Living Out Loud with Darian

The National Black Justice Coalition brings you NBJC TV on YouTube. This episode highlights the 2006 Black Church Summitt in Georgia with keynote speakers Rev. Al Sharpton and Bishop Yvette Flunder. I had the privilege of hearing Bishop Flunder preach for the first time about a month ago and she was a blessing to my spirit. You can check out her ministry at radicallyinclusive.com . Watching this video made me realize how much I miss my church family( I've gotta stop working on Sundays) and how blessed I am to be apart of such a dynamic and inclusive ministry.

Labels: Activism, Religion

I'd heard of gospel singer Dwayne Woods and his testimony of how God healed him of HIV about a year ago and my initial thought was disbelief. It's not everyday that you hear of someone who tested positive come out and tell you that through prayer and faith the virus had been completely wiped out of their system. After all this is a disease that has no cure and has claimed the lives of millions of people over the past 25 years.

I truly believe that over two decades into this epidemic we are either infected or affected by this disease. It took me a really long time to watch Dwayne give his testimony because honestly I was a little skeptical. But then I thought to myself as a christian we believe that God can perform miracles, then why not in the case of Dwayne Woods and other people living with HIV or any terminal illness.

I'm posting this because I believe that somebody who comes across this post might benefit from Dwayne's testimony. Somebody who may feel like they have nothing to live for, somebody who may feel like they're used and unwanted goods, you're not in the fight alone, God is still in control.

Labels: HIV/AIDS, Religion

I've been attending The Vision Church of Atlanta since I moved to Atlanta a year ago and I've only written about the church once on this site and not for any particular reason. But with all of the drama surrounding the Juanita Bynum situation and the homophobic sermon I wrote about here that enraged me to the point where I had to stop and pray, I felt it was necessary to offer an alternative to the dogma and fire and brimstone messages we're used to hearing.

The Vison Church of Atlanta under the leadership of Pastor O.C. Allen III is an LGBT affirming church that is inclusive and accpeting of all of God's people. But beyond that it is a place you can go where God's love is extended to you despite your circumstances, and where his word is taught in an effort to build a relationship and not as a tool of oppression and division.

There are a lot of gays and lesbians who refuse to enter a church like Vision, so many of us are so used to being spiritually abused Sunday after Sunday that we reject love from a church that empowers you to grow in Christ and does not cite your sexual orientation as a hinderance in doing so. Pastor Clay often says he ministers to a congregation of "wounded people" and he's exactly right. Most of the members that make up Vision and churches like it at one point were told they were abominable, a disgrace in the eyes of God, unworthy of love, rejected by family, friends, and often suffered from their own internalized homophobia as a result.

I made up in my mind years ago that despite what man or T.D. Jakes or Eddie Long had to say about me I would not allow their prejudice and interpetation of the bible convince me that I wasn't worthy of God's love. I thank God for my pastor and The Vision Church for teaching a radically inclusive word.

If you've been rejected by your church because you're different I want you to know that you haven't been rejected by God. You were made in his image and he knew who you were going to be before you knew yourself. Your life is not a mistake! I invite you to take a few minutes out of your day and listen to highlights from a radical word from Pastor Clay by clicking on the link below. It just might change your life.

A Radical Word :Pastor O.C. Allen III

Labels: Religion, Spirituality

I came across this sermon over the weekend by Rev. Jimmy Swaggart on youtube and I'm honestly still in shock by what was said in the video. Gay bashings from the pulpit happen all the time so that alone was not surprising. However, Swaggart takes it a step too far by saying, "If a homosexual ever looked at him funny he would kill him and then tell God he died."

I swear lately I've begun to understand why so many LGBT people have turned their backs on the church. I couldn't even imagine having to sit through a sermon like this every Sunday. I just thank God I'm strong enough not to continue contributing to a church that's a hinderance to my spiritual growth and is damaging to my spirit.

You would think that the good Reverend would know that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. It wasn't too long ago he was begging for forgiveness for having sex with a prostitute.

It's sermon's like this one that emboldens bigots to committ hate crimes and gives other christians justification for their intolerance and hatred. He along with other ministers who subscribe to the same hateful theology should be ashamed. But I guess they have no reason to be because the bible told them so.

Labels: Religion

It's no secret that I'm a christian man who grew up going to church and still attends to this day, and I also happen to be gay. I'm realizing that christianity and the church doesn't necessarily always coincide as it should. As a matter of fact most christians are too busy "playing" church rather than being beacons of light in a chaotic world. Such is the case of Rev. Gary Simons of High Point Church in Arlington, Texas. Rev. Simons and his staff canceled the funeral of Cecil Howard Sinclair 24 hours before the service was to take place because they found out about his sexuality. Sinclair was a gay man whose brother was employed as a janitor at the church. Sinclair died last week at age 46 from an infection after surgery to prepare him for a heart transplant.

Rev. Simons said no one knew Sinclair, who was not a church member, was gay until the day before the Thursday service, when staff members putting together his video tribute saw pictures of men "engaging in clear affection, kissing and embracing. These accusations Mr. Sinclair's sister openly stated are false. Simons said the church believes homosexuality is a sin, and it would have appeared to endorse that lifestyle if the service had been held there.

This has to be the biggest bs that I've ever heard! So let's get this straight(no pun intended), we can play your piano, direct your choir, contribute financially, and in the deceased case even mop your floors, but when it's time to be laid to rest you object? Again I have to ask, what would Jesus do? It's ungodly behavior like this by church folk that turns the exact people they're trying to bring into the church away. Rev. Simons should be ashamed of himself. I'm so sick of people using religion as an excuse for their cruel and bigoted actions.

This man deserved a proper burial, if he was good enough to work in the church he should have been good enough to be buried there as well. It's obvious that gay bashing isn't just limited to the living. The good people over at High Point Church have figured out a way to do it even in death.

Labels: Activism, Religion

Throughout my series of commentaries it has been my intention to challenge you to examine your life in order to facilitate your spiritual growth. My goal is to help you judge how much your life reflects the life of Jesus Christ. I would like to continue the discussion looking at a subject that we have talked about previously, choosing between flesh and Spirit. In looking at this topic again, I would to use a different scripture than I have used to this point. Romans 8:1-6:

1.So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2.And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3.The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4.He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. 5.Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6.So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. (New Living Translation)

The text needs very little explanation. I would like to point out something that may seem obvious to some but can never be overstated. The central tenet of Christianity is belief in Jesus Christ as the son of God; living, dying, and risen from the dead. In so doing Jesus not only takes the punishment for the sins of the world he also gains victory over death. According to Romans 6:23 death is the result of sin. It is my mission to share the Gospel to all who will hear it that the Spirit of Christ might continually be visible in the earth.

Whether we know it or not our connection to Christ does not end with our profession of faith. The profession of faith begins a transforming journey of our consciousness from what we know ourselves to be, flesh, to who God created us to be before the foundations of the world, spirit. The Apostle Paul said it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

God does not see us in the same way that we see ourselves. When we describe ourselves, we use the physical characteristics, occupation, and even our place in society. When God looks at us He sees a reflection of Himself. The challenge comes when we have to fight between how our flesh may define us and how Spirit (God) defines us. If we are to live victorious Christian lives we can no longer govern ourselves by what flesh wants. When talking about “flesh,” we do no minimize its definition to just sex. The works of the flesh are outlined in Galatians 5:19-21. We are all guilty of the sin outlined in this passage. The benefits of the kingdom here on earth are righteousness, peach and joy in the Holy Ghost. You “inherit” these benefits when you live a life that transcends flesh and operates fully in the Spirit. This is the ultimate goal of salvation.


You can never have life, peace and joy as God intended as long as your life is defined by carnal things. Life in the Spirit is so much bigger than what we can see with our natural eye. As I have said before, we are the expression of God in the earth. Without transforming our thinking from carnal to spiritual, we are destined to live well beneath our privilege. The goal of the Christian life is not simply to go to heaven. The goal is to have heaven on earth. The first step to heaven on earth is to choose: flesh or Spirit. Which do you choose?

Romans 6:23

Galatians
:19-21

Email Albert: albertrlee@hotmail.com
Myspace

Labels: Religion, Spirituality

In light of the recent discussions about pornography and promiscuity I feel very pressed to weigh in on the discussion from a spiritual perspective. For the LGBT community there is great skepticism about the relevance of the Bible and its teaching on sex and sexuality. This debate is destroying individuals, families, local churches, and national denominations. Putting the debate aside I want to ask if there is relevant instruction for people about how we govern our bodies?

What does God say to the believer about our body and our relationship with Him? Ask yourself. Is my sexual expression a reflection of the plan and purpose of God for life? When God sees what I do privately is He pleased?

1 Corinthian 6:15 tells us that our bodies are members of Christ. Verses 19 and 20 go a little further and say “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you and which ye have from God, and that ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

I want to encourage everyone who is reading this post. Your sexual desire does not have to be control force in your life. You do not have to allow the counterfeit images of pornography to be your dream and your fantasy. Promiscuity does not have to be your identity. The purpose of God for all of our lives goes far beyond sex. I speak to every gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered person reading this blog. I know messages of guilt and condemnation are what you have heard most often. But I say to you today that God wants to express Himself through you. He loves you and has a plan for your life. I know you have been hurt. I know you have been kicked. But the love of God is greater than every gay-basher. Look past every obstacle and see your savior, paying the price for you. I heard a preacher say, “Jesus was hung-up for my hang-ups.” Paul said it best in Galatians 2:20. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”


In the words of Jesus, our savior, as He hang dying on the Cross, IT IS FINISHED.

Love you

Email Albert: albertrlee@hotmail.com
Myspace

Labels: Religion, Sexuality, Spirituality

It has been a full three weeks since last I was able to share with you due to my travel and singing schedule. I return this week to build on the themes we’ve discussed thus far; Abundant Life, Our Identity in God, Reflecting the Resurrection in Our Daily, and God’s Undying Love for His Children.

Today we continue with this scripture: Galatians 6:7-9. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

As a young child I heard my mother say to my brother while he was dealing with very serious legal trouble, “you reap what you sow.” I didn’t I understand at the time how far-reaching that piece of wisdom was. I didn’t understand that the seed that my mother was talking about and the seed that scripture talks about goes far beyond what a farmer puts into the ground. I would even suggest to you that it goes far beyond the conventional message that is prevalent in many churches today where seed usually refers to money.

The passage of scripture often quoted is 2 Corinthians 9:6-7. “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” I will not dispute that this particular passage is discussing monetary seed. I believe, however, that the passage in Galatians encompasses a much broader definition of what seed can be and how powerful it is in our daily life.

Those of you who have grown up in church know many preachers discuss sin in terms of thought, word, and deed. I have come to realize that those three elements can also be looked at as seed. Everything that our minds contemplate, every word that comes out of our mouths and everything we do is a seed that produces a harvest. For those of us who primarily sow to the flesh the scripture says that our harvest will be corruption. While this can be a challenging pill to swallow, we understand that everything on this earthly plane will one day pass away. What a waste it would be to spend all our time focused on the things that have no value in eternity. We all like nice things, but what should our priorities be. On the contrary, the scripture makes a bold statement that those who sow to the Spirit will reap life everlasting. If you remember my very first post, I told you that it was God’s absolute intention for his children to live abundantly. I also said that this abundance was not mere material abundance but it was also spiritual abundance.

This begs the question; how does one sow to the Spirit? There are two passages of scripture that I would like to share with you. The first deals with things that can be categorized as flesh and as Spirit. The second passage helps us to direct our thoughts in such a way to stay at peace in our minds. Galatians 5:19-23. Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].

Philippians 4:8. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

If we examine our lives closely we can’t help but see ourselves in these passages (thank God for Grace and mercy). When scripture points out our shortcomings it is very easy to see the Bible as irrelevant and outdated. But if we judge our own life by the scripture we are presented with a wonderful opportunity for monumental spiritual growth and maturation.

Your thoughts, concerns, comments, and questions are always welcome. General comments can be left here on the site. Things of a more personal nature can be sent to me via email or Myspace.

The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make is face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.


Email Albert: albertrlee@hotmail.com
On Myspace

Labels: Religion, Spirituality

In preparation for this weekly post, I look for things that have inspired me along life’s journey to share with you in hopes that you too will be inspired. This evening I read passages of scripture, I meditated and I went through old posts to see where I should pick up. I didn’t find anything that jumped out at me to share with you. I wasn’t interested in running off some theological babble that is way too much work to read and understand and for some seemingly irrelevant.

I have grown weary of arguing with people about what is so clear to me when I study the Word of God. If I endeavor to follow the letter of the law, I have realized that I fall short every time (Romans 3:10.) If I, with the guidance of the Spirit of God can embody the spirit of the law, then I can help breathe life into those that the law has killed. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:6, “The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.”

So I asked God, “What should I write about.” And only as God Himself could answer, he replied in a quiet voice barely audible in the depths of my spirit, “Tell my people I love them.” Even as I type this I am moved to tears at the thought of a God that could love us so much that he would pay the price for our sin. If each and every one of us received what we deserved for our mistakes, shortcomings and failures toward God and each other the human race would be no more. (Romans 6:23) But, His love not only paid the price for our sins; his love fulfilled the perfection required by the law. The shed blood of Jesus Christ has greater power than the worst sins we could imagine.

My question to you is this. What do we do with so great a Love? How can we make this love active in our lives today?

I can answer this question with one passage of scripture.Matthew 22:38-40. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

It would be so easy to use scripture to point out your faults and your shortcomings. I could go to the scriptures and pull your file. But in pulling your file, unfortunately, the same scriptures would condemn me. Instead I take this opportunity to challenge you to love God better this week. Love the people you come into contact with this week. Pay special attention to the people that you would normally look down on and find a way to show them love. Love the people that you would prefer to hate. And equally as important, love yourself this week. Why? You cannot give what you do not possess.

For further understanding of Godly love check out the following passages of scripture. 1 Corinthians 13, 1 John 4:7-12, Matthew 5:43-48, Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:14, 22, Hebrews 12:1-14.

I admonish you to use these scriptures this week as a source of strength and encouragement and a vehicle for prayer and meditation. Until next time, God Bless.

Albert on myspace
Email: albertrlee@hotmail.com

Labels: Religion, Spirituality

I want to take this opportunity to wish every reader of LOLDarian a very Happy Easter. I usually am very long winded in my writing, but for today I come only with a few words of encouragement. In keeping with our previous discussions about identity, as we have recently celebrated the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, this is a perfect time to examine our own lives.

Scripture suggests to us in 1 Corinthians 11:31 if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. If we take responsibility upon ourselves to examine our own lives, we can avoid the chastening of God. We have all had experiences where we knew we were reaping the consequences of our personal choices. If there are things in our lives that need to be crucified and buried this is a good time for a spiritual spring cleaning. It is always easy to see the faults of other people, but it takes a spiritually mature person to see your own mess and ask God for help (Matthew 7:3-5). I challenge you this week to take your spiritual growth into your hands. Is your life a reflection of the same victory revealed in the risen Christ?

1st Entry
2nd Entry
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Albert on myspace
E-mail Albert: albertrlee@hotmail.com

Labels: Religion, Spirituality

Bishop Harry Jackson , senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in D.C. recently sat down with NPR host Tony Cox to discuss homosexuality in the Black church.

Bishop Jackson recently spoke on a panel at the National Black Church Summit in Philadelphia. The summit is an annual event sponsored by the National Black Justice Coalition. He was invited to balance out the more liberal viewpoints with his more conservative views on social issues. This is exactly the position he takes during this radio interview on NPR.

Bishop Jackson cites homosexuality and same-sex marriage as contributing factors to the breakdown in traditional families.This doesn't surprise me at all. If Jerry Falwell can blame us for 9-11 then Bishop Jackson can definitely blame us for the heteros not being able to keep their relationships together.

Make sure you listen closely to Bishop Jackson's response when Tony Cox reminds him that slave owners and white supremacists used certain scriptures to oppress Black people. Cox asks Bishop if he ever wrestled with using scriptures in the same vein to opress LGBT people, his response is typical.

You can listen to the interview here .

Labels: Religion, Spirituality

All of the controversy surrounding the gallery showing of "Chocolate Jesus'' in New York has forced the cancellation of the show and has set off numerous discussions on message boards across the internet. Many African-Americans are wondering if Catholics found the sculpture offensive because his genitals are exposed, or if they were upset because his skin color didn't reflect the white images that is traditionally seen in print and on tv.

One of my favorite blogger's Terrance over at Republic of T has created an amazing video that shows just how ridiculous this whole controversy really is. Check it out here .

Labels: Entertainment, Religion

Last week we started with this verse:


The thief cometh not but to kill, steal, and destroy; I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Last week I left you with this verse to ponder. This familiar passage of scripture is used as a cliché in many pulpits around the world. In reexamining this text I would suggest to you that this verse is so much more than a catchy phrase that a skillful orator uses to elicit an emotional response from the congregation on Sunday morning. Within this verse are hidden the hopes and dreams of Jesus Christ for His people.

It is important for us all to understand that while life poses many challenges, there is a God who knows all, sees all and in spite of it all still has abundant life planned for His children. Jeremiah 29:11 says it this way: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

You might be thinking, “The scripture is all well and good but how do I make the scripture real in my life? How do I manifest abundant life? How can I experience this peace?” I stated in last weeks post that there are no easy answers to spiritual questions and I would be an ego driven fool to think I have all the answers. I trust that although what I have say may challenge you to think about these things differently, if we begin the process of answering these very difficult questions, the answers will hopefully reveal to us a renewed sense of self and a greater sense of purpose.

There are two ways; in general, we can look at abundant life. We can look at it from a natural perspective or we can look at from a spiritual perspective. The place where I would like to begin the heart of our discussion is Identity. Conventional wisdom would say that given this forum (“loldarian.com") I must be talking about sexual identity (straight, gay, bi-, SGL, transgender.) But since there is nothing about any human being that is “conventional”, I try not to use “conventional wisdom” when dealing with God’s most perfect creation. You! The question that we all try to answer for ourselves is Who am I?

This question is often answered with some any of the following: name, occupation, race, sexuality, etc. I would contend that the answer to this question has absolutely nothing to do with your name, occupation, race, sexuality or anything else that is limited to this earthly realm. Your name is what you are called, your occupation is what you do, your race is the color of your skin and your sexuality is…well…I think you get the point.

So answer the question for me! WHO ARE YOU? Do we begin uncovering the seemingly mysterious question of our identity from a spiritual or natural perspective? Why?

Don’t keep your thoughts to yourself. Feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly. We are all in this together. The Bible says in Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Email:AlbertRLee@hotmail.com

Labels: Religion, Spirituality

I first met Albert Lee in the fall of 2001 working in the off- broadway show No Easy Walk to Freedom in New York City. I was cast as a dancer in the ensemble and he was a lead soloist. We quickly grew to become really close friends during the run of the show and remained in contact with each other after I decided to leave New York.

Albert holds a master's degree from the Juilliard School of Music and has a voice that is truly anointed. He is a man of integrity and strength and someone that I often look to for support and spiritual guidance. Many of our conversations tackle the challenge of reconciling your spirituality with your sexuality, a challenge that we have both faced head on.

Each week on this site he will be delivering a "word" for all who choose to receive it, especially those of us who feel shunned by the church or even by God himself.

Albert Lee

I am so excited to begin sharing this weekly commentary with you. After several years of friendship with Darian and countless conversations about spiritual issues I am grateful for the opportunity to share some of my views on the issue of spirituality and sexual expression. You should know upfront that Darian and I don’t always view these issues in the same way and on many occasions we have disagreed. Darian’s invitation for me to contribute to this blog is a testament to his commitment to serve the LGBT community in more ways than just activism. In a time where issues of sexuality have been used to sway elections and the Bible has been used to support personal prejudice it is of grave importance that the message of Jesus Christ and the Church is offered to all people.

While I consider myself to be a learned man of God, I do not claim to have all the answers. What I will share with you is based on my own sojourn toward understanding and accepting my own sexuality. Although this is a journey that has been wrought with spiritual highs and lows, many emotional nights, and times of great mental anguish, an unfailing belief that God has a greater purpose for my life has driven me to continue seeking greater truth.

As we attempt to understand spirituality and sexual expression together I pray that my contribution to Living Out Loud with Darian will be a blessing to those who read it, that our lives will be enlightened and that we come to understand the joys of the greatest gift that God has ever offered mankind, salvation through Jesus Christ. I do not begrudge people of other religions and spiritual persuasions their belief, but as a Christian man the foundation of everything that I am is built on Jesus Christ and it is from that perspective that I share with you.

For this first post I leave you with the words of Jesus himself for you to contemplate.

John 10:10 “The thief comes not but to steal, kill, and destroy: I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.”

What does it mean to have abundant life?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Feel free to leave a comment on this site or you can e-mail Albert at albertrlee@hotmail.com

Labels: Religion, Spirituality

Now I really thought I'd seen just how ridiculous the comments from anti-gay fundamentalists could get until I came across this article in Southern Voice. Rev. Lou Sheldon and "Apostle" Jamie Pleasant had the following to say about the rise in new HIV/AIDS infections in Black women, men and women who identify as gay or lesbian, and what the Black church should do about it.


"Married black women who do not have regular sex with their husbands are to blame for the "down low" and the rise of HIV infection among African Americans." The marital duty is not being fulfilled, Pleasant said ,Why are we with you women? Just think about it…we have a strong sex drive. You need to do your part and keep the marriage bed pure. Whenever your husband wants sex it is your duty to say yes."

"We have a battle on our hands," Sheldon said. "The homosexuals lose every time an issue is on a ballot but more and more activist judges and legislators are supporting them. It is important that people of color speak up because the press will listen to you."

"The homosexuals have gone from their bedrooms to the classrooms, and the press is always playing up the well-dressed homosexual helping these minority children," he said. "It is up to us to make sure our little children are not being violated."

"Our heart must go out to them," he said. "They don’t trust men and need female counseling."

Sheldon began his speech by saying "preacher's never lie". I could go on all day about this ridiculous "god fearing" man ( please...spare me!) but I won't. I'll just direct you to a video clip that I think Rev. Sheldon should revisit since he thinks preachers never lie.

Labels: Religion

Over the weekend The National Black Justice Coalition held it's second annual Black Church Summit in Philadelphia. This event brings together members of the GLBT community and clergy in an effort to dialogue about homophobia in the church.

This year those in attendance were privileged to hear the dynamic speaker and author Dr. Michael Eric Dyson as well as Rev. Deborah L. Johnson .

Retired NBA star and HRC spokesperson John Amaechi was also on hand for the opening night reception. I was unable to make it to Philadelphia this year but my heart was definitely there. However, fellow blogger Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend was in attendance and covered the entire event on her amazing site.

One of the goals of the summit is to have an open and honest discussion with leaders of the conservative Black church about issues that directly affect the lives of GLBT people of faith. This year Bishop Harry Jackson was invited to participate in a debate about homosexuality and the church. His point of view still has me reeling from a headache, read for yourself here .

The work NBJC is doing with the Black church is extremely important. The church is the epicenter of the Black community, and if we're ever going to eradicate homophobia among our own we've got to tackle the root cause of it, and unfortunately a lot of it stems from religion or the misuse thereof.

If you want to know more about The National Black Justice Coalition or get involved, simply click here .

Labels: Religion

Over the weekend I received an e-mail from gospel singer Ricky Dillard's manager Will Bogle, regarding a post that I wrote about an incident that occured involvingTye Tribbett at a benefit for Ricky Dillard last week here in Atlanta.

If you've followed my blog from the beginning then you know it's not a gossip site and I don't waste my time on "outing" people. However, from time to time I will state the obvious or what is known to be true about certain individuals who aren't as forthcoming as others.

After reading Will's e-mail I decided to remove the post, a decision that I regret, but I had given him my word and I was not about to go back on it. After all we do live in a country where we take pride in having freedom of speech and on my blog I'm free to express my opinions without being regulated by anyone.

I paid close attention to everything he had to say in his e-mail and responded, but it wasn't until after I had sent the e-mail that a much bigger question/dilemma presented itself that I think needs to be discussed. I've posted Will's e-mail and my response here for everyone to read in an effort to be fair and balanced, but there's always two sides to every story and then there's the truth.

Will's E-mail
This message is intended for Mr. Darian Aaron.

Periodically, I come across numerous alleged incidents, fabricated accountings and untruthful stories...however, yours is most inaccurate. My name is Will Bogle and I'm pleased to manage and represent Mr. Ricky Dillard. I was informed of your page by a gay constituent who was also amazed by the extent of your dissertation. I do applaud your efforts to inform your community with news that you may deem relevant...however, I can not, in good faith, idly allow such ridiculous accusations to be made about my client or his friend and brother, Mr.Tyrone Tribbett.

Obviously, you were not at the benefit for Mr. Dillard, which is how you were able to grossly distort the verbiage and the intentions of both Mr.Tribbett and Mr. Dillard. Mr. Tribbett believes in his message for deliverance and Godly reconciliation...and he made it meticulously clear that nothing that he stated was directed to Mr. Dillard personally.

My request is that you immediately amend your postings, as it gives our fans and supporters a very jaded view of the actual events during the benefit service for Mr. Dillard. Slander is not God's desire for His people, nor is it in the best interest of brotherly commeraderie. I'm available at (he provided his phone number), should you have any further comments or concerns.

Kindly,
WiLL BoGLe
Manager ~ Ricky Dillard & the New Generation Chorale

My Response:
This message is intended for Mr. Will Bogle.

I just received your e-mail regarding my post about Tye Tribbett and your client Ricky Dillard and I have to say that it was not my intention to slander Mr. Dillard in any way, I do believe I did just the opposite.

I did not claim to be present the night of the benefit, I actually wrote that I learned of this incident through a friend who was in attendance. You stated that Tye's message was one of deliverance and Godly reconciliation and was not directed towards Ricky personally.

I have never met Ricky, but I respect his work and obvious calling to the ministry. But if he identifies as a same gender loving Black man in private or public , when his "brother" took the mic to speak his distorted message of God's word to all of the homosexual men and women in that church, Ricky was not excluded regardless if Tye Tribbett singled him out or not.

Journalistic integrity is extremely important to me and for that reason alone I will remove the post. I make no apologies for speaking out against Tye Tribbet's homophobic message and for commending Ricky for having the courage to be an openly gay face in an industry filled with closeted men .

I'm available at (I provided my phone number) should you have any further comments or concerns.

Darian Aaron
Living Out Loud with Darian

All weekend I thought about what had transpired as a result of my post and it caused me to examine the Black church (yet again) and it's treatment of gays and lesbians and the many gospel artists who identify as SGL in silence.

It goes without saying that the Black church has played a major role in shaping who we are as a community, through slavery, Jim Crow and the injustices we face in the 21st century, our relationship with God and the church has been paramount. I think the same thing can be said for gospel music. I can remember the first time I felt a connection with God, it wasn't after hearing the pastor in the country church I grew up in "hoop and holler", it was when I heard John P. Kee and the New Life Community Choir sing "Show Up"! There was something about gospel music that caught my attention and made a relationship with God seem accessible even at my young age.

Later on I would realize that gospel music was the one aspect of the Black church where I was free to praise God openly and honestly without experiencing the condemnation of the "word". As I came into my own and embraced my sexuality and the backlash from the church for identifying openly as such, I couldn't help but notice all of the gay men and women who were at the forefront of the gospel music industry. We've all seen them in church, on tv, we own their cd's, everyone whispers about them, they're flamboyant, attractive, talented, anointed and unmarried.

Praise and worship would not be the same if gay brotha or sister so and so was not leading the choir and bringing souls to Christ. The music in a Black church can ruin the worship experience if the choir is not on point and whoever wants to argue with that can do so all day long but that's just a fact.

We've always been apart of the church, we sit and listen to ministers damn our souls to hell and preach conversion through prayer Sunday after Sunday in silence. Meanwhile, our self -esteem plummets and we allow man to convince us that we won't have access to the kingdomn of God because of who we are. I'm personally sick of this lie and I'm sick of all of the men who "AMEN" this religious dogma and then retire home to feel the touch of their boyfriend.

How many gospel artists do you know that fall into this category? Probably too many too count. But of course no one in the church or the gospel music industry will have a problem with your homosexuality as long as you don't talk about it.

Translation: We'll let you sing in the choir,even let you hold the title of minister of music, buy your cd's, and enjoy the presence of God as a result of your gift, but the moment you admit you're a homosexual you might as well be Lucifer himself.

I'm not calling for every closeted gay man in gospel music to come out, I understand that they are at risk of losing their fan base and their livelihood. But I am challenging them to be sensitive to the fight for tolerance, acceptance, and equality on the behalf of those of us who love exactly as they do but out in the open.

Labels: Religion

In 2006 we witnessed Black pastors selling their pulpits to the highest bidders in return for fame, wealth, and political gain, often times at the expense of their gay and lesbian members.

Bishop Alfred Owens in a Palm Sunday service last year called for all of the real men to come forth, "not no faggots or no sissies, but some real men". Rev. Willie Nelson blamed rampant lesbianisim at his son's school as a reason why he couldn't get a date to his high school prom, Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth here in Atlanta even held a march a few years ago to "stand up" for traditional marriage and to shed light on the evil homosexual agenda.

But nothing could have prepared me for the stereotypical, homophobic, uninformed, and misguided words of another one of our Black pastors, Rev. Michael A. Stevens of University City Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Pastor Stevens has written Straight Up The Church's Official Response to Down Low Living. Originally the book was written as a response to J.L. King's controversial novel On The Down Low, but early on it seems Pastor Stevens decided it was not enough to just attack the down low brotha, but every gay man on the face of the earth regardless of how he identified himself. Gay, SGL, MSM(men who have sex with men), DL, bisexual, anyone that fell into any of these categories are considered the scum of the earth or in his words "half dead" .

For the record I do not condone down low behavior. I believe lies and deceit in any relationship is unhealthy and should be avoided whether the couples are straight or gay. But like so many ministers, Steven's goes on the holy attack without attempting to find out what causes down low behavior.

Has the church and the black community created an eviroment where it's safe to come out as a Black gay man? I don't think so. Better yet, has the church created an enviroment where real discussions about sexuality can take place?

In the introduction to his book Pastor Steven's writes, "This book is prayerfully written out of compassion and mercy for the many men of God whose lives have been blindly derailed and misaligned". And in the next breath he states" I don't care to help him, I really don't. My mind tells me he probably deserved everything that has happend to him, and I don't care to help him at all. Even as a pastor I think, Let him die!

These are words from a Pastor's mouth, a man of God. A respected leader in his community and a person that is most likely idolized by his congregation.

Throughout the book Steven's is incredibly obsessed with displays of hyper-masculinity in Black men and shamlessly refers to his upbringing in the church with "men who competively wore broaches and blouses; men who screeched with high pitch voices, wore a limp wrist, and walked real fast with chest elevated and pants a bit too tight-and then wondered why they were the target of crude jokes.

Since this book is the official response from the church according to Pastor Steven's, then it's fair to say that all clergymen believe that being gay is a "chosen lifestyle", and any man that falls short of the church's blue print for masculinity deserves whatever happens to him?

I'm so sick of Pastor's turning a house of prayer into a house of pain. The church was supposed to be the one place all of God's people could go to seek refuge, and this man is worried about the inclusion of gays and lesbians discrediting the Black church. We've always been there, contributing to your churches in many different capacities and often times sitting through your hateful sermons spoken in the name of God that was everything but Christ-like.

The fall of the Black church will not be on the hands of gays and lesbians. I have a few questions for the leaders of these mega- churches. How long did you think it would take before members stopped contributing to the million dollar salaries of pastors who go home to mansions and fly in private jets while they(members) pull up to low income housing? How long did you think it would take for people to realize the very things that you're preaching against in the world is happening in the church, starting in the pulpit on down to the elderly mother.


When did the measuring stick for a man's worth begin with him being dominant over his wife or partner and projecting little to no sensitivity in his interaction with others?

Today's Black gay men and women are a threat to Pastor Steven's and other clergy like him because some of us are TIRED of being the target of constant attacks, TIRED of separate but equal, TIRED of our existence being reduced to nothing, TIRED of our lives being misrepresented, TIRED of our families being taught to hate who we are because God said so, somebody has to counter this garbage disguised as religion.

So we love differently and in one state in America we can legally get married. The sky is still blue, George W. Bush still led us into war under false pretenses, and your heterosexual marriage made in heaven is still in tact for the time being. So Pastor Steven's the inaccurate portrayal of Black gays and lesbians in your book might work when you're preaching to your congregation, because God knows most black folks won't question out loud what a preacher says from the pulpit, but everyone won't buy it.

Could you entertain the thought for one minute that everyone in the world is biologically not heterosexual and God created them that way and is ok with that? Of course not, that would rock your theological world and cause you to re-think everything you've been taught. Funny how using your brain can be painful sometimes.

Labels: Religion

Yesterday I received an e-mail from one of my loyal readers and fellow bloggersPolarchip asking if I had heard of the show One Punk Under God. I was not familiar with the show and once I learned about the show's content I was a little embarrased that it wasn't on my radar.

The show captures the life of minister Jay Bakker, the son of fallen televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. In 1987 Jim Bakker lost his ministry and the respect of thousands of followers after he confessed to committing adultery and participating in fraud, the latter would send him to prison for many years.

Jay is not your ordinary southern baptist preacher. His appearance is far from conservative, adorned with multiple tattoos and piercings, Jay strikes you more as a goth head than a preacher. His Revolution Church regulary meets at a bar in Atlanta called Masquerade, and unlike many churches throughout the country he opens his doors to all people regardless of appearance, economic status, or sexual orientation.

So Jay likes the gays? That's right, after attending a gay affirming church service Jay starts to rethink all of the biblical hatred towards gays he had been taught as a child. Not only does he come out publicly for equality for gays and lesbians he does the unthinkable, he preaches that homosexuality is not a sin and causes emotions to run high amongst his conservative supporters, many of whom support his church financially.

My own pastor Rev. O.C. Allen III spoke a prophetic word about a month ago that I believe will come to fruition this year. The black church as we once knew it is dying. Pastors are selling their pulpits to the highest bidders and the people of the congregation are hungry for something real. Their is going to be a huge shift from the mega churches and people are going to start embracing ministires such as Jay's and The Visioon Church becuase they are tired of being abused in the one place where they're supposed to experience love and safety, the church.

I urge you guys to check out an episode of this wonderful new show on the The Sundance Channel or download the season from iTunes. Jay is a warrior and an allie, if only more people would allow themselves to embrace the differences in others the world would be a better place.

Labels: Religion