My Family Gave a Damn

Aug 01st, 2011 04:07 PM By Fareed

Growing up I was taught that being gay was wrong, that it was a sin and that I wouldn’t be accepted no matter what. I grew up knowing that no matter how hard I tried I wouldn’t fit in to the “normal” Muslim family. I had thoughts of suicide, even attempted it once or twice, but thankfully I didn’t succeed.

I came out to my mother 3 years ago not knowing what to expect, all I knew was that I just couldn’t keep living this double life and lying to the people I care about. I told my mom everything about how I knew that I was gay and about the suicide attempts all because of my self doubt and self hatred. She burst into tears, she grabbed me and took me in her arms and all she managed to say between the sobs and tears was that no matter what and who I love, I am her son and she loves me no matter what and that she will always be there for me.

A lot has changed since then, my mom’s attitude towards homosexuality has completely changed, she asks questions and I answer as truthfully as I can, she accepts who I am and she stands up for me to the family, she told them that if they can’t accept me for who I am then they can’t accept her for being my mother.

I’m writing this because I just want people reading this to know that being gay does not make you less of a person nor does it make you some evil creature born from the pits of hell. Being gay is not a choice that one makes, you are born gay!

This is a letter of hope for the LGBT community out there, there is hope, there are people who care and there are people fighting the battle for EQUALITY. It really does get better…

Take it from me, a young Muslim guy from South Africa who gives a DAMN

Gay Matters!

Jun 29th, 2011 05:36 PM By Lauren

I was compelled to stay in the closet until I was 18 because I went to Catholic school my entire life. In high school, I fell in love for the first time. We were forced to keep our relationship secret because the school priest had full jurisdiction over school matters and could easily expel us. We were inseparable… eating lunch together, texting during class, even sneaking flowers into each other’s lockers. I was slowly accepting the fact that I was a lesbian, and tried to reject all of the negative attributes associated with “gays.”

She was the only person that could make my stomach tingle just by looking at me from across the room, the only person who didn’t judge me, the only other person who I could be myself around. Cliche, yes… but I knew damn well that she loved me. And I loved her just as much. Our relationship was so emotionally charged, and I had never felt that with any male that I had dated.
more…

Christianity Can Be About Love…

Jun 29th, 2011 05:26 PM By Ally

Christianity is about love, and should be. That’s why I Give a Damn.

A few years ago, in high school, it came to my attention that Christianity was being used to promote hate. It’s strange, now that I think of it, that I hadn’t realized this before. But I guess that’s the wonder of being raised by a gay minister. My mom took me to a gay church for many years, and I associated my faith with love, joy, and bright colors (rainbows rock)!

At first I was angry, and my response was very akin to the conservative reaction on finding someone with a differing view. “Have they read the bible? I don’t recall Jesus saying ‘love everyone *except* homosexuals.’” But later I studied the bible more closely, I wanted to know what passages could possibly say something so bad that people would outright hate such wonderful people as my mom.

I picked up a bible I had been given at 13 for my confirmation into my church, one with additional text to provide interpretation and guidance. And for Romans 1:26-27 it advised that if you had homosexual feelings, you had to deny them and should talk to your pastor, get help. I was angry. How could my bible say that, I wondered. I remember my mom finding me, lost in angry thought. I pointed to the bible and said “I need a new bible.”
more…

My Equality

Jun 27th, 2011 04:05 PM By Olivia

My story starts in a small town in Mississippi. I was 1 of 2 openly gay youths in my high school. Open only at school, though, as my home life did not allow my sexuality. I was made to go to church 4 times a week in the hopes of saving my soul. I was sent to Christian counseling to “pray my gay away”. It didn’t work. I eventually ended up serving a 5 month sentence in the county jail for my lesbian relationship.

People wonder how something like that could happen in the year 2000, but many places in America are still living in the dark ages. And local law enforcement (especially on the county level) can do whatever they want to with no point of accountability. Now I have moved away and am a freedom-fighter with GetEQUAL. I am sick of being a second-class citizen but having to pay the same taxes as everyone else.

I’m sick of living in fear of being fired everyday because of my sexual orientation and having no protection. And I just want to settle down and marry the woman I love, have a kid and live a normal life. But I am denied that. I just want to live and am told everyday that I can’t. Well, It’s time to change that. It’s time for everyone else who is fed up to stand up, band together, and declare that we will no longer stand for this treatment. I’m an American and I demand to be treated as such. Who’s willing to stand up with me?

NY TIMES: “PRESBYTERIANS APPROVE ORDINATION OF GAY PEOPLE”

May 12th, 2011 11:17 AM By Admin

According to The New York Times:

“After 33 years of debate, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has voted to change its constitution and allow openly gay people in same-sex relationships to be ordained as ministers, elders and deacons.

“The outcome is a reversal from only two years ago, when a majority of the church’s regions, known as presbyterys, voted against ordaining openly gay candidates.

“This time, 19 of the church’s 173 presbyterys switched their votes from no to yes in recent months. The Twin Cities presbytery, which covers Minneapolis and St. Paul, cast the deciding vote at its meeting on Tuesday. The vote was 205 to 56, with 3 abstentions.

“Cynthia Bolbach, moderator of the church’s General Assembly, its highest legislative body, said in a phone interview from Minneapolis after the vote: ‘Everyone was civil. There was no applause, no cheering. It was just reflective of the fact that we are moving forward one other step.’

“Although by the time the vote was taken in Minneapolis the outcome was expected, Presbyterian church officials said that even a few months ago they would not have predicted that the church was ready to change its policy.”

Read the full The New York Times article >>

GET INFORMED, GET INVOLVED

• Learn more about Faith

HOW MANY GAYS MUST GOD CREATE BEFORE WE ACCEPT THAT HE WANTS THEN AROUND?

May 03rd, 2011 04:15 PM By Admin

Representative Steve Simon (DFL Hopkins/St. Louis Park) says a proposed Minnesota constitutional amendment to ban marriage for gay couples is largely about religion. He says if sexual orientation is innate as science is showing us, and not a lifestyle choice, then God created gay people. He asks how many gay people must God create before we accept that he wants them around.

GET INFORMED, GET INVOLVED

• Learn about Faith

Young and Proud

Apr 19th, 2011 03:54 PM By Jacob

I consider myself to have no orientation, I just love people for who they’re, in a way I have no named sexuality, I see people for people.

I believe that being a homosexual,bisexual, or whatever I am is not a sin! God loves us, oh and he didn’t write the Bible! He may have inspired, it but he most definitely didn’t write it!

Our church doesn’t try to make us hate people like us, they just say it’s wrong and against “god’s plan”. Who knew they died, went to heaven, and came back alive.

Alone

Apr 19th, 2011 03:53 PM By Cassie

Hi, my name is Cassie. After months and months of telling myself that I was straight, that I was normal and who everyone wanted me to be, I finally admitted to myself that I was bisexual in 8th grade.

Nobody knew who I really was because I was afraid. My best friend talked about gay people like they were people from a different planet and didn’t deserve love, as if they chose to be that way instead of just turning out that way. All the people in my school were always hating on gay people and there was no way I could come out without my life being ruined. I felt alone and and because I couldn’t be myself, I was depressed and unhappy with my life.

It all started with cutting and burning myself and it all ended up with me trying to commit suicide. Just before I was about to jump, God spoke to me and let me know I wasn’t alone.

Still, nobody knows about my sexuality, but I feel better about myself and who I am. This site has also helped me and I’m glad that there are people out there who give a damn!

NEW YORK TIMES: “EVEN ON RELIGIOUS CAMPUSES, STUDENTS FIGHT FOR GAY IDENTITY”

Apr 19th, 2011 03:40 PM By Admin

The New York Times examines the struggles gay and lesbian students have on religious college campuses around the country:

“Battles for acceptance by gay and lesbian students have erupted in the places that expect it the least: the scores of Bible colleges and evangelical Christian universities that, in their founding beliefs, see homosexuality as a sin.

“Decades after the gay rights movement swept the country’s secular schools, more gays and lesbians at Christian colleges are starting to come out of the closet, demanding a right to proclaim their identities and form campus clubs, and rejecting suggestions to seek help in suppressing homosexual desires.

“Many of the newly assertive students grew up as Christians and developed a sense of their sexual identities only after starting college, and after years of inner torment. They spring from a new generation of evangelical youths that, over all, holds far less harsh views of homosexuality than its elders.

“But in their efforts to assert themselves, whether in campus clubs or more publicly on Facebook, gay students are running up against administrators who defend what they describe as God’s law on sexual morality, and who must also answer to conservative trustees and alumni.”

Read the full The New York Times story >>

GET INFORMED, GET INVOLVED

• Learn more about Faith

LGBT in South America

Apr 08th, 2011 05:45 PM By Angie

I’m from Colombia, a South American country. Here you don’t hear much about protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. You always have to hide from everybody because the church says it’s a sin.

I’m 27 and some members of my family don’t know I’m gay, I don’t want to be rejected. I wish we have here organizations like you who want to protect our rights.