-:,---:--=-- ·--l""n7
Second Stone•November/December, 1992 Lf!J
' ' •
T Cover Story T .. " ......................... ............................................. .
Pastor ~cept vision
during despair
COVER STORY
From Page 1
· 1960s. "Atkins had sought and
received God's forgiveness," said
Harv ey. "I knew God could forgive
me as well. At that moment I felt like
the man who grumbled because he
had no shoes, who then met someone
who had no feet. The power of life
and death, and the grace of forgiveness,
is in the hands of the
Lord ."
Harvey never felt that God
abandoned her, even as she was
faced with the death of her father and
a tragic fire that destroyed her home
and took the lives of her two sons.
In 1985, Naomi Harvey was blessed
with the opportunity to start over. A
plea bargain arrangement brought a
reduction in her charge from second
degree murder to manslaughter and
lessened her sentence to five years,
which she had already served. She
was free. She was reconciled over the
·crime she had committed. She
wanted to be involved in ministry
J.:i:;, . . "· ~•'•1·, , ~_:; ·' 7'
.---,~- t--.1 ~-,. --~- .... V . ' .. •'\ ' .
We
'HJ~'~{~~~!~~ ..
On 100 beautiful acres with
. pool , hot tub , skiing and more.
Innkeepers Judith Hall and
ili:N:e Newman invite you to
write or call for a brochure.
P. 0. Box 118 SL
Bethlehem, NH 03574
(603) 869-3978
again but was beginning to understand
that she would have to do so as
an openly lesbian Christian. Her
challenge at that point was to
reconcile her sexuality with her
Christianity ,
Pastor Harvey is now an advisor for
the Dallas-based Advance Christian
Ministries, a national conference of
independent churches, which held its
seventh gathering October 19-25 at
the Golden Cross Ranch near
Houston.
"When I found Advance, I received
a hope," Harvey says. "It became a
healing . I found a people of like
faith. They're wonderful Christians,
We share the same vision."
Advance is a ministry of help and
support for pastors and small independent
churches. It is a fellowship
in which thos e participating do not
actually hold membership, but come
together every autumn to worship
and renew. 'The fellowship has no
barriers," says Harvey, who has been
with Advance since the group's
beginning. "We encompass a vast .
range of beliefs but our foundation is ·
believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
People come and worship the way
they want." ·
Advance's activity does not stray far
beyon d the focus of its mission: to
spread the gospel and empower
others to do so. An advisory committee
of Advance Christian Ministries
goes out to growing and often- ·
times struggling churches who are
not able to pay preachers and
ministry consultants to come in. The
committee sponsors an "Acts Weekend"
at churches they visit. It is a
time of teaching and support for the
church pastor and congregation.
Advance fills a particular niche in
what has become known as the
independent church movement. Ministries
with a special outreach to the ·
gay and lesbian community are
popping out of the woodwork, accord-.,
~ Evangelicals
It. 'I(/ logether ma
818lE STt/O'f GllOI/PS
SOCIAI.S • WORltSIIOPS • RETREAIS
HIV I AIOS SIJ>PORT GROVP
~TORAl CARE & COUI/SEUIIG
FOR Gay & Lesbian Christians
In Southern Califorlia ... since 1979
SUltfl 109-Box 1 tJ
7985 Ssnts Monies Boulavard
West Hollywood, CA 90046
213/656-8570
."'- ~
i- -- - -- ... --- ...... - -· -- ---~ - ___ ... __ ,.....,.,.....,-,,..,._
: A•a\Vra' tt•c.:e, fWiJ.rniitstt,r,1jre1s, ait 'f#; 'g1hairat0:e·i • . • · ,-:--·,,.~ i:t- ... J;'.., ·' '-{ • ~ ~., ·~,.,~ ... ~-➔~ !:.,~ .'" .Jr ),t ~.f4':,.,,:!J ~.1 .~ ,.,~ ~ """-"'luu: Y;,\\.;;.
Advance Christian Ministries is the largest national conference of
independent evangelical churches in the gay community. The founder
and director is Thomas Hirsch. Associate director is Bill Roberts .
Advisors are Naomi Harvey, Michael Cole, and Ronnie Pigg.
The first Advance gathering was held in January of 1987 at a YMCA
camp in Fort Worth, Texas. About 35 peopl e from no more than five
ministrie s attended. Advance has rapidly grown to a peak attendance
of over 150 in a few short years. It has sponsored tw elv e regional
conferences, and is now planning for its eighth national conference.
Emphasis is on fellowship, teaching, and Spirit led worship.
Advance Christian Ministries maintains a directory of churches as a
resource to other ministries. It also provides for financial help and
encouragement to churches and mini sters as need s become known. The
group sometimes provides ministry to small er churches with limited
finances and also sometimes helps with the purchase of songbooks or
equipment. .
Audio and video tapes of Advance '92: The Rapture of the Church are
available. For information write to Advance Christian Ministries,
4001-C Maple Ave., Dallas, TX 7521.9.
ing to Pastor Harvey, who estimates
that Advance has contact with some
200 such ministries which are not
· affiliated with the Universal Fellowship
of Metropolitian Community
Churches or gay and lesbian denominational
suprort groups . 'There is a
new move o the Spirit of the Lord to
return Gays and Lesbians to the
church," says Harvey, recalling how
the church first reject ed and then
embraced the work of peace activists
say 'this can't be,"' says Harvey, who.
hopes such ,revelation will one day
lead to the church really being one
people , .
For Pastor Naomi Harvey, these
days are the finest. "All my training
and experience is for this very hour.
I would have never dealt with my
sexuality had the tragedy not happened.
After I accepted who I was I
understood why God forced me out of
my closet. I realized it was God's ~
"All my training and experience is
for this very hour. I would have
never dealt with my sexuality had
the tragedy not happened. After
I accepted who I was I understood
why God forced me out of my
closet. I realized it was God's mercy
to help n1e to help others."
who were part of the hippy
movement of the late 1960s.
The independent churches tend to
be strictly Bible-based, according to
Harvey, who claims that some gay
and lesbian ministrie s have become
too political or too social or are
engaging irr belief that is not
scripturally based.
Curious ministers from mainline ..
denominations, including closeted
gay and lesbian ministers, who are
invited to the Advance gathering
leave with a better understanding
and a new vision of Gays and Les- ·
bians, according to Harvey . 'They
mercy to help me to help others. I
hope to continue to support ministers
who are still closeted and bring light
to them. For us who have served the
Lord, there's a job for us to do. We
must come out and be teachers."
During the course of her 52 years,
Pastor Harvey has adopted and cared
for 17 children. When Elaine Kaye, a
foster mother who has provided care
for over 100 children, began worshipping
at Potter's House the two had an
immediate connection in their love for
children. Harvey and Kaye . have
been together as a couple for about a
year now.
Oregon fundamentalists' 'twisted efforts' fail
From Page 1
rnunity plans to remain organized
and committed to respond to any
such future effort, according to Bill
Roberts, co-pastor of Potter's House
in Portland.
"We're going to keep up our
awareness and make sure that we
are not caught off guard," said
Roberts. 'The OCA is likely to
reword the proposal so that it
doesn't appear to be v·hat it is -
hate. That is the word that kept
corning up and likely led to the
defeat of the measure. The battle in
Oregon was much more hateful
than in Colorado, including the
murder of a gay man and a lesbian
woman."
Involvement by mainstream
denominations helped defeat the
measure in. Oregon. The battle also
helped give greater visibility to
gay and lesbian Christians, according
to Roberts, so that the gay and
lesbian community is able to see
that fundamentalists represent only
a small minority of Christians.
Measure 9 was proposed by the
Oregon Citizens Alliance, an organization
of fundamentalist Christians
who gathered enough petitions to
put it on the November 3 general
election ballot. Had it been adopted,
it would have overturned gay
rights ordinances in several Oregon
cities and would have legally dedared
that "homosexuality ... [is]
abnormal, wrong, unnatural, and
perverse, and that these behaviors
are to be discouraged and avoided."
Episcopal bishops Robert Ladehoff
of Oregon and Rustin Kimsey of
Eastern Oregon released a pastoral
letter to all parishes on September
24, calling on parishioners to "strive
for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of
every human being."
Kimsey described the pastoral
letter from the two Episcopal bishops
as "unprecedented," adding
that "the enormity of the situation
forced us to respond. This kir O of
singling out of a particular group
who become a whipping post for a
lot of confusion and fear is extremely
dangerous." This situation
has become far more than a
political issue," Ladehoff said.
'There are serious moral ;3sues and
concern for basic jusiice at stake
here."
The bishops ur15ed the Chri.stian
community to rnatdt "the stridency
to condemn found within Measure
9" with "a stridency of tolerance."
They reminded Episcopalians that
"the Episcopal Church has acted
consistently in affirming that homosexual
persons are children of God,
entitled to all the sacramental and
pastoral resources of the church,
and that their basic human rights
Colorado": Greatd eal of uncertaintiyn the air"
deserve to be safeguarded ... "
Ladehoff said that he was
concerned about what will happen
now that the election is over. "We
will have a serious opportunity for
some significant dialogue, and I
think we can offer that in the
church."
Other mainline Christian denominations
also came out in opposition
to the measure. The Oregon Synod
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America passed a resolution
encouraging members to vote
against the initiative. "It is part of
the Christian calling to take care of
and protect those who are oppressed
in the world," said the Rev.
Thomas Hiller, pastor of Colton
[Ore.] Lutheran Church, who
developed the synod's resolution.
"If this ir,itiative were to pass in
Oregon, it would mean the
oppression of homosexuals, many of
whom are our brothers and sisters
in Christ." Hiller's brother is gay,
which brings a personal dimension
to the political issue. "It's not a
black and white thing for me,"
Hille; said. '1 realized that if my
brother lived in Oregon and this
measure passed, it could very
badly affect his life. All the people
this measure could affect are
bro~~ers and sisters of other people
.
• Television evangelist Pat
Robertson donated $20,000 t,:\' lhe
campaign to pass the anti-gay
rights measure. Lou Mabon, chairman
of the OCA, sought the
donation during a trip to the home
of Robertson's Christian Broadcasting
Network in Virginia Beach,
Va.
Mabon, 45, is a former drug addict
who says he "met the Lord" at a
California commune in 1969. While
casting himself as a defender of
"traditional family values" against
"militant homosexuals," Mabon says
his former drug addiction taught
him tolerance and compassion.
Before the failure of Measure 9,
Mabon predicted that Oregon
would be at the leading edge of a
movement that will sweep the
United States within "one. or two
election cycles."
There were two murders during
the course of the hate campaign. A
gay man, Brian Mock, and lesbian
woman, Hattie Cohens, roommates,
were killed when a firebomb was
thrown into their basement apartment
at 3:18 a.rn. on September 26.
Police have arrested four young
white supremacist skinheads in the
killings.
-Staff reports and Jeffrey Penn, Episcopal
News Service,( 1ssociatedP ress,
The Lutheran and Southern Voice
Lostf ight unifiedg ay/lesbianc ommunity·
Voters in the state of Colorado
approved a measure spawned by
Colorado for Family Values to prohibit
the state or any political subdivision
from passing any civil
rights law.s protecting Gays or
Lesbians. The vote was 55 percent
in favor of Amendment 2. CFV
had gathered 16,000 more signatures
than needed to place the
measure on the November 3 ballot.
Passage of the amendment
rescinds gay rights laws in Denver,
Aspen and Boulder. Gay activists
promptly called for a tourism boycott
of Colorado.
Gov. Roy Romer, an opponent of
the measure, told gay leaders, "It is
not you who are gay and lesbian
who have lost the fight. It is all of
Colorado."
Scott Stebbins, spokesperson for
Evangelicals Concerned Western
Region said that Colorado's shocked
gay and lesbian community was in
a somber mood following t.he election.
Polls had predicted the measure's
failure. 'There's a great deal
of uncertainty in the air," said
Stebbins, 'but there's a resolve that
we're going to proceed further. It's
strengthened my resolve to be out
and stay out."
Pastors and congregations from
the Evangelkal Lutheran Church in
America, the United Church of
Christ, the United Methodist
Church, and other mainline denominat
ions were on record opposing
Amendment 2. In Denver, United
Methodist Bishop Roy Sano sent a
letter to 290 Methodist ministers,
saying that denying civil rights for
Gays and Lesbians amounted to
"twisted efforts." Sano criticized the
group promoting the measure,
saying it was attempting to "write
prejudice" into the state constitution.
The CFV is an affiliate of the
Orange County, California-based
Traditional Values Coalition. Members
of CFV's executive and advisory
boards represent fundamentalist,
right-wing groups such as the
TVC, Focus on the Family, Concerned
Women for America, Summit
Ministries and the Eagle
Forum. Forme r U. S. Sen. Bill
Armstrong gave his support to
Colorado for Family Values,
lending his name to a fund raising
letter in which he said he considers
the gay rights movement to be a
"grave threat" to Colorado.
With the approval of voters,
Article 2 of the Colorado Constitution
may now be amended to
read, "No protected status . based on
homosexual, lesbian or bisexual
orientation." However, since the
amendment appears to violate the
equal protection clause of the 14th
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,
the measure's legality will
almost certainly be reviewed by the
courts.
Stebbins said that it was up to gay
and lesbian Christians to come out
i:1 their churches so that everyone
will know someone who is gay,
because the battle is far from over.
"Even if we had won, we knew
they would be back," said Stebbins.
"It's not a dead issue."
The unsuccessful battle to defeat
Amendment 2 did have a silver
lining , according to Stebbins. "It •
brougfit JnOre unity · to our community."
·
-Staff reports, Associated Press and
Southern Voice
SecondS tone-November/Decembe1r,9 92l ll].
Confronting
religiou s
bigots
and winning!
BY REV. DR. BUDDY TRULUCK
J esus was not tormented and
killed by street gangs, pick-.
pockets, common thieves,
prostitutes or criminals.
Jesus was ·misunderstood, attacked
and killed by the most religious
people in the world at that time.
Jesus was destroyed by religious
leaders who saw him as a threat to
their power, wealth and spiritual
authority.
Gays and Lesbians have experienced
religious bigotry and religious
attacks. These attacks frequently
have been launched by their parents,
relatives, close neighbors and hometown
church . Usually Gays and
Lesbians lack the expert Bible knowledge
to answer effectively the uninformed
and emotional religious
attacks that they endure. The result
of the conflict between gay people
and religion is often the total
abandonment of religion by Gays
and Lesbians.
Most of the teachings of Jesus
recorded in the four gospels spring
from religious controversies forced on
Jesus by bigoted religious leaders.
Most of the parables were given in
direct response to religion that demanded
legal justice but overlooked
human frailty and need.
Matthew 21:45-46: When the chief
priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus'
parables, they understood that he was
speaking about them. And when they
sought to seize Jesus, they became afraid
of the multitudes, because they believed
Jesus was a prophet.
All of Matthew chapters 22 and 23
is devoted to Jesus' response to religious
bigots. Webster defines bigot as
"one obstinately or intolerantly devoted
to his own church, party belief,
or opinion." Jesus came into the most
highly developed and detailed religious
system in history! His mission
would have been a lot easier if he
had come into a total religious
vacuum. But that was not God's plan.
So we are able to gain some greatly
needed help in handling intol erant
religion by our study of Jesus .
Matthew 22 begins with two
parables of a wedding feast, which
was symbolic of the joy of God 's
presence in the kingdom or "rule"
(Greek basalia) . of God. In both
parables, those who thought that they
deserved tl1e kingdom are thrown out
and destroyed . Jesus had all along
tried to show that the hard hearted
religion of the Jewish leaders was a
hindrance to fellowship with God and
not a help. The Pharisees responded
with anger . They refused to admit
that they were wrong.
Matthew 22:15-22: Then the Pharisees
went and -counseled together how they
might trap him in what he said. And
they sent their disciples to Jesus, along
with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we
know that you are truthful and teach the
way of God in truth, and defer to no one;
for you are not partial to any. Tell us
therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful
to pay a tax to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus
perceived their malice, and said, "Why
are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show
me the coin used for the tax." And they
brought him a denarius. And he said to
them, "Whose likeness (Gk. ikon) and
inscription is this?" They said to him,
"Caesar's" 171en Jesus said to them,
"Then render to Caesar the things that
are Caesar's; and to God the things that
are God's." And hearing this, they
marveled, and leaving him, they went
away.
After this, the Sadducees asked ·
questions about the resurrection and
the Pharisees asked about the greatest
law. Luke adds the parable of the
Good Samaritan to the encounter with
the lawyer over "who is my neighbor?"
(Luke 10:25-37) Rabbi arguments
over the "greatest" commandment
led to classification of
scriptures . Rabbis .said Moses gave
613 laws (365 proh ibitions and 248
[I2JSec ond Stone•November/December, 1992
positive commands). These laws
were said to be reduced to 11 in
Psalm 15, to 6 in Isaiah 3:15, to 3 in
Micah 6:8, to 2 in Isaiah 56:1, and to 1
in Habakkuk 2:4 - quoted in Romans
1:17: 'The just shall live by faith."
Love God with "heart, soul, mind"
(22:37). Deut. 6:5 has "might" instead
of "mind ." Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27
have all four terms.
After Jesus answered the attacks by
religious leaders, he asked them
about the identity of Christ, whom
they called "the son of David" and
Jesus showed that they were wrong in
their understanding, quoting Psalm
110:1 (the most quoted Old Testament
verse in the New Testament.) And
"no one was able to answer Jesus a
word, nor did ;1nyone dare from that
day on to ask him another question."
22:46.
The Pharisees (meaning "separated
ones") called themselves the
Haberim, meaning "neighbors." The
Hebrew word "neighbor" simply
means "the one nearby." Gentiles
were the "ones far off." Jews were the
only truly "nearby ones. See
Ephesians 2:11-22and the quote there
from Isaiah 57:19.
The Law and Prophets "hang"
(22:40) on the teachings .of Deut. 6:5
and . Lev. 19:18. Love is the key to
everything. See John 13:34-35 and
Romans 13:8-10. Jesus refused to be
distracted by religious squabbles over
which law is greatest. He kept
attention on the main issue of love,
which he demonstrated in his own
words and actions.
How Jesus dealt
wit h opposit ion
1. Jesus faced opposition from
religious bigots and refused to back
off or run away. ·
2. Jesus kept the crowds with him. He
was popular because he demonstrated
his real care for people.
3. The views of others were taken
seriously and answered. Pharisees
were not stupid . Many were brilliant
scholars, as was the .apostle Paul,
SEE WINNING, Page 20
Church didn't always condemn same sex love
(RADICAL RIGHT PREACHERS have a penchant for creating short anti-gay
sayings to be used on talk shows and at demonstrations. If the far right can use
these political and religious one liners to promote their indignities, Lesbians and
Gays must learn to use one liners to proclaim the truth.)
The toxin... Historically the Jewish and Christian church
has opposed Gays and Lesbians.
The antidote ... Organized resistance was introd uced in the
12th century .
. ORGANIZED RESISTANCE to gay love first appeared in the church in
1197 when Peter Cantor first attempted to teach that certain New Testament
passages were ·against homosexuality, per se. It was at Peter's urging
that the Ecumenical Church Council introduced, for the first time,
laws condemning all kinds of homosexual behavior . Before the time of
Peter Cantor, the church generally believed these New Testament passages
referred to such things as masturbation and birth control.
Except for the church Fathers who condemned practically all sexual
acts; the early church never reflected any hostility toward homosexuality
nor did they believe that the Bible reflected any hostility toward gay love.
For a thousand years after Genesis 19, the people of God believed that
Sodom was destroyed because of inhospitality resulting in attempted
gang rape. The Jewish historian, Josephus, at the time of Christ still
reflected this "act of violence." Hebrew authorities recognize that the
Hebrew terms describing the angels in Genesis 19 do not idenFfy their
gender.
For 500 years in the early church authorities believed that Romans One
reflected the Greek concept that heterosexuals should not try to change
their nature and, by inference, that Gays also should not attempt to
change their nature. The early church also believed that Paul's epistles
taught that both homosexual and heterosexual excess was evil (I Car. 6:9;
I Tim. 1:10; Rom . 13:13). Homosexual rape, adultery, prostitution and
child abuse were treated as heterosexual sins were treated.
Throughout the Bible one finds a number of prosecutions for sexual
crimes. At least five of those concern homosexual relat ions and certain
clerics suggest that this shows that all homosexuality is sinful. These
incident s are listed among accounts of heterosexual crimes. The common
theme is rape, using males as substitute women, sacred prostitution,
parental incest and trying to change one's sexual nature. Like ancient
Greek and Roman law, the Bible condemns only the abuse of heterosexuality
or homosexuality . -Dr. Paul R. Jol;nson
.
I'
Ed. Note: This play was performed
at last summer's meeting of the Western
RegionC onnECtionC onferenceo f
EvangelicalCs oncerned.T I1ea uthor,
JackP antaleor,e cently hada play produced
in San Francisco , Tiie Gospel
According to the Angel Julius. For
infonnalion on performingt he play,
or for an unedited script of the play,
contact the author in care of Second
Stone.
{THERE IS A LOUD KNOCK ON
THE DOOR.)
Uncle Fred: Come in. (IN WALKS A
DEPRESSED-LOOKING MAN WITH
HEAD AND EYES DOWNCAST.
UNCLE FRED SHAKES HIS HAND.)
Welcome. I'm Fred Turner, but most
of the guys here just call me Uncle
Fred.
Hank: (LOOKING UP FINALLY.)
It's nice to meet ya. I've read all your
books. I can't tell you how much
they've helped me. I just hope I have
the courage to go through all this.
Uncle Fred: My boy, my boy, you've
got nothing to worry about. If you
made it this far, you're more than
half-way home. Now let's you and I
sit down a spell and see what's going
on here. (THEY SIT DOWN, AND
HANK BEGINS TO FIDGET WITH
HIS FINGERS AND HANG HIS
HEAD.). So tell me, Hank. How are
you feeling at this very moment?
Hank: (LOOKING UP.) Well, actually,
I'm not doing too well. I guess
I'm pretty nervous.
Uncle Fred: Nervous? Nervous about
what?
Hank: About this whole thing. Do
you really think I can change like the
others. What I mean is - do you
really think God can change someone
like me?
Uncle Fred: Of that you can be
assured. There is nothing God cannot
do. No one is too far gone for our
Lord and Savior the Christ Jesus, the
Almighty. Those testimonies in my
books are eye-witness accounts of the
healing, transforming, restorative
powers of our Lord and Savior the
Christ Jesus, the Almighty One who
was, who is, and who is to come
again. Alleluia! Oh, praise be to
God. Hank, it's no accident -that
you're here. It's no accident you've
been sent to Uncle Fred's Ex-Straight
Ministries International to be cured of
your heterosexuality! (RISING FROM
HIS CHAIR.) Yes,heterosexuality 9l!l
be cured!
Hank: All my life I've wanted to be
freed of the bondage of heterosexuality.
Uncle Fred, I've waited for
th.is day for a very long time.
Uncle Fred: (SITTING DOWN.)
Well, my boy, your wait is over.
Let's get started right now. Let's
begin with your childhood. When do
you first recall being attracted to
members of the opposite sex?
Hank: Well, it really was at a very
young age. My first memory is when
I was about four or five years old. It
all started one summer. Our
neighbors had a daughter in her
teens. She had long, beautiful, flow-
BY JACK PANTALEO
ing red hair and a reddish, freckled
face. Well, this particular summer, I
just happened to be looking out my
bedroom window and saw this young
woman standing in her bedroom.
She changed her clothes in front of
my very eyes. I'm quite certain that
my heart skipped a beat when she
took off her training bra. (HANK
LOOKS DOWN' AGAIN.) I've felt
ashamed of myself ever since.
Uncle Fred: (SHAKING HIS HEAD.)
What a traumatic thing to have
happen at such an impressionable
age. Didn't you tell your parents?
Hank: No. I was too ashamed. I had
gay parents like every normal person.
And they were very loving and
all that, but -
Uncle Fred: Are you sure they were
loving? If they were so loving, how
did you turn out to be straight?
Think about it, my boy. Before I get
through with you, I'll be able to point
out just how unloving your parents
really were. Bi.it let me take a stab in
the dark . You probably didn't have
passive same-sex male parents, did
you?
Hank: (SHEEPISHLY.) Well, no. I
didn't want to mention this before,
but one of my parents was actually -
how can I put it delicately? I'll just
say it. He was assertive.
Uncle Fred: Oh, my God! I knew it.
I just knew it. The same patterns
repeat themselves over and over
again in the broken men who come to
me. To act in an assertive way
around you is nothing short of child
abuse. That's what it is all right,
child abuse, plain and simple. Oh,
my boy, the trauma, the trauma. But
that's why I'm here. That's why
Uncle Fred's Ex-Straight Ministries
International is here. I'm here to help
men like you leave the sinful, wanton
heterosexual lifestyle. I'm also here to
combat the unrestrained immorality
that has overtaken this country - may
God's hand spare this nation. Why,
just the other day, I heard that some
California judge appointed a child to
a. heterosexual couple! Can you
believe it? Son, I say, son, that just
turns . my stomach. But let us
continue. Now, tell me about your
first heterosexual encounter.
Hank: Do I really have to?
Uncle Fred: Oh, yes, my boy. Oh,
yes. But first let me tum on the t<1pe
recorder. I wouldn't want to miss a
single detail, not a one. (UNCLE
FRED TURNS ON THE TAPE
RECORDER.)
.Hank: OK, here goes. I was a
freshman in college at the time, I was
able to resist Satan until then.
Uncle Fred: Splendid! That's a big
point in your favor. You're going to
be just fine, my boy, just fine.
Hank: It happened after the freshman
Christmas dance. Cindy and I
were walking home, and we passed
by the Wilson's vacant barn. I don't
quite know how it all began, but we
decided to look inside the barn. We
sat on this pile of hay and talked - just
talked - until - well - I don't know.
(HANK BECOMES MORE AND
MORE EMBARRASSED.) I reached
over my hand and held hers. Uncle
Fred, it was so soft. She squeezed
back. And then it happened. We
ended up having heterosexual intercourse.
Uncle Fred: No!
Hank: Yes! And worst of all, I liked
it!
Uncle Fred: Nol Didn't you know .it
was wrong?
Hank: Of course I knew it was
wrong, but by that time, Satan had
invaded my heart. All I could think
about were · her two oval-shaped
breasts and her wide ruby red lips.
All I could th.ink about -
Uncle Fred: (HOLDING HIS STOMACH.)
OK, OK, I get the point, boy.
I get the point.
Hank: Since that time, I've had many
other encounters. But, of course, only
in back rooms and alleys where
people of my kind frequent. My
undoing was six months ago when an
undercover female cop lured me into
one of the city bathrooms. The
moment I touched her breasts, she
arrested me. I've spent the last six
months in prison. That's where I
heard about your ex-straight ministry.
Why, I had never heard of such
a thing. It was something I had been
praying for all my life. Ever since I
heard about you, I've been trying to
change. On a good day, I can
actually lisp. And just last week, a
friend told me that he actually noticed
a slight swish when I walk. I've seen
every Bette Davis movie a hundred
times trying to copy her mannerisms.
Uncle Fred: Any luck?
Hank: Not really. (ALMOST TO THE
POINT OF TEARS.) I try for Bette
Davis, but all that comes out is Fred
McMurray.
Uncle Fred: Not only is it unnatural,
but heterosexuals will stop at nothing
to trap young people into following
the straight lifestyle. As a matter of
fact, that's the reason straight people
have so many children. They can't
recruit, so they have to reproduce.
Now, let me check in with you, my
boy. How are you doing? Are you
strong enough to take the first step in
our ex-straight program?
Hank: Uncle Fred, I couldn't be more
ready. ·
Uncle Fred: I'm proud of you, Hank.
Here's where it really begins. Beginning
tonight, you'll sleep with a pair
of men's briefs under your pillow.
And tomorrow, you'll carry a pin
with you at all times. That way,
whenever you feel even the slightest
attraction to the opposite sex, you can
stick yourself to bring you out of
Satan's spell. You've had a hard day,
and I want you to get a good night's
rest, but before I let you go, I want to
say a prayer for you. It's time to
speak that prayer of healing to our
Lord and Savior the Christ Jesus, the
Almighty One. (UNCLE FRED
ST ANDS AND POSITIONS HIS
HANDS ON TOP OF HANK'S HEAD
AND PRAYS.) Hocus pocus, dominocus,
being gay will be your
primary focus! (UNCLE FRED LIFTS
HIS HANDS, AND HANK SHAKES
HIS HEAD AS IF WAKING UP.)
Well, my boy? Well, it is working?
Hank: (ST ANDING UP, SPEAKING
IN A BETTE DA VIS VOICE.) What a
dump! Let's get out of this rat hole
and go shopping! (HANK REACHES
FOR A PURSE, TAKES OUT A PAIR
OF WHITE GLOVES AND PUTS
THEMON.) .
Uncle Fred: (WILDLY WAVING HIS
ARMS IN THE AIR.) Fabulous!
Fabulous! It's another victory of our
Lord and Savior the Christ Jesus, the
Almighty One. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Hank: Let's not dawdle, Fred
dawling. I'm just dying to get a new
pair of pumps to matcl1 the outfit I'll
be wearing tomorrow.
Uncle Fred: There's a cute little shop
down the street that has just what
you're looking for. But before we go, .
let's tell the girls about your healing.
Hank: (ARMS AROUND EACH
OTHER, WALKING OUT THE
DOOR.) Do lets! . Free at last. Free
at last. · Thank God, Almighty. I'm
free at last!
Second Stone-Nov~ber/December, 1992-[ll]
...................................I..n.P r.i.n...t. ....... ......................
The DysfunctionalC_ hurch
By Rev. Richard B. Gilbert
ContributingW riter
The Dysfunctional Church: Addiction
and Codependency in the Family of
CatholicismM, ichaelH . Crosby,a uthor.
Notre Dame Press, 1991.
I rriade a mistake starting this
book when I did. It was 4 a.rn.
and I had just dragged home
from the hospital after being
called out to minister to a patient and
her family at the time of her death. It
wasn't just t!'te tragedy of this death
that set me off, but because this was
another middle-of-the-night ministry
added to my already overloaded
schedule because the priest-refused to
come in. He not only refused in a
most forceful and abrasive way, but
argued, "I have already anointed her
and there is nothing I can do."
Too tired to sleep, too soon to dress
and go to work, I picked up this
book. It both fed my anger and
tempered it as I read, '1t is my contention
that the 'deadly disease;
undermining the church.in our day is
the addiction of-the papacy and its
extension in the hierarchy to the preservation
of the male, celibate, clerical
model of the church.' This has happened
in a way that has takeri a hold
of all the limbs of many of us in such
a manner that -our codependency has
Was St. Paul gay?
become diagnosable as well ... (It) has
been observable and progressive, is
manifest in repeated symptoms, and
that, unless drastic action is taken,
will prove deadly ... " (p. 7)
With these strong words I began
my reading of a scholarly, prophetic,.
and , yes, very pastoral account of a
struggling community within the
Christian family, a family in need of
healing and redirection.
It is essentially a book of three
parts. Throughout the three parts the
message· and agenda are clear. "Since
part of addiction is to make its patterns
of thinking, feeling and acting
normative, some outside norm for
right order must be found." (p.9)
The first section is very heavy
reading. Relying very heavily on
some of the current books on addiction
and dysfunction (the book has
very excellent bibliographic notations),
the first section is both a
scholarly definition of dysfunction set
within the framework of the religious
community, and a parallel discourse
on church history as a pattern of
feeding the dysfunction. It is heavy
reading. While it is quite scholarly
and powerful, the average religious
leader or parishioner might not be
willing to tackle such heavy reading,
and thus miss the invitation to
freedom.
Throughout the heavy reading the
A bishop's daring idea
By William L. Day
ContributingW riter
Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism,
John Shelby Spong, ,!.uthor.
Harper, San Francisco, 1991.
A fter Jesus himself, St. Paul is
probably the most important
figure in Christian history.
. Called "the Apostle to the
Gentiles.'' he is primarily responsible
for Christianity breaking away from
the Jewish church. His epistles provide
the first accounts of the early
history of the church. Although in the
New Testament they follow the four
Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles,
a number of Paul's epistles were
written first and probably influenced
the Gospels and Acts.
But Paul had a problem. He wrote
of it in terms that have led scholars to
speculate about what illness or other
physical failing he had - epilepsy,
perhaps? Spong sees Paul as a "tortured
man" (p. 113) and advances a
theory that may shock most
Christians. Paul, he suggests, was
battling his own sexuality - in this
case, homosexuality, a grievious
condition in view of Jewish teachings.
. Only the grace of God through Jesus -
unconditional love - enabled him to
live with his homosexuality.
'To me," Spong writes (p. 125), "it is
a beautiful idea that a homosexual
male ... could nonetheless, not in spite
of this but because of this, be the one
who would define grace for Christian
people." ·
Spong, a bishop of the Episcopal
Church in Newark, N.J., a few years
ago ordained a practicing gay man to
the priesthood. But except for the
chapter mentioned above, which
comes near the end of the book, he is
not concerned primarily with homosexuality
but rather, first, bringing
the results of modern Biblical scholarship
to show how the books of the
Bible came to be written and the
varying purposes they were meant to
serve and, second, to show how, in
spite of departing from long accepted
interpretations, the Bible becomes
richer and more meaningful in
[14Se]co ndS toncoNovember/Decemb1e9r9, 2
points are clear. Absolutism is a
symptom, using legalism and
dogmatism · to control people and
maintain power . "When the leaders
define themselves as the only
teachers and truth as their teaching,
the hierarchy's interpretation becomes
the absolute legal norm. Despite the
lip service to the scriptures as the first
font of revelation, the second font,
tradition, de facto takes prededence ."
(p.11)
The second section is a tender,
honest diary of a man's journey
through childhood, the wrestling with
a call, albeit cluttered with the
dysfunction both of family and religious
community, and his struggle to
maintain a sense of faithfulness and
mission in a community which symbolizes
those dynamics, then often
stands in the way of them.
This diary is a painful revelation by
a beautiful person. It tells of a further
dysfunction common in the ministry,
of people entering the ministry for
the "wrong" reasons ("My father told
me to be a priest," "My mother
thought one of us should be a nun"),
and yet God continues to speak and
work even through our brokenness.
Throughout this personal story and
struggle, you see a man corning to
the realization of what he now is
expressing in print, and being forced '
to examine his faith, his undertoday's
world when it is read with
honestly and reason in the light of
modern science and research.
Spong sees the Christian community
perilously divided between funda.
mentalists afraid of the truth and
postmodern secularist liberals who
"because of the habits of a lifetime,
still relate to religious institutions at
nominal levels, even though they
find no real sustenance there" (p.
134). He sees no future for Christianity
unless essential Christian truth
"can be extracted from the phenomenalistic
. framework of the ancient
past.''
Those who have left their churches
standing of the church, and what this
all means for the ordained ministry.
He reminds us, 'The institutional
church represents a dysfunctional
family system in contrast to a
functional one. It is closed rather than
open; it functions to meet a few key
members' personal needs rather than
all members' basic needs; its rules
operate to keep the system closed by
reserving power to only a few in
contrast to functional family rules that ·
operate to maximize all the members '
potential. In a dysfunctional family,
roles become identified with persons,
continually getting enacted in a rigid,
anxious manner, functional family
rules distinguish the role from the
person, are invoked only when
needed, and then in a relaxed,
flexible way." (p. 101)
The closing section is the statement
of a commitment from a man who
recognizes his call in a new way, who
claims his brokenness is a community
of broken people, and now senses his
call to move forward, to .reach out,
SEE DYSFUNCTIONAL, Page 18
In Print, briefly. ..
TinyS tories
L'IDennisC iscel, an AIDS and HIV
prevention trainer and case worker,
has gathered his poetry about AIDS
and some of the people we have lost
into TinyS toriesi,l lustratedb y David
Swim. Ciscel is a poet who performs
frequently in Austin, Texas, and
received a grant from the Austin Arts
Commissiotno producet he book.
-FromP lainV iewP ress(,5 12)441-2452.
Outo ft heB ishopC'sl oset
L'TI he daring coming-outs tory of a
Mormon High Priest returns in a
paperback Second Edition. Author
Antonio A. Feliz presents a story of
healing and forgiveness. Malcolm
Boyd called Feliz, "a bearer of
theological promise and spiritual
hope to Lesbians and gay men who
have wrongly suffered rejection and
betrayal in the name of God."
-FromA lamoS quareP ress
or who have sat in the pews "
questioning what they hear from the
pulpit or lectern may find here the
answers they have been seeking. In
one way, the book is. a sequel to his
earlier work, Living in Sin? A Bishop
Rethinks Human Sexuality, which
evoked an outcry from traditionalists.
Religioann dS piritualitAy :
Checklisotf Resourcefosr
Lesbian&s.G ayM en
L':.ThGe ay and LesbianT ask Forceo f
theA mericanL ibraryA ssociationh as
compileda listo f 195b ooks,5 1 organizations,
and 44 periodical publications
dealingw ithr eligiona nd homosexualityT.
he 17-pagel ist is available
for$ 3.00,p ostpaid.
-FromG LTFC learinghouscelo, Office
for Outreach Services, American
Ubra,yA ssociatio6n0, EastH uronS t,
ChicagoIL, 60611.
I doubt if they will like this book. Its
interpretations are amply supported
by footnotes, a bibliography, and an
extensive index.
In Print ............... ......... ~ .............. -· .. .
Catholic guilt
Gay and Still Catholic: A Journey Home
By Johnny Townsend
Contributing Writer Catholic guilt is the main
theme of Leo Giovanni's
autobiography Gay and Still
Catholic: A Journey Home.
Such guilt rears its head on page one,
and it stays reared for another
hundred and fifty pages. It is not ii
subtle note but is slammed into the
reader over and over and over again,
not just once a page, but twice, even
three times a page. After a couple of
dozen pages, it starts to get old, but
one things is always clear, and that is
that th.is account of deep turmoil rings
true.
In Print, briefly ...
Daring to Speak
Love's Name
D.A gay and· lesbian prayer book,
banned from publication by the Arch•
bishop of Canterbury, was scheduled
to be in print as Second Stone goes
to press. .
-From the Lesbian and Gay .Christian
Movement, Oxford House, Derbyshire
St., London, England E2 6HG.
Brother to Brother:
A black gay anthology
t:,. Editor Essex Hemphill presents a
book by and about black gay meri.
"My hope is that Brother to Brother
will continue to reach new aud1•
ences," says Hemphill, "to affirm and
empower not only black gay men, but
Gays and Lesbians generally who
have long felt persecuted by heterosexual
society and its narrowly
defined definitions of what gender,
sexuality, and identity are to be, how
such is to be constructed, and who
has the right to claim his or her own
humanity from the chaos."
-From Alyson Publications
Writer's resource updated
!:,.Putting Out:: A Publishing Resource
Guide for Lesbian & Gay Writers, a
1991 reference book with over 250
book publishing, newspaper, maga·
zine, journal, and theatre markets for
lesbian and gay writers and playwrights,
has just been updated with a
1992/93 supplement listing more than
95 new markets. The supplement
retails for $4.95, or is included at no
extra charge when ordered with the
original edition, $12.95. ·
-From Putting Out Books, 2215-R
Market St.,# 113, San Francisco, CA
94114, (415)621-5766.
Certainly, there were many times I
wanted to grab the author (who uses
a pseudonym to protect his family)
and shake him. I wanted to slap him
and say, "Get over it already!" but
unfortunately, I remembered that my
own non-Catholic coming out was
almost as guilt-ridden, and probably
many readers of many religious backgrounds
can identify with the author 's
story, particularly those who still
haven't fully re conciled their sexuality
and religion yet.
Giovanni praises himself as an
intellectual and yet there are several
hilariously irrational scenes throughout
the book, such as when he tries to
avoid feeling guilt for masturbating
by having sex with a female friend,
or when he wants to avoid the guilt of
Each person must
ultimately be responsible
for his or her own actions,
but actions are performed
in a context, an:d he shows
how Catholic teachings
against Gays which supposedly
are supposed to
help them "better" themselves
cannot do anything
except bring not only
misery to them but also act
as a direct cause of
creating more sin,
not less.
a gay sexual encounter and so repeat edly
visits a series of female prostitutes
. He candidly admits that
many of his first gay sexual
encounters were not mutual - he
experienced his orgasm and ran
home, leaving the other fellow
behind . Giovanni certainly cloes not
come across as much of a hero, and
the whining on top of it gets increasingly
hard to take as the story
progresses . He also comes across as
possessive and demanding of his
friends, and so little information is
given about other facets of his life that
despite his disclaimer on this point,
he does end up depicting himself as
overly obsessed about sex.
However, · Giovanni does a
reasonable job of convincing the
reader that many of his negative
ideas and negative behaviors were
inevitable given Catholic teachings .
Each person must ultimately b e
responsible for his .or her own actions,
but actions are performed in a
context, and he shows how Catholic
teachings against Gays which
supposedly are supposed to help
them "better" themselves cannot to
anything except bring not only
misery to them but also act as a direct
cause of creating more sin, not less.
Giovanni takes us slep by
painstaking step through his very
long corning out process, quoting
letters from priests and nuns, portions
of his own letters and journaf entries,
some of his prayers, and anything
else to give us insight into how he felt
at the time (the late 1960's and early
1970's). Unfortunately, all too often I
felt I was .reading the exact same
information over and over again . He
is thorough, there is no doubt, but
. almost too thorough to be readable.
If, however, a non-gay Catholic
would read Giovanni 's story, she or
he would be hard-pressed not to
believe that the man honestly did
everything in his power to change his
sexual orientation, and that in itself is
enough value for the story. Perhaps
the book is most powerful then for a
non-gay audience, and yet few non~
gays who are not already sympathetic
would be likely to ever pick it up.
Still, evidence is there, evidence in
the forr_ of one long, detailed case
history, and every little bit helps .
There are certainly more readable
accounts of gay Catholic struggle, but
until the message gets through, it
must be told again and again, until
someone's voice is really heard.
Perhaps what I find repetitious and
gl!ilt-sodden (up until the last 20
pages, not enough to get rid of the
negative aftertaste) will be the voice
that reaches someone else. At the
very least, I see one more gay
Catholic who is finally at peace, and
that is almost enough to have made
the reading worthwhile .
VIRGINIA RAMEY MOLLENKOTI
Out from
A well-known EvangeRcal feminist shares th.e
story of her own journey to greater spiritual awareness.
"I have always found Virginia one of the most irenic
and spiritually reconciling voices in the feminist
movement. Virginia shares with us the deepest
secrets of her striving to be one with the Spirit . The
chapters dealing with reconciliation and forgiving one's enemy
will, I believe, become spiritual classics:' -JOHN J. McNEILL,
author of Taking a Chance on God: Liberating Theology for Gays
"Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, trusted and beloved evangelical
lesbian feminist, builds new bridges of intellect, spirit and
psyche, helping everyone cross over from oppression to
liberation:' -MARY E. HUNT,
author of Fierce Tenderness: A Feminist Theology of Friendship
$12.95 paper
At bookstores or call 1-800-937-5557
CROSSROAD
370 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Second StoneeNovember/December, 1992. [I[]
·,
I
Essay· T . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . ...............................
Part of me died earlier this
year, on the day that my 76-
year-old grandfather passed
away in California, half a
continent away. With the news of his
death came the creeping revelation
that I would never again have the
chance to know the Gramps who took
me bird-watching as a child, who sent
me lizard skins and porcupine quills,
and gave me books.
Gramps died in a nursing home,
from Alzheimer's and a myriad of
infections, with only a nurse at his
side.
Before that - long before - I knew
this man as my brilliant grandfather;
a rattlesnake catcher and strawberry
grower, an anesthesiologist, horticulturist,
nonconfonrust, workahohc and
inventor. This man filled many roles,
but one role he rarely played, however,
was a doting grandfather.
sroNcWALL Rtors
The giver of lizard skins, porcupine
quills, and a sense of wonder
BY KEVIN GEPFORD
"Can't fritter away my time" was the
motto of his New Hampshire heritage.
·
Now I struggle with conflicting
memories of him . Th9se memones
paint him as an aloof eccentric, a man
who alienated · nearly everyone he
knew - even his family. As I grew
BY ANDREA NATALIE
up, Gramps and I grew apart .. Whe~ever
I visited, in lieu of a relat10nsh1p
we would drive from his horrie in the
mountains outside Los Angeles into
the desert, or to Palm Springs and
Hadley Fruit Orchard. We neve r
missed driving to Loma Linda, where
he had worked and lived as a
Seventh-day Adventist physician,
and Forest Lawn Cemetery (where he
usually swiped chrysanthemum cuttings
from tombstones when Grandma's
back was turned, in order to root
a rare hue of blossom for himself).
In the final decade of his life (he
suffered stoma .ch cancer and diabetes
· before Alzheimer's came to stay)
Gra mps began to see life more
clearly. He slowed · down a little. He
retired, and began creating a new
garden on two acres of a cool mountainside
overlooking Los. Angeles.
There, winter frosts killed hts
kumquats.
During those last years his eyes
also invaded my closet over the
thousands of miles that separated us.
· One day in a fit of senile rage he
announced to my mother that I was a
homosexual - long before I knew it
myself.
Now, with him dead, I feel we are
closer in a way. Seventh-day Adventists
believe that a person's soul dies
with their body, remembered only in
the mind of God untU the resurrection.
As an Epfscopalian, I don't
know which view of the afterlife I
prefer. I suppose it doesn't really
matter, for he lives on in memory. .
In my1nind, I hear him talk about
when he and Grandma joined the
Adventist Church just before they
were married on the coast of Maine.
He would talk about his mother
dying when he was nine years old,
his two brother s, and about when he
left New England for California.
There he supported two daught ers
and a wife while working his way
through medical school.
·liID Second Stone-November/December, 1992
He would tell me about his love for
traveling madly across the United
States, and his passion for plants, of
all kinds... About how he loved
people, but could never find a way to
say what he really felt.
He loved growing things more than
people 'though, for they would accept
care o~ terms that he gave it without
grumbling, and they always
flourished . He would tell me about
his frustration with the changing
times, the theological conflicts and
declining standards he believed were
devouring the Seventh-day Adventist
church he had loved since his youth. .
Yes, Gramps would want to know
why I spent a year in colleg_e overseas;
why I chose a career m Journalism,
how I met my lover, and
about our two cats (he hated cats) and
our little white house with green
shutters in Chattanooga.
This, of course, is the Gramps I
never knew. Perhaps someday we
will meet again, but ll)y last image of
him is in a hospital bed with tubes
extending from every orifice of his
body. He does not recognize me - his
gay (and only) grandso1,1 - nor his
own wife of 51 years with still-red
hair .
An hour before death, his mind
clears. He sees the late afternoon sun
streaming through th e window, and
rises from bed. He wanders down
the hallway and out the door,
searching for an ice cream cone.
Suddenly the cloud . descends again.
He stops, gown flapping in the
breeze, and realizes he's lost. He
can't remember where he is going, or
where he come from. He can't
remember who he is. Suddenly, he
realizes he is still trapped in his bed.
When he looks down, he sees IV
tu bes running from his arm; the
doctor has become the patient. The
foot of his bed is being lifted by the
nurse . to help with circulation. Voices.
Shapes. Does he know these people
hovering around lum? He II ask
later and for now he dozes off, his
left hand, so thi11, hanging by the
wrist over the side of the bed.
The voices drift away. There is
silence. And then he dies with only a
nurse to observe his passing.
Kevin Gepford is the former editor of the
SDA Kinship Connection, a monthly
newsletter for gay present and former
Seventh-day Adventists. He attends the
Columbia University Graduate School of
Journalism in New York.
JusOt ut T . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Moody peek into Harlem Renaissance
Looking for Langston
Water Bearer Films, under an exclusive
agreement with Jane Balfour
Films of London, has licensed for the
home video rights to Isaac Julien's
previously unavailable film, Looking
for Langston. The video marks the
sixth release in Water Bearer Films
line of "Festival Favorites" for the gay
and lesbian community.
Langston Hughes is considered
America's premiere Afro-American
poet. Writing during the time of the
Harlem Renaissance, Hughes was
able to capture the mood and texture
of the first great cultural ascension of
the Afro-American movement in this
country. Today, Hughes' work is
required reading for many public
and private schools across the nation.
Isaac Julien's first feature film,
Looking for Langston, pre-dates his
most current theatrical feature, the
critically acclaimed Young Soul Rebels.
The film is a musing meditation on
the black poet. Across its multitextured
elements, the film reclaims
Langston Hughes .as an important
Shop at home for His & His,
Hers & Hers items
Need gay or lesbian-themed printed
products? Couples and individuals
no longer have to feel compromised
or intimidated by less than cooperative
printers when planning a
special event. A new shop-at-home
service makes purchasing printed
materials like Holy Union announcemen
ts, party invitations and
imprinted napkins easy and affordable.
Smith Cordeiro Advertising, a
lesbian-owned printing and advertising
agency, has developed a mail
order division that handles such
products. ·
In addition, the company has
developed a His & His / Hers & Hers
catalog featuring imprinted towels,
robes, bed linens, aprons and an
assortment of other personalized
items for gay men and Lesbians.
Smith Cordeiro Advertising has
pledged that a percentage of the proceeds
from orders will be donated to
the AIDS programs of Metropolitan
Community Charities. For a catalog
write to SCA, 5838 54th Ave. North,
St. Petersburg, FL 33709 or call toll
free, 1-800-952-7520.
· Do gay anfi les.bian Christians kee·p
candles in the bathroom?
The Seventh-day Adveniist Kinship
International took an informal and
anonymous·poll during its Kampmeeting
last July. Over 100 people
attended the meeting. Those responding
to the poll answered in
this way:
I am in a relationship: 40
Not in a relationship: 23
Don't care to be in a relationship: 3
Are celibate: 3
·snore: 14
Have a tattoo: 3
Read the Bible regularly: 24
Have been gay-bashed: 10
Are thinking of having children: 21
Have pierced ears: 18
Have body piercing
other than ears: 2
Are artists: 17
Are the oldest: 23
Are the middle child: 17
Are the youngest: 22
Are the only child: 3
Have Latino heritage: 4
Have African-American heritage: 8
Have Asian heritage: .6
Have Jewish heritage: 2
Were student missionaries: 11
Earn less than $15,000 a year: 11
Earn more than $100,000 a year: 4
Have gay .or lesbian siblings: 11
Were· missionary's kids: 6
Were pastor's kids: 8
Have attempted suicide: 16
Were abused as a child: 12
Have ex-lovers who are straight
(or think they are): 10
Have been married to a member
of the opposite sex:· 9
Have children: 5
Are HIV positive: 6
Have been tested for HIV: 34
Are transgendered/transsexual: 1
Have candles in the bathroom: 23
Have ever lived outside
the U.S.: 28
Have . ever been pregnant: 4
Live where there is no
"established" gay community: 9
Are bisexual: 2
Have issues of addiction: 18
Are incest survivors: 11
Have resolved issues of
homosexuality and the Bible: 51
Have not resolved such issues: 17
Are carnivores: 35
Ar_e out to parents: 41
-Connection
black gay voice in American culture.
Enlisting the poetry of Essex
Hemphill and Bruce Nugent and
dedicated to the memory of James
Baldwin, Looking for Langston is a
lyrical exploration of black and white
gay identities. Original footage of the
Cotton Club during the 1920's and
period blues numbers set the scene
for this examination of attitudes
toward homosexuality then and now.
Moodily dramatized scenes of
Hughes in a re-imagined Cotton Club
are interspersed with fascinating
RECONCILING,
From Page 8
referenda that was pusl1ed by socalled
Christian groups in Oregon
and Colorado are all evidence of the
extreme hostility being directed at
lesbian, gay and bisexual persons
today. Reconciling Congregations
seek to counter that message with one
of hospitality and love."
The seven new Reconciling
Congregations are: Mayfair UMC,
Chicago; UM Church of Osterville,
■
archive footage depicting the Harlem
Renaissance period. Striking black
and white images pervade the
drama: elegant and atmospheric
smooch-dancing; two lovers holding
each other; and Robert Mapplethorpe's
photos of black men, all
projected in sharp contrast with the
intruding reality of sirens, the threatening
Ku Klux Klan-like thugs, the
police and the pounding disco beat of
"Can You Feel It?"
Massachusetts; First St. John's UMC,
San Francisco; First UMC of Corvallis,
Oregon; Trinity UMC, Austin, Texas;
Fair Oaks UMC, California; and the
Wesley Foundation UCLA. The
Reconciling Congregation Program
began in 1984 and now includes 60
Reconciling Congregations, 4 Reconciling
Conferences, and numerous
other "reconciling" groups in the
UMC.
■
Let a new light
shine for someone
you love·.
Second Stonei s a gift of love, comfort,i nspirationa nd
resolution for friends and family who may be in doubt,
despair, isolation or suffering illness. Give the special
people in your life the gift of Second Stone. We'll take
ft from there.
FROM,
Yes ... .,_
Please send a gift ......
subscription and card <lty ... 7.lp
in my name to the Name
person(s) listed: Addrus
[ ] One gift, $15 Qty
[ ] Two gifts, $29 SUie 1Jp
[ ] Three gifts, $42 SlgnGlftClnl
Add $10 for each Name
foreign subscriber. '1ldress
U.S. currency. Qty
PAYMENT" . SUie 2'Jp
ENCLOSED:
~gnGJ!IClnl
Use additional sheet for more gifts. Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182
■ ■
Second Stone•November/December: 1992 [IZ]
y Calendar .................................. .......................................
I11e following announcements have been
submitted by sponsoring or affiliated
groups.
5th Annual
Creating Change
NOVEMBER 13-15, The Natio nal
Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy
Institute presents its.annual national
. conference for gay and lesbian organizing
and skills building. The Los
Angeles Airport Hilton is the setting.
For information contact Creating
Change 1992, National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute,
173414th Street NW, Washington,
DYSFUNCTIONAL,
From Page 14
and to minister, yes, even in a family
that will work very hard to resist
him.
This is a powerful book, rich in
definitions, insight into matters of
faith and practice, and historical bases
to understand many of today's
problems within the church. It is
heavy reading, but well worth it. It
Wcm1ingtonlJ<?
APRIL 25, 1993
DON'TMISS
'DDSONE!
DC 20009-4309, (202)332-6483, TTY
(202)332-6219.
Common
Boundary Annual
Conference
NOVEMBER 13-15, Common
Boundary presents its 12th annual
conference at the Hyatt Regency
Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
"Invisible Threads: Exploring the
Fabric of Our Relationships" is the
theme for this one -of-a-kilid gathering
of therapists, artists, educators and
spirit ual teachers. Participants are
is essential reading for Roman
Catho lics if they are to understand
areas of concern and struggle, and
then seek the gifts of faith and Spirit
to change the course of things. It is
equally essential reading for other
Christians so that we can better
understand and support our broth e rs
and sisters in faith. In the case of
non-Roman Catholic dergy, espe cially
chaplains, it is crucial reading
for us if we are to better serve Roman
Catholics in our care, and maybe
lessen our sense of anger and
exasperation when we have our next
conversation with a "non-cooperative"
priest.
One final note. In writing this as a
Lutheran, I remind myself that, while
much of this story and the history it
records is uniquely Roman Catholic,
the Roman Catholic community does
not have a comer on the dysfunction
market. Whenever control, power
and its resultant brokenness stand in
the way of the symbols of faith
(wholeness, wellness, freedom), we
have work to do, pain to address,
problems to resolve. It is a book
equally helpful in forcing me to
address the dysfunction in my own
denomination, and in my own
ministry.
Accommodations, AIDSMIV rMOurcu, bus, bookltorN, vartous buslnMNS, hutth care, legal
urvlcN, organlutlono;publlcatlons, ,.11g1oua groupo, owtlchboards, lhefaplats, lnlnl ■gonts, &
much more, tor gay women and men.
All prices - INCLUDE FIRST CLASS POSTAGE'> USA,~ & Moxk:o,.ln-od , cisaaet
envelopes. t.'alllng Nsts •• ..ic:tty c:anlldenlal.
Orders tom ausldo USA (Including ~ & Mexico): payment must be In US Funds payable on a US bank.
a by PmtOfllcea American Express money crda'. (We-tyou-ry alOcal bookstlflfirs~ ID avoid
poo~bll Custcml problemsQ
US/CANADA.~ and USA"" women & men. Cit)' by di)' lnlcrmatlon ""alt us Slates, C8nadian
P!'7iincos, and Ile US Virgin 1-. plus ra11onwido ,...,.,.ces lnckxtlng~s ol rational
aga,lzatlons end awcusos; ~a,s; mail orda< a,mpenles, otc. $12.00; OUlaldl N. Amorlca $17
(afrmal)
NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY. NY & NJ; separata Women's Section; IJanhattan bar notes by Jerry Fitzpa,id<.
$5.00; - N. Amorlcl $8 (■lrm■ IQ
5O\ITHERN/Soulhom Mldwut. 64 pages. AL. AZ, AR, Fl. GA, KS, KY, LA, MS, P.O, NM, NC,OK, PR. SC.
TN, TX, us Virgin lslalds, VA. $5.00; outside N. ArMrlca $8 (alrmal)
NORTHEAST. CT, DE, DC, ¥E, Ml\, NH, OH,f'A, RI. VT, WI/. $5.00; ouslde N. America $8 (almullij
RENAISSANCE HOUSE, BOX 533-SS VILLAGE STAIDN, NEW YORK, NY 10014-0292 (212)674-0120
f i8: Second Stone•November/December, 1992
~ ---·
invited to come and explore interconnectedness
through music, art,
dance, movement and the spoken
and written word. For information
contact Common Boundary, 4304 East
West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814,
(301)652-9495.
Ghost Ranch
Retreat
NOVEMBER 19-22, "Who's God?
Whose God?" will provide an opportunity
to enjoy community, express
doubts, explore faith and understandings
of God from various
perspectives, in the beauty and
serenity of Ghost Ranch, the
Presbyterian Conference Center in
New Mexico. Co-leaders are Rev. Lisa
Bove and Chris Glaser. For information
write to Ghost Ranch Center,
Abiquiu, NM 87510.
Intimacy
with God
JANUARY 7-10, 1993, This retreat for
gay men will explore how gay love
and gay spirituality contribute to
cultivating the experience of God's
love. The retreat process will include
presentations, dialogue, small group
work, prayer, play, and worship.
Facilitator is John McNeill, Catholic
priest, psychotherapist, co-founder of
Dignity, and author of The Church and
the Homosexual and Taking a Chance dn
God. Fee is $275.00. Kirkridge, a
mountain retreat center in Eastern
Pennsylvania, is the setting. For
information contact Kirkridge,
Bangor, PA 18013-9359, (215)588-1793.
Sixth National
Black Gay
and Lesbian
Conference
FEBRUARY 11-15, 1993, The Hilton
Hotel in Long Beach, Cal., is the
setting for ''Black Lesbians and Gays:
Building Bridges, Making
Connections," a conference to focus on
the inherent need to bridge the gaps
that separate around issues of gender,
race, and sexual orientation . Topics to
be discussed during the five day
conference include leadership,
culture/ arts, family /youth, heterosexism,
health, public policy, economics,
women's/ men's issues and
spirituality. For information write to
the Black Gay & Lesbian Leadership
Forum, 2538 Hyperion Ave., #7, Los
Angeles, CA 90027, (213)666-5495.
CMI
Conference '93
MARCH 4-7, 1993, Communication
Ministry, Inc., presents a conference
on 'The Goodness of Being Gay:
Spirituality for Lesbian and Gay
Religious, Clergy and Seminarians ."
Besides major addresses and celebratory
liturgies, workshops will
include: Celibacy as a Way of Loving,
Relationships in the Committed Life,
Corning Out, Formation Issues,
Aging/Middle Years, and Hiv
Positive. Conference fee.is $75.00. For
further information and pre-registration,
write to: CMI Conference
'93, P .O. Box 60125, Chicago, IL
60660-0125.
Connecting
families
MARCH 12-14, 1993, Laurelville
Mennonite Church Center is the
setting for the fourth Connecting
families retreat sponsored and
planned by Church of the Brethren
and Mennonite familes with gay or
lesbian members. For information
write to Brethren/Mennonite Parents,
P.O. Box 1708, Lima, OH 45802 or
Laurelville Mennonite Church
Center, Route 5, Mt. Pleasant, PA
15666.
Send calendar items to:
Second Stone
Box 8340
New Orleans, LA 70182
or FAX to:
(504)891-7555
GETTING
LIFE
KThere is a fresh naivete in fl'oby Johnson's] style that rings
pleasantly in the ear, like the memory of a 'boy's hook'
enthusiastically devoured at age 12. Against the sour punk of so
much of today's gay male fictioo, Gelling Life in Pers,nclive is
IN
PER.5PECTIVE
DY TODY JOHNSON
a trcaL.. Muv Shaw, 8.A.R.
Getting Life in
Perspective
from Lavender Pr8S6
Toby Johnsoo 's spiriwally-lhemed gaynovels-G<llutg Life
in. Perspective & Lammy Award winner St.cret Matier- tell
entertaining, life-affirming stories with meaningful. even
uplifting, messages, sw~ characters, and happy endings.
They are fine examples of the gay-positive literature the whole
lesbian/gay literary industry came into being to promote.
Also look for The Myth of the Great Secret from Celestial
Ans. It is lhe story of Toby's spiritual friendship wilh renown
mythographer and modem day wise man Joseph Campbell.
For ordering lnfonnatlon, call Lberty Books 800 829 t279. Visa/MC/Oise
accepted. $1 D each fol1he two novels. $10.95 fOf Myth of the Gf9BI Sectsl.
S1.65P&H.(Texansadd8%tax).M~lto1014•8Nlamar,AustinTX78700.
'•
'
... ·• ...... .
Lewallen listed
in "Who's Who in
Religion"
LIELINOR KIRBY LEW ALLEN, former
P-FLAG Federation president, is
listed in the 1992-93 Marquis edition
of Who's Who in Religion in America,
along with her personal tribute to the
"beautiful gay and lesbian people"
she has met in recent years. Lewallen
was president of P-FLAG in 1987-88
and chaired the group's task force on
religious issues from 1988-92. She has
also .had a leadership role with the
Rocky Mountain Conference of the
Methodist Church.
Toby Johnson elected
to board of Joseph
Campbell Library
LIGA Y ACTIVIST, no ve list and religious
writer Toby Johnson was welcomed
as the ne w est member of the
Board of Govenors of the Joseph
Campbell Archives and Library at its
October 17, 1992 meeting, announced
Barbara McClintock, Executive Director.
The library, located at Pacifica
Graduate Center near Santa Barbara,
Cal., houses the personal library,
research notes, and collection of religious
artifacts and memorabilia of the
noted scholar of religions Joseph
Campbell, who died in 1987.
Toby Johnson was a student of
Campbell's in the 1970s. Jolmson, 47,
a former Roman Catholic monk and a
retired psychotherapist , is author of
three novels that present gay spiritual
attitudes he believes he has discovered
througi, the study of myth
and religion. Johnson's most popular
novel, Secret Matter, won a Lammie
Award in 1991 and his most recent
novel, Getting Life in Perspective, is a
romatic novel about gay spiritual
growth.
'Tm very happy to have been
invited to sit on the board of the
Campbell Archives. What a wonderful
opportunity ii is for me to help
keep alive his legacy, not because he
was so special himself, but because
we'd all be better off if more people
thought like him. Lesbians and gay
men would sure be better off. I"m
glad to be a gay presence on that
board."
While Campbell had long had a
following among students of spirituality
and comparative religions, he
became widely known only after his
death when the PBS TV network ran
a series of conversations between him
and commentator Bill Moyers . The
series, 'The Power of Myth," has been
so popular many listener-supported
TV stations continue to broadcast it
regularly during funding campaigns
as an example of excellence in
television programming.
"Campbell's work ~uggests that
Noteworthy T . .................................................. .
religion has to be understood from a
prespective outside any one particular
tradition," says Johnson. "What is
important and true in the various
religions aren't the particular doctrines
and dogmas but the indication
that there is more to life and awareness
than we usually think."
With his lover of almost nine years,
Kip Dollar, Johnson runs Liberty
Books, a lesbian and gay bookstore in
Austin, Tex.
Toby Johnson, left, with his lover,
Kip Dollar
Task Force names
new director
LITHE BOARD OF the National Gay
and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute
has named Torie Osborn new
executive director of NGLTF and
NGLTF Policy Institute. Osborn, ·
outgoing executive director of the Los
Angeles Gay and Lesbian Community
Services Center, the nation's
largest gay organization, was selected
following an extensive nationwide
search. She succeeds Urvashi Vaid.
'The gay and lesbian movement is
coming into its own in the 1990s,"
said Osborn. "Our issues are front
and center in the political and social
arena of this nation, whether from the
political attacks of the Far Right or
through the growing force of our
movement. NGLTF will continue to
be at the forefront ."
UCC group offers
groundbreaking
youth outreach
LITHE UNITED CHURCH Coalition
for Lesbian/Gay Concerns (UCCL/
GCJ, a -recognized group of the
United Church of Christ, has created
a new position as of October, 1992 to
serve the needs of bisexual, lesbian
and gay youtl,, and youths questioning
their sexuality. The national
youth outreach position has been
created through the Voluntary Service
Program of the United Church Board
for Homeland Ministries and is
funded by grants from the Carpenter
Foundation and the United Church
Board for Homeland Mnistries.
Gregory Anderson of Worcester,
Mass., the UCCL/GC's Coordinator of
Outreach to Youth and Young Adults,
will be responsible for participating
in workshops and speaking engage--
ments, ·developing resources for
youth, young adults, and youth
serving adults, networking with other ..
organizations providing bisexual, .
lesbian, and gay youth and young
adult outreach, and providing a
· listening ear ·to individuals in need.
Anderson was founder of Supporters
of Worcester Area Gay and Lesbian
Youth, a social and support group
serving the central Massachusetts
area. For information on this UCCL/
. GC youth program call (614)593-7301,
(716 )731-3271 or (508)755-0005 . .
Ministerial degree
program offered
LITHE INDEPENDENT Church of
Religious Science and Religious
Science Theological Seminary is now
offering ministerial degree programs
at its new location in East Long Beach,
Cal. The organization is also sponsoring
a 16-week cultural diversity
workshop presented by the Religious
Science Gay and Lesbian Council. For
information on ,he degree program or
the church, call (310)433-0384 or
(310)434-2194.
Harlan Wand
remembered
LIHARLAN F. "HAL" Wand's 64
years of life was celebrated with a
memorial service sponsored by Dignity/
Chicago on October 16. Wand
died following a stroke on August 20,
1992.
A Dignity member for over 20
years, Wand was a director at .large
on numerous Dignity/ Chicago
boards . He was elected _ secretary for
1982-83 and vice president for
1983-84. In 1984, the membership of
Dignity/Chicagc- voted to give Wand
the Jolm Michie Award for service to
the gay 'l,nd lesbian community.
Wand once edited the Dignity/USA
newsletter and, in 1981, ran for
national president of Dignity, losing
by only a few votes. He was the
founder of the Phoenix chapter of
Dignity.
Hal Wand was born May 15, 1928,
in Elizabeth, Illinois. For a tim e ,
Wand was a classmate of Joseph (now
Cardinal) Bernardin at St. Mary's
Seminary in Baltimore and was a
member of the first delegation from
Dignity/ Chicago to meet with
Cardinal Bernardin.
In recent years, Wand helped create
an organization called Legacy, for
lesbi'l.n and gay seniors. He also
served many years on the Gay and
Lesbian Interfaith Committee. In
1984, the Advocate named Wand one
of the 400 most significant contributors
to the gay and lesbian movement
in America.
Wand left behind a lover of 30
years, Patrick Ryan. As a result of an
early marriage, he als.9 leaves behind
a wife, a son, a daughter, afid two
grandchildren.
Harlan Wand, left, with Rev. John
McNeil
Good Shepherd MCC
celebrates 22 years
LIGOOD SHEPHERD Metropolitan
Community Church celebrated its
22nd anniversary in October. The
church was Chicago's first gay and
lesbian religfous organization .
Deborah Bell named
national facilitator for
March on Washington
LITHE NATIONAL OFFICE for the
1993 March on Washington for
Lesbian, Gay & Bi Equal Rights &
Liberation is up and running with the
appointment of Deborah Moncrief
Bell, a community activist and writer
from Houston, Tex., as National
Organizing Facilitator. She has over
25 years of experience working on ·
civil rights issues.
A true child of the 60's, Bell was
involved in civil rights and anti-Viet
Nam war efforts . She developed as a
feminist while a young mother of two
sons and was greatly influenced by
the International Women's Year
Conference held in Houston in 1977.
She berame active in NOW and has
served in several NOW positions.
The national office for the March on
Washington is located at 1012 14th St.
NW #705, Washington, DC 20005,
(202)628-0493, 1-800-832-2889. Those
who plan to attend the March an.d
related events are urged to register
with the national office.
Fax
Noteworthy items
to (504)891-7555
Second Stone•November!December, 1992119 I
Classifieds ........................................................................
'Books & Publications
"WONDERFUL DIVERSITY," "Heartily
recommended," "Philosophically intriguing
, " 11Excellent." Why do reviewers
highly esteem CHRISTIAN*NEW AGE
QUARTERLY? Great articles and lively
columns make this bridge of dialogue
between Christians and New Agers as
entertaining as it is substantive. Subscribe
for only $12.50/yr. Or sample us for $3.50.
CHRJSTIAN'NEW _AGE QUARTERLY. P.O.
Box 276, Clifton, NJ 07011-0276. TF
CHI RHO PRESS. Send for your copy of
The Bible and Homosexuality by Rev .
Michael England for $5.95 or I'm Still
Dancing by long-term AIDS survivor Rev.
Steve Pieters for $8.95 and receive a free
catalog from Chi Rho Press, an MCC-based
publishing house for the Gay /Les bian
Christian community. Or receive our catalog
by sending $1.00. P.O. Box 7864-A,
Gaithersburg, MD 20898.
SALVATION, SCRIPTURE, and Sexuality
by Bishop Mark Shirilau clearly demonstrates
that God loves everyone, regardless of
sexuality. $4.00 includes tax, postage .
Healing Spirit Press, P.O. Box 94, _Villa
Grande, CA 95486. ·
BEYOND HETEROSEXISM, a bimonthly
sourceletter for local churches and activists.
Workshop ideas, pastora l care notes, Bible
study (ecumenical lectionary). Christian year
liturgies and more! A MUST FOR PROGRESSIVE
CHURCHES! Subscription, $18.
Sample, $4. More details free with #10 SASE.
AlterVisions-#21, PO Box 2374, Boulder,
co 80306.
DESPERATELY SEEKING the following
books: Christ and the Homosexual (1960)
by Robert W. Wood, Loving Women/Loving
Men (1974) by Sally Gearhart and William
R. Johnson, and Christian Sexuality by
Richard Mickley. Michael Blankenship, P.O.
Box · 20495, Roanoke , · VA 24018. (703)
989-0402. 12/92
Fr ien ds/R e I ati on ships
CHRISTIAN MALE, gay, born 2-25-54.
Born again in Christ, July, 1976. Kindred
spirits are beckon. Paul (903)757-5231.
12/92
MID-THIRTIES GWM. with mission from
God to fulfill seeking committed 'partner/
relationship . Stocky build and short, but
an incurable romantic · with lots of love to
share. Educated, well-travelled, honest,
healthy , sincere, and poor! Desire · GWM
30-40 with Christ in their life and nonmaterialistic
view of sUccess. Let's share our
thoughts and dreams. Write: Kenny, P.O. Box
4488, Pensacola, FL 32507. 12/92
General Interest
PASTOR WANTED - Small flock seeks pastor,
leader, preacher who believes the Gospel
should not be compromised. Cover letter
and resume to: Freedom in Christ Evangelical
Church, P.O. Box 14462, San Francisco,
CA 94114. 121n
IF YOU HA VE READ "The Aquaria□ Gospel
of Jesus the Christ" by Levi, 1 am interested
·in corresponding and discussing. W. Courson,
P.O. Box 1974, Bloomfield, NJ 07003. 6/93
Organizations
NEW ORLEANS AREA: Gay and lesbian
Lutherans and Episcopalians interested in a
jo"int chapter of Integrity and Lutherans
Concerned, please call (504)482-3734.
-------- ----------7
Classified Order Form
FOR ONLY
35¢ per word,
your classified ad will
reach readers from
Sitka , Alaska to
Amherst, Maine and
everywhere in between.
Business or personal. ..
try a classified ad in
our next edition!
Mail To:
Second Stone
Box 8340
New Orleans, LA 70182
Name ____________ _
Address __________ _
City/St./Zip _______ _
AD COPY _______ _
-------------------------
--------------------------
_ _ words X .35= $ ____ _
20 word minimum. All classifieds
must be pre-paid. Deadline one month
prior to cover date. We will mail you a
copy of the edition(s) in which your ad
appears
Please place my ad in these I
issues : [ l Jan/Feb [] Mar/Apr l
[] May/Jun [] Jul/Aug I
[ l Sept/Oct [ J Nov/Dec J
CLASSIFICATIONS
[ l Books & Publications
[] Business Opportunities
[ l Employment
[ l Friends/Relationships
[ l General Inte rest
[ l Mail Order
[ l Merchandise
[ l Organizations
[ ] Professional Services
[ l Real Estate
[ l Retreats
[ l Roommates
[ ]Travel
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I _____________________________________________________ _ _______ I
WINNING, From Page 12
who was a Pharisee before his
conversion.
4. Jesus kept his firm foundation in
Scripture.
5. He refused to be drawn into the
methods and tactics of his enemies.
He did not seek to hurt or destroy
them.
. 6. He used .concrete examples (the
coin) that were easy to visualize and
understand.
7. Jesus used logic an d reason:
common sense.
8. Jesus knew his own purpose and
· could plainly declare his point of
view with complete assurance.
9. He used the scriptures with free•
dom, relevance and power. He had
mastered the content and meaning of
the Old Testament (22:29).
1(). Jesus refused to be manipulative,
like the Pharisees and Herodians
(22:18). Neither flattery (22:16),
ridicule (22:28), nor hostility could
shake Jesus' "cool spirit." He
honestly and openly faced his
opponents • even though it finally
led to the cross.
Matthew 23 contains the most harsh
condemnation of Jesus against religious
bigots found anywhere in the
gospels. Religious pride is the exact
opposite of the spirit of Jesus and is
thoroughly condemned in the seven
"woes" of 23:13-36. Jesus observed
the preoccupation of the Pharisees
with unimportant details and said in
23:6-12:
And they love the place of honor at
banquets, and the chief seats in the
synagogues, and respectful greetings in
the market places, and being called
"Rabbi. " But do not be called Rabbi
(" teacher"); for One is your Teacher, and
you are all brothers. And do not call
anyone on earth your father; (disciple
called rabbi "father") for One is your
Father, who·is in heaven. And do not be
called leaders; for One is your Leader:
Christ. But the greatest among you shall
be your servant ("deacon"). And whoever
exalts himself shall be humbled; and
whoever humbles herself shall be exalted.
The theme of humility versus pride
goes through the entire chapter. A
vivid conclusion is given in 23:27-28:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed
tombs which on the outside appear
beautiful, but inside they are full of dead
bones and all uncleanness. Even so you
too outwardly appear righteous to other
people, but inwardly you are full of
hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Then the judgment of 23:33, "You
serpents, you brood of vipers, how
shall you escape the judgment (or
sentence) of hell?" John the Baptist
had said much the same thing;
Matthew 3:7.
The chapter concludes with Jesus
weeping over the city that is left
desolate because its spiritual leaders
are corrupt and blind.
The blindness and hardheartedness
of religious bigots who condemn
Gays and Lesbians cannot be overlooked
or ignor ed. The religious
attacks against Gays and Lesbians
have gone too long without effective,
forceful and convincing response.
The most serious result of prolonged
religious attacks against Gays and
Lesbians is that Gays and Lesbians
have_ become convinced that they are
evil for being gay and have
condemned themselves and each
other!
Learn the content and meaning of
relevant Scripture. Love. Speak out.
Come out. Be part of the struggle for
truth. God loves you and wants you
to love yourself! Don't let anybody
take that from you! ·
ARE YOU
MOVING?
The Post Office will not
forward The Second Stone.
You must notify us for
uninterrupted service if you move.
Please notify us four weeks in ajjvance for
uninterrupted delivery . Seni:1 both old and new
addresses. If possible attach mailing label in
sp~ce provided .
PRINT
NEW ADDRESS
t Q ~ ~
; '< a ~
~
Send completed form to :
THE SECOND STONE
Box8340
New Orleans, LA 70182
_[2ftj' Second Stone•November/December, 1992