Executive Summary

Why Faith Still Matters (Even If Religion Doesn’t)
by Joseph Holmes

This year, our Pride week will include an InterFaith Gathering on Wednesday night,
June 21st—the Summer Solstice, the first official day of Summer. Having an InterFaith
Gathering this year gives us an opportunity to test the water, get a feel of how we as LGBT people move through our daily lives with some embrace (or not) of a spiritual path, be it a church or temple we attend, or any type of organized meeting, or perhaps a non-traditional, non-denominational, non-deity centered way of just coping. Either way, you have something to contribute to the Gathering, even if you do not yet know it. After reading this, you will understand.

InterFaith Gathering sounds all religousy and junk and is probably making some of you squirm just to consider it. It sounds like church and it tastes like chicken. But, what you are reading is not what I started out with—no less that 10 drafts—and each time I wrote, the never-quite-finished product sounded contrived and pathetically politically correct. But once I became honest in writing from my heart, the angrier I got. I imagine InterFaith to mean that we
include and embrace and tolerate Catholics and Protestants into the equation—yes, I called them by name—Catholics and Protestants—and that makes me tense. In truth, I am not very comfortable with these feelings, nor am I comfortable writing this, for fear that my truth will raise some hackles and offend some people. Particularly the Catholics and Protestants.

For those of you who are not the proverbial choir I am preaching to, here is a small peek into my/our world when it comes to how C’s and P’s have not been our friends. It’s no secret that our President has made bedfellows of various Religious Right Movements, all declaring in God’s Name that we are not worthy of the Constitution because we are anything other than what is considered the Radical Blessed Heterosexual. Somehow our natures have brought about plagues and abominations and unbalance upon the land, and the land needs to be scourged. That means that most of these Radical Blessed Heterosexuals want us gone. And not in a good way.

I believe in a Sentient and Benevolent Creator, and I believe if this planet is truly unbalanced, it is because this 'moral majority' has executed us out of the equation. And I am firmly convinced we as LGBT people are necessary in keeping spiritual balance by virtue of how we are created. This is at the very core of the original belief of the Original People in the Western Hemisphere
and other pre-‘Christianized’ cultures around the globe. (Some of you are familiar with my writings on Two-Spirit people.) Yet, we have been demonized and segregated from our own place in various cultures and societies since the earliest of popes, missionaries, priests and various do-gooders beat or burned into those people the very poisonous idea that we are aberrations of God and Nature.

Bekki McQuay asked that I write this article, so I wrote it. All I can think of is “Why should we care if a church or faith or temple exists or not when their 'official dogma' makes it clear that we are not welcome? Tell me how this technique of ethnic cleansing, this blurring and obliteration of the original truth about the original LGBT people, made any society better? How do we bridge that gap that we didn't even make, try to get back to something that we shouldn't have been shunned from in the first place? Why should we even consider any organized religion unless and until it is made heart-wrenchingly clear that we aren't at present merely 'tolerated' just to increase their bank account or attendance numbers, but rather, we are embraced as equal to every other worshiper warming a pew and that we are LOVED by the same God of their preaching?”

I am sick of our community being bodily sick and spiritually disembodied. I am sick that we have been excommunicated from a banquet table, and thus we become sicker and then blamed for our own sickness. I believe that we as the LGBT community—HUMANS—are as worthy
as anyone else walking this earth and that it is time we emerge and reclaim our rightful place. And I believe that any one of us has a responsibility to connect with that Higher Being, however perceived, so that the next phase in healing can continue.

Verily I say unto you, Your personal faith is important, and your voice and beliefs and spirit matters a great deal. I invite (or perhaps challenge) you to attend the InterFaith Gathering and stand up offering your shaky voice and sweaty palms. Tell yourself and us and the world and God that you never have to tolerate religious stupidity and religious hate and religious intolerance ever again. You will be among your brothers and sisters, and we’ll listen.

And maybe—just maybe—you’ll be able to identify that spark of a spiritual connection before the evening is over. Blessed be. Walk in Beauty. It’s all yours.

How many times have you heard, "It's not my opinion, but you know, that's just the way it is around here" from some sweet, well-meaning person when forced to project a socially assumed opinion of homosexuals? Or, even better, "I don't agree with THAT lifestyle, but I think they should be allowed . . .".

Well, I'm tired of it. I was in a meeting today with 20 or so community orgainzation leaders for the purpose of resolving local issues of underage drinking, smoking, etc.. I have long enjoyed the refreshing support I experience in this particular group.

One of the topics today was about the North Amarillo Task Force needing volunteers for their clean up project scheduled for April 8th. I had listened to their 3rd party plea for assistance long enough when I finally had to chime in and say, "NO, they don't really need help all that bad, because they have declined the offer of the OUTstanding Youth Volunteer Team." I shared with them the conversation you may have read on my previous blog-blurt about the phone call telling us that "they can't really afford to be associated with PEOPLE LIKE US, now that they have AISD and the Boy Scouts involved."

This was the same lady that said, "It's not my personal opinion, but you know how it is around here." "It's just like we can't let that guy from the karate place help since he's been convicted of indecency with a child". I did take the opportunity today to remind the group that gay/lesbian did not equal indecency with a child.

The group was appauled at the unwillingness of the Task Force to accept our offer, and the conversation was light, funny, but most important very supportive and several in the group offered some helpful future assistance.

Anyway, a bit later in the meeting we were discussing the need to have our chairperson available for contact during daytime hours. A lady from the back made the following statement, "You know, it's just like if Bekki, not that I agree with that lifestyle, but if she needed to get in touch with someone, they need to be available."

I am speechless