While scare tactics about men (and, trans women) using women’s restrooms and molesting them there was a big reason for the loss of HERO in this year’s election, there seems to always be an underlying motive and reason from the conservative Christian communities. Conservative Christians still relentlessly hold on to the idea and notion that LGBT people are sinful reprobates unworthy of any human rights. However, more moderate and progressive/liberal Christian communities and denominations have made considerable progress in becoming welcoming and inclusive of LGBT persons. An offshoot of those groups (along with Metropolitan Community Churches) is the Gay Christian Network. This growing group of gay Christians and their supporters will be holding their conference in Houston in January of 2016. They hope to combat the homophobia and transphobia in the conservative Christian communities. I’m not sure how that will work, however you can read their statement below with regard to the election loss of HERO below.
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From the Gay Christian Network:
For 14 years, The Gay Christian Network (GCN) has spoken out against the LGBT-vs.-Christian narrative. In the wake of Houston’s non-discrimination HERO ordinance being repealed—largely in part by outspoken conservative Christians—GCN is intensifying its efforts to change hearts and minds, especially in that region of the US. The ordinance was overturned just weeks before GCN’s conference, the largest annual LGBT Christian conference in the world, is scheduled to bring an estimated 1,500 LGBT Christians to Houston from January 7-10. The organization has a strong reputation of changing the hearts and minds of Christians worldwide on LGBT issues. “A vital part of our work is countering the kind of misinformation that was used to smear LGBT people in Houston,” said Justin Lee, GCN’s executive director. “The unfortunate repeal of HERO is a stark reminder to all of us that this work is far from over. When we bring our life-changing conference to Houston in January, we’re going to use that opportunity to connect with as many local pastors, families, and Christian thought leaders as possible—to educate them about the truth of LGBT people’s lives and about their responsibility to stand up as Christians for those who too often have been treated as outcasts.” The GCN conference has grown every year since its inception in 2005; in 2015, it doubled in size from approximately 700 attendees to approximately 1400, and it is on track for significant growth in 2016. This January, Lee said he is eager to bring the conference to Houston, where GCN can deliver healing and education to a city that has just been dealt an anti-LGBT blow. Since 2001, GCN has focused its work in the places it sees the most need for support, encouragement, and education. “Whenever we see Christians buying into anti-LGBT messages, we know there is work for us to do to combat those messages with the truth. As heartbroken as we all are at the repeal of HERO, we know this means there is work for us in Houston this January,” said Lee. “We embrace that and welcome the opportunity to do what we do best. We invite LGBT-supportive Christians everywhere who want to make a difference to join us in Houston this January and help us show the world that Christians should be known for our love, not our hate.” Over the past year, GCN has worked closely with its conference venue, the Hilton Americas and George R. Brown Convention Center, as well as the Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, and a number of other local organizations to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its attendees. “GCN is entirely committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and fulfilling environment for everyone who attends,” said Trey Weaver, GCN’s director of events. “The conference is known for its unbridled sense of community, support, and inclusion. In fact, our attendees have come to expect it, and 2016 is no different,” Weaver said. While Houston’s conservative voters celebrate their victory, LGBT Christians are asking, “What’s next for us?” following such a decision. From changing laws to changing hearts, LGBT people are by-and-large ready to take the next step in building a more inclusive Church, as seen by the continual growth of GCN’s conference. The organization has anticipated that question and plans to offer answers and ways to move forward at the 2016 GCN Conference in post-HERO Houston.
I’m not currently planning on attending this conference, but I’m thinking about it. It sounds interesting if anyone is interested.
Now, on to the tops.
From Puddytat:
The comment is from guinessboy in Sunday Talk: Where is your GOP now by silly rabbit.
I'm hoping it works because I got such a laugh out of it, my side aches.
Here's the text:
Where’s your GOP now? Crowding a podium filled stage since Ronnie closed the insane asylums.
From bluezen:
I'd like to nominate this excellent comment of Bring The Lion's in today's blog by Egberto Willie:
Sorry I have to be that guy….but you are WAY wrong on a bunch of things here.
- The 1980 GOP primary. Understand this. Ronald Reagan was already the two term governor of the nation’s largest state. Donald Trump and Ben Carson haven’t been elected so much as dog catcher.
George H. W. Bush was the favorite of the party establishment (North Eastern, big city, Wall Street). Ronald Reagan had been part of a political movement for over 20 years, and as noted, actually was elected to something. And barely missed out on the GOP nomination in 1976.
So Ronald Reagan has nothing in common with Donald Trump and Ben Carson except stupid ideas and policies.
- The 1980 election. I lived through it. It was always clear that Reagan was going to win. There are numerous reasons for this. The economy (worse then than it is now). The ongoing Iran hostage crisis.
But the larger reason was due to what would be called the “Reagan Democrats.” The WHITE, middle class, blue collar working class….high school graduates but not college. You can write a diary of why they went for Reagan, but it was equal measure white tribalism (Reagan would be tough on “welfare queens”….need I spell out that code?) and the feeling that the Democrats couldn’t deliver on the economic front.
You might say that Donald Trump has captured that same crowd, but it’s far from sure that he can win the nomination, let alone the White House. And that portion of the electorate has shrunk since 1980 while the ones voting for the Democrats has grown. Huge difference.
- Kansas and Kentucky. Frankly, you are dealing with an electorate that will not, and seems can not, vote for any Democrat. Unless the GOP candidate commits hari-kari and turns into a progressive (unlikely) and the Democrat is basically a right wing Republican (undesirable).
You write of these things as if they were rational decisions, when they clearly were anything but. A swath of the electorate is simply committed to either voting for the GOP or not voting at all...and they seem to not vote at all when the GOP is all but assured to win. Blame on the billionaire-funded right wing propaganda machine and gerrymandering (I do), but it’s not entirely like the Democrats are doing something “wrong”….unless you think being secular, educated, and rational are wrong.
The story there is that the hardcore GOP base represents a MINORITY pretty much everywhere. It’s that they just vote…..every election….every GOP candidate….at every level. The Democrats have policies that appeal to the MAJORITY of the population, and a majority nearly everywhere. It’s just that they don’t vote.
Now some Kossacks don’t blame this non-voting majority and pin it singularly on the Democratic party. But I’m not having it. The DNC has made plenty of mistakes, and abandoning the 50 state strategy is a losing move, obviously. But even with the GOP’s reactionary war on voting….voting is not that hard. It’s less user-friendly than it could be, more aggravating in poor nonwhite districts than it should be. But how come the dumbest people in America (the GOP base) can do it every time out? Why is that people that think the planet is 6,000 years old know who to vote for locally but too many people that are smarter than that can’t be bothered?
It’s NOT a matter of getting a Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren every time out in every race, because that’s NOT going to happen. It’s about always voting against the other side. The GOP base thinks that John Boehner is a liberal that sells them down the river….and they keep voting for the worst GOP Congressional candidates without fail. What’s “holding out” for something better gotten us? A GOP Congress.
Top mojo for November 14, 2015, thanks to our very hard-working mik: