Media Contact:

Xochitl Bervera (404) 861-0756
Kathrin Ivanovic (215) 776-1162
Adelina Nicholls (770) 457 -5232

THOUSANDS TO DESCEND ON THE STATE CAPITOL TO PROTEST
CONTROVERSIAL ARIZONA COPYCAT LAWS

Immigrants, students, members of the civil rights community, representatives of labor, faith and business communities, and other everyday Georgians band together to demand Governor Deal commit to veto harmful, anti-immigrant legislation

[Georgia State Capitol] As anger at legislators mounts regarding HB 87 and SB 40, thousands of Georgians from across the state plan to take to the streets to show their opposition to these bills and the law makers who persist in pushing them. Opposition to the bill comes from a broad based constituency who point to clear evidence that the bill will harm Georgia’s economy, kill jobs, encourage racial profiling, and return Georgia to a ‘show me your papers’ state.

WHO: Thousands of representatives of labor, faith-based groups, immigrants, the civil rights community, business leaders, and elected officials
WHAT: A massive rally and protest to defeat all Arizona Copycat Legislation in Georgia
WHERE: Capitol Steps facing Washington Street, Atlanta, GA
WHEN: Thursday, March 24th 11:00am – 2:30pm

• Welcome Drummers begin at 10:00
• Interfaith service begins at 11:00
• Speakers representing the diversity of opposition 12:00 – 2:00

Thanks to Our Endorsers:

Alterna; American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia; American Immigration Lawyers Association–Atlanta Chapter; Am- nesty International-Southern Regional Office; Anti-Defamation League; The Antonini Law Firm; Asian American Legal Advocacy Center, Inc. of Georgia; Atlantans Building Leadership for Empowerment; Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace; Ave Maria Law Firm; Black Latino Council; Building Locally to Organize for Community Safety; Caminar Latino; Center for Pan Asian Community Services; Chinese Community Federation of Atlanta; Coalicion de Lideres Latinos; Coalition for the People’s Agenda; Cobb Immigrant Alliance; Corso, Kennedy, & Campbell, LLP, Attorneys at Law; Culture Con- nect; Dale, Schwartz and Associates, LLP; Dignidad Inmigrante en Athens; The Diversity Projekt; Feminist Women’s Health Center; Garvish, Orza & Polutan, LLC; Gentle Spirit Christian Church; Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials; Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Georgia Commission on Family Violence; Georgia Detention Watch; Georgia Green Party; Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights; Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition; Georgia Rural Urban Summit; Georgia State Conference NAACP; Georgia Women’s Action for New Direction; Government Contractors Association; Herman, Taylor & Lee Law Firm; Hispanic News Service, Inc.; Human Rights Atlanta; Iglesia Luterana Sagrada Familia; Indigo Girls; International Action Center; International Center of Atlanta; International rescue Committee; Kindred Southern Healing Justice Collective; Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia; Korean American Association of Greater Atlanta; Kick Immigration Partners, LLC; The Labor Forum, WRFG 89.3 FM; Lambda Legal; Latin American Association; Latin American and Caribbean Community Center; The Law Office of Kerry E. McGrath, LLC; Marronage Productions, Inc.; Metro Atlanta Democratic Socialist of America; Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless; Mexian-American Coalition; Movement to End Israeli Apartheid-Georgia; 9to5 Association of Work- ing Women; OCA Georgia: Hopes and Aspirations of Asian Pacific Americans; Partnership Against Domestic Violence; Patents & More, Inc; Pinnacle33 Signage Solutions; Plaza Fiesta; Project South; Radio Diaspora, WRFG 89.3 FM; Raksha, Inc.; Real Atlanta Magazine; Refugee Family Services; Refugee Women’s Network; Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta; Revolution Books Atlanta; Rohan Law, PC; Sinsinawa Dominicans of Atlanta; Sis- terLove; SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective; SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW; Southern Center for Human Rights; Southerners on New ground; Students for a Progressive Society, Gainesville State College; Trail of Dreams; Voces Unidas-Statesboro; US Human Rights Network; Women Watch Afrika, Inc.; Ms. Benin Dakar– Gwinnett County; Frank E. McDonald; Ted Brodek; Elisa Covarrubias; Anne Olson; Emily Russell; Rebecca Eileen Zuniga

This post is long (long) overdue! A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend the 2010 mHealth Conference that was held in Washington, DC this year. While I initially registered as a blogger, the conference upgraded my registration to a full press pass when I signed in. I was pleasantly surprised (elated actually)!

Conversations during the Independent Sector Conference definitely pushed thoughts about diversity and inclusion to the forefront of my mind.  Since then conversations have pushed my thoughts to the “so what” factor. What does it all mean? While substantive discussion is for another day and another post, I will say thoughts on diversity have slowly shifted to thoughts about equity and justice, my answer to “so what?” With that in mind, I was interested to see these elements would manifest themselves during the mHealth Summit.

…and was I pleasantly surprised!

The first session I attended was a plenary session focusing on the future of the mobile health programs, particularly in relation to communications, data collection and analysis, the underlying theme of each panelists’ comments revolved around innovation and access.

Before I share with you some of my reactions, let me share with you the key players:

Moderator:

Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran, Healthcare Correspondent, The Economist

Panelists:

Robert Tapia-Conyer, Ph.D., President and CEO, Carlos Slim Health Institute

Nils Daulaire, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Global Health Affairs

Donald J. Jones, Vice President, Health and Life Sciences, Qualcomm, Inc.

Rafael Anta, Lead Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank

Deborah Estrin, Ph.D., Professor and Center Director, UCLA Center for Embedded Networked Sensing

Julian Schweitzer, Ph.D., Principal, Results for Development

What is Mobile Health?

As someone who definitely isn’t an insider to the health care industry, I often have to navigate a pretty steep learning curve. While I definitely understand the ideological and practical implications of mobile and emergency health more today than I did three or four years ago, there still remains a natural knowledge gap since this actually isn’t my profession.

I am going to assume that you are want to know what mobile health is. In the most basic terms, mobile health refers to innovation and technology that allows health practitioners to bring medical technology and access to those who need it.

Mobile Health is so much more then that. Mobile health is a movement that is revolutionizing health care. It is revolutionizing research, access to information and services and innovation, new ways of thinking about health and “doing” health care.

Mobile Health is Innovation
Mobile Health is Access
Mobile Health is Consumer Driven
Mobile Health is a MOVEMENT

The primary question Vaitheeswaran challenged panelists and the audience to consider – what is the place of mobile technology in health research and access, especially in communities that continue to function on the margins of access to quality information and services to make better health-related decisions?

….ok, questions – what role does medical technology and innovation play in improving access? What are the sustainable models, and what are the inter-sector possibilities for impact?

Rafael Anta underscored that the future of the mobile health sector will depend on how the sector faces certain challenges: strengthening public health management and including targeted innovation. Interestingly he steered away from defining innovation solely in terms of technology, but rather as a tool for better organization, how health is delivered and new business and funding models.

Nils Daulaire emphasized the need for more targeted information gathering to drive innovation. “If we don’t know the right questions to ask, we don’t know the right direction to go in.” The mobile health industry needs to allow customers to drive innovation and that customer-drive initiatives are sustainable. Specifically, Daulaire pointed towards the urban and rural poor, that understanding their realities, needs and barriers (such as literacy) as integral to sustainable mobile health.

Innovation for a Cause

So, do we innovate for innovations sake, or is there a greater purpose? While pointing out that one of the key benefits to technological innovation is the collapse of time and space, parameters are still important. The reality is that faster monitoring must lead to faster interventions and access to therapies. For Donald Jones the most powerful impact of innovation lies in access – to information and resources, empowering patients by providing real opportunities for self-management. We all self-manage to some degree, right?

To varying degrees we decide whether the flu-like symptoms we are experiencing warrant a dose of TheraFlu and a good night’s rest or whether professional medical services are necessary. Jones underscores that the necessary goal is creating proactive self-managers, as in providing patients access to the tools necessary to take more ownership over their personal health. In pragmatic terms, discussions of ownership and empowerment lead to a more nuanced discussion of compliance. What do patients do with this new access to information and services?

Human Capital, the Key to Access

Central to this discussion of access to information and resources is the growing shortage of resources, as there currently exists a shortage of 2-4 million health care workers throughout the world. Julian Schweitzer pointed out that even though facilities exist that can train health care workers, this does not address the actual shortage of workers entering and remaining in the field. Dr. Schweitzer raised the concern that until mHealth can overcome this shortage, it won’t be able to overcome many of the major barriers to actually delivering health services, particularly in isolated areas that lack any qualified health workers to begin with.

Consumer Focused Models

Whether it’s for access to information and services, or bringing health resources to areas and communities on the margins of health access, all panelists agreed that innovation needs to happen to develop sustainable business models to address the most pressing health issues; two that kept resurfacing were infectious diseases and maternity and childhood. In addressing these issues, the models must provide access to health information and services in a simpler and faster way, reaching those populations beyond the present reach of health services.

Making It Happen

The World Health Organization and QualComm have joined forces to develop and provide fetal monitoring kits for high risk pregnancies. Trials have begun in Mexico to address high fetal mortality due to women not being able to reach hospitals in adequate time. [link]

What’s Missing?

There remain several missing pieces to this puzzle, pieces that required inter-sector partnership:

• sustainable funding models
• public private partnerships for philanthropy
• …..did I mention funding?

More dialogue has to happen around who is currently funding innovation within the sector and who is actually making money. Many current initiatives are subsidized in various ways which isn’t conducive to long-term sustainability. The private sector already gets the importance of this and has produced sustainable models. Question is, how can the private sector partner with the health sector to replicate these models to provide sustainable medical solutions to communities that have previously been forgotten or left behind?

Making It Happen

Nike is making money in building sustainable funding models around community building. Nike as build a successful global social network system, connecting more than 2 million customers. The question is, how can mobile health technology initiatives tap into that model to transcend subsidized models?

So What?

What I find most interesting is that these conversations – innovation, access, sustainable models, inter-sector partnerships – are conversations that are happening across sectors. While inter-sector dialogue is an increasingly common phenomenon, the breathe and depth of dialogue is missing from industry-specific conferences.  Conference platforms are still dominated by niche-specific thought leaders.

Where are you seeing public inter-sector dialogue that is impacting the ways in which sectors collaborate to develop sustainable models for delivering their products and services? Where do you see need for improvement? What models have worked in your communities?

Since Kathrin (that’s me) doesn’t benedict very often, I thought that sharing would be appropriate…..

This is our present Festival; it is this which we are celebrating today, the Coming of God to Man, that we might go forth, or rather that we might go back to God— that putting off the old man, we might put on the New; and that as we died in Adam, so we might live in Christ, being born with Christ and crucified with Him and buried with Him and rising with Him.

Therefore let us keep the Feast, not after the manner of a heathen festival, but after a godly sort; not after the way of the world, but in a fashion above the world; not as our own but as belonging to Him Who is ours, or rather as our Master’s; not as of weakness, but as of healing; not as of creation, but of re-creation.

Today is the first Sunday of the Nativity Fast for millions of (Eastern Orthodox) Christians around the world. Well, actually November 15, marks the official beginning of the Nativity Fast (40 days before Christmas), but today is the first Sunday. For many of us this represents a time of fasting and reflection in anticipation of the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Blessed Nativity Fast!

This year we also celebrate the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Refugee Act of 1980, which established asylum, refugee admissions and resettlement systems in the United States, consolidating in a single regime its commitment to discharge the obligations it undertook by acceding to the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees.

UNHCR was established in 1950 to protect refugees, to safeguard their rights and well-being. UNHCR not only provides life-saving assistance to refugees, but also serves as a vehicle through which refugees are able to seek asylum and/or more permanent refuge in another country if they unable to safely return to their home. UNHCR reported recently indicated that:

“43.3 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of 2009, the highest number of people uprooted by conflict and persecution since the mid-1990s. At the same time, according to the 2009 Global Trends report, the number of refugees voluntarily returning to their home countries has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years.”

Lavinia Limn, President and CEO of USCRI (US Committee on Refugees and Immigrants) recently noted in a World Refugee Day email:

As we focus on refugees from around the world today, we must not forget those still languishing in camps,” said Lim’n. It may be hard to believe, but millions of refugees spend anywhere from 10 to 60 years an entire lifetime in a refugee camp. Today, there are over 8 million refugees warehoused in camps and settlements around the world. Palestinians, Burmese, Tibetans, Bhutanese, Sudanese, and the Sahrawi top the list of long-term refugee populations. Less than 1 percent of those refugees will ever get the chance to rebuild their lives in another country.”

Crisis on No One’s Radar

As we celebrate this significant milestone, we must also be keenly aware of the many conflicts that are continuing to displace innocent men, women and children — like the conflict that has been brewing in southern Kyrgyzstan that has already displaced 400,000 people! I had to dig on CNN.com before I found an article, same with the BBC, ABC, NBC or any other alphabet soup media outlet you’d like to fill the blank with. I shouldn’t have to dig several pages into major media sites to find only a mere blurb or mention of this conflict! UNHCR and the Red Cross are already on the ground reporting that refugees are quickly running out of even the most basic supplies. This new incarnation of a conflict that dates back to the 1990s, has the potential of not only undermining the delicate stability of Kyrgyzstan, but also of its neighbor Uzbekistan, as thousands of refugees flee across the border seeking safety from Kyrgyz mobs. On June 19, CNN reports that the death toll could be considerably higher than initially estimated.

I know we are in the middle of World Cup and the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico is worsening every day. As the situation in the Gulf has taught us, we need to more fervently hold the media accountable for reporting these stories, despite the spoke and mirrors that often hinder us from obtaining vital information.

So today – remember the more than 40 million displaced individuals throughout the world, those who are being warehoused in camps with little hope of returning to their homes and those who are actively feeling ethnic and religious persecution.

What you can do!!!!

Give to UNHCR

Give of your time and talent to a local agency (check out USCRI network) that is helping refugees rebuild their lives

Share with a family member or a friend the struggles of refugees around the world and encourage them to give.

How I see myself within my own family is no exception. Aesthetics are the most obvious. I knew that I didn’t look like my parents or sister from a young age.� The elephant in the room was glaring to everyone including my family, but no one really talked about it more than one or two times.� This had a profound impact on my identify formation, my sense of self.�� For good or bad, I have grown comfortable living in-between various worlds. While I share many of the same values as my family, an ideological divide has grown over the years. I am queer and left leaning (hell, I am almost horizontal). We have different ideas about fairness, justice, race, class, gender,…..privilege. My mother often dismisses my positions by making some sort of generation/age statement….as if my almost 30 years on the planet haven’t given me the right to form equally valued opinions about the world around me. Again….different does not equate to of more or lesser value.

My bi-cultural, transnational identity is probably the most complicated and murky of my interlocking identities. Depending on which site of the ocean I am standing on (or with whom I am speaking), I am either too German or too American.� The notion that both can co-exist equally at the same time seems unfathomable to some, even to me at times.� I often feel myself pressured to choose, or even more painful, having to defend one or the other. I am equally protective and defensive (and apologetic) about both. Perhaps it wasn’t just me that was different, but my entire family.� I always felt that it was much easier for my sister to fit into both worlds, despite her linguistic barrier. People are less likely to challenge her German-ness. Clearly I don’t fit the image of a stereotypical German. It has taken me a long time to begin to come to terms with my mixed-race identity.� It’s something I struggle with today.

It is disappointing that while I feel a part of several communities that are dear to me, I am most affected by the communities (and people) who have rejected me.� I am not sure if my bio-father disappearing constitutes his rejecting me.� I�am not exactly sure what happened back then.� Nevertheless, his current behavior definitely feels like rejection.� How can you know that�your child is out there (and know how how to find her), yet make absolutely no effort to connect?� How�can you have more regard�for the children of the women you date than for�those you have a biological connection to?� Can you sense my anger? I realize that DNA isn’t enough to build a true foundation on,� but it should be enough for some kind of meaningful contact…..a card maybe?! I hate to admit it but, he has caused more� upheaval and trauma in my life over the last 2 years than in the previous 28.

I don’t really believe in new years resolutions. Every new day is an opportunity for re-birth and change. Nevertheless, as I am turning 30 this year, I did set a few goals for myself. Instead of focusing on where I feel like I don’t belong, I want to make more of an effort to accept the many ways I am valued and accepted in my life.� Although it may not seem overtly obvious all the time, I am a part of several meaningful and vital communities.� Although I am from the other side of the Atlantic, I feel very much apart of the Black German community here in America. I identify more with their alienation than the alienation of my cohorts in Germany.� Although it is complicated, I am certainly more accepted here.

I feel extremely blessed to be part of the Swirl family.� It’s one of the only communities in my life where I don’t feel pressure to identify or define myself.� In fact, I am not sure if any of us have actually asked each other the million dollar question – “What are you?”�� It is such a relief to just be accepted, regardless of my “makeup”.� I have the opportunity to help other mixed-folk feel good about their diversity – creating a community that I did not have growing up.� I want mixed-kids to develop a positive self-image and feel proud of their mixed heritage.

As of late I also feel very strongly connected to “my” butch-femme community. I say “my” bf community because I am not sure if there is one bf community per se. It’s a community of my own choosing, woven together not necessarily by geography but by shared values, ethics and mutual respect and adoration. While I have been femme as long as I can remember, this community aspect of my life is new and I haven’t really wrapped my mind around it sufficiently. So stay tuned as there is definitely more to come on this. Nevertheless, I think it represents a powerful model for community formation. It’s intentional, organic, and profoundly life-altering. I can’t wake up tomorrow and choose not to be American or German. I am not saying that I want to stop being one or the other. That’s not the point that I am coming to. However, the expectations, pressures, stereotypes and preconceived notions that come along with those identities are not of my own making. It has taken me years to feel empowered as a mixed-chick. Mind you, I say mixed chick…..not as German or American. I find beauty and joy in my mixedness. It’s the only way I actually make sense, how the world makes sense to me. The journey through which I came to consciousness about my mixed identity was very intentional and organic. Hmm, perhaps that is what it is all about.

Growing up I thought that I was half German half African American. The Latin aspect only emerged recently when I found my birth father and began talking with his older brother and my half brother. I can’t say that I even have a Latina-consciousness or that I have even really contemplated what that means to me.

I comprehend my gender identity – femme – so much better than my ethnic/cultural identity. I understand it and feel it in every fiber of my being. Being femme is just….its me, my center. I feel profoundly liberated by my femme-ness, precisely because it feels natural and innate without needing to be juxtaposed against something else – butch comes to mind or anything else along the spectrum for that matter. Now, the butch/femme community and the greater LGBT community…that is a bigger can of worms. Nevertheless on a micro level I make complete sense to myself, and really, that’s all that matters. Now, I should back up and qualify that – I didn’t always feel that way. There was a time when I didn’t posses the vocabulary or understanding that described me - ok I am going to leave that train of thought for another day. I digress. Point is I make sense of some of my various identities – femme – and others not so much.

Culturally, I understand and can process being mixed. The individual components rarely ever make sense though. And, honestly…I rarely ever force them to. I know where I belong in the mixed experience. In many ways “home” is far less complicated within the mixed community than any of the other communities that I am a part of.

So, what does it mean for me to be Latina?

Half the time I think that I know very little about what it means to be African American. I do understand the mixed experience – the hybridity. Since ethnic identities are societal/social constructs, can I really claim to be something that I know nothing about? Can culture really be reduced to cuisine, music, and cultural and artistic traditions mixed with a little geographic positioning? If that’s the case, anyone can learn to be any ethnicity of their choosing. I think not! I do think that ethnicity is something that begins as a communal experience that finds expression in individual identity. Hmm….I think I just figured out what I am going to talk about…..

I was pleasantly intrigued by a story about a mixed chick from China. Her mother is Chinese and her father is African American, who left China long before she was born.� You can find the story here!

I was just talking with a friend last night at the 2009 SwirlPhilly Happy Hour about how she plans on integrating German, Chinese and African American traditions in her quickly approaching wedding! Congrats – Kim!!!

Anyway, in the past when I have thought about China a fairly homogeneous society came to mind.� However, as in many cases, that is politically and socially constructed myth.

Looking into the archives, this story received quite a bit of traction while she was in the competition but has since died down somewhat.� I wonder if the conversation will continue in China or if it will return to “out of sight and out of mind.”

ALSO FYI – no matter where you are, between November 10th and 12th, we are having a “Swirl Bookfair” with Barnes and Noble. This means that on those days, if you log onto www.barnesandnoble.com/mybookfair, buy books and use a code (10043867), part of the proceeds go to Swirl!

Hope to see you at the NYC event if you are in town!

New York City
Thursday, November 12
Barnes & Noble Booksellers (TriBeCa)
97 Warren St (b/w Greenwich & West St)
7:00pm
(Talk and signing)

Unfortunately I will be unable to make it, but I AM purchasing a copy of the book! Please do the same! Your support enables Swirl to continue to offer special events and advocacy for diversity in American society.

Some of you – readers who follow me on Twitter and those I talk to on a daily basis – will know about the recent incident at my church. I have mentioned it vaguely on Twitter, but I’ve had to sit with it for a while before talking or writing about it. The gist of it – after much reflection and some troubling interactions, I decided to stop attending The Well. While I am out in every other aspect of my life, being queer remains complicated when it comes to where I choose to worship (not to be confused with my personal sense of Faith – God and I are great). Yet over the last couple of months, I have grown increasingly uncomfortable and disturbed by being shoved into a closet not of my own making at church.

So, fast forward to a few Sundays ago – I was texting with a friend of mine from the Well. She asked if I was planning on attending that morning. My response “I don’t think I can go back. I am tired of being in someone elses closet.” Little did I know that my rather matter-of-fact comments would create a tidal wave of more disaster than I could have ever imagined. I don’t know specifics, but some sort of announcement was made by said friend about my decision in front of the entire congregation. I was selectively out at The Well. I have grown increasingly uncomfortable with that over the last six months and it contributed to my decision to stop attending.� I received a frantic (and cryptic) voice mail from this friend immediately following, as well as a dozen un-friendings on FB and two marginally sympathetic emails.

Sidenote – I was a little irked at first that my exit was hijacked, but I wish everyone had an ally like her.

For the longest time I thought that remaining in an non-affirming church was the right thing to do. I thought that if every queer person left a non-affirming parish, it was like condoning the hateful theology. I don’t believe that anymore. Reality is that non-affirming churches are hurting people in the name of Christ and that is wrong. By remaining in such an environment means I have a hand in perpetuating that harmful behavior. That is something I refuse to do!

Put whatever spin on it that you like, but non-affirming churches are stepped in homophobia. While individually expressing their “love” for all of God’s children, they spew hate from the pulpit, likening queer folk to the deplorable acts of murders and pedophiles. My whole body cringed that day in church. I was in complete disbelief about what I had just heard, especially since just moments before the same person said he was glad I was at The Well. I can’t even sugar coat it anymore. I can’t make it sound pretty because it isn’t.� Sure you can wrap it in a bow, say you love the person but reject the sin, but, my God, that is hateful!� Hurting people in God’s name…I am sure there’s a commandment about that!

There seems to be a disconnect between scriptural message and the application thereof. Every message of Christ in the Gospels underscore his complete, absolute and unconditional love for all humans, regardless of disposition. Yet, the message from the pulpit towards LGBT individuals (and anyone that is different for that matter) is one of contempt and disgust.

I am not going to waste anyone’s time with a dissection of a handful of scriptural references often spewed completely out of context or some mind-numbing theological diatribe (but here are some great resources and Whosoever has a great book store). However, I will say this without reservation – a church that condemns queer people from the pulpit is culpable in the collective hate and destruction that supposed Christian communities hurl onto queer youths and adults.� Thousands of queer kids are driven to suicide each year by the isolation and hate they experience in their lives – from their families, teachers, peers, and yes, their churches – from people and communities who claim� to love and support them. These churches are equally responsible for the damage that causes. I am sickened that that churches foster such an environment of shame and hate that it forces wonderful, people into closets they would otherwise not be in. I began to feel like I was living in someone elses closet – someone elses space of shame and embarrassment.I refuse to live someone elses lie!� I am neither ashamed nor embarrassed by my sexuality. No more or less than my hetero counterparts.

They may have queer friends, invite them into their lives, let them use their bathroom (sorry, I could not resist), but that does not excuse or negate the underlying prejudice. It doesn’t change the reality of the situation – the conditionality of acceptance, the separate and unequal status in their lives.It is not my responsibility to make people feel good about their bigotry, to spin it so that it sounds less messy.� This is a hate free zone. With that in mind, as you consider adding your comments to this post, know that only constructive, non defaming comments will be approved.� Either add something constructive to the discussion or kindly walk away.

If you are a Christian in a non-affirming church, I truly hope that you have a change of heart, that you rethink the prejudice, hate and damage you sign on to with that decision.

If you are a queer Christian who feels isolated and hurt, know you are not alone. Know that you are loved and cherished exactly how you are here on earth AND before God. Know that at the very least, you have a friend here with me!

Also – check out your local Lutherans Concerned. There are hundreds of Lutheran ELCA parishes that are fully accepting AND affirming of LGBT individuals and families. Rainbow Baptists provides a link for LGBT members within the Baptist communion. And, of course, there are thousands of Metropolitan Community Churches throughout the country.� Whosoever Magazine is also a great online resource, providing a “safe and sacred space” for LGBT Christians.

I will be putting together a list of� loving and affirming community resources under the “community links” tab. If you have any specific links that I should include, please leave a link and brief description in a comment.