GLAAD’s Religion, Faith & Values program works to elevate LGBT-affirming voices of faith in mainstream, regional, and community media. To find out more, visit www.glaad.org/faith. For additional religion and faith updates, be sure to subscribe via our online registration form. We welcome suggestions at faith@glaad.org.
After Hurricane Sandy (which was totally not God’s punishment for marriage equality), the LGBT Religion News Summary is back! Election Day was an amazing moment in LGBT history, and leaders from diverse faith traditions spoke out in support of marriage equality across the country: Catholics in Maine, the nephew of Harvey Milk, a Baptist minister in Maryland, and Methodists in Minnesota.
Read more election news on GLAAD’s website.
While religious advocates for equality celebrated the progress made in the U.S. after the election, a stunning article about the underground gay community in Pakistan that has no legal protection against hate crimes, and a story about a gay Muslim Indonesian man highlight the work that still remains, both domestically and abroad.
Check out what our Director of Religion, Faith, and Values had to say about an article about the ex-gay movement that appeared in the New York Times.
The documentary about Bishop Gene Robinson—Live Free or Die—made its television debut on PBS. Bishop Robinson (who just got an award!) will be retiring at the end of the year to work in D.C. Meanwhile, the Diocese of South Carolina succeeded from the Episcopal Church recently over the issue of same-sex blessings and gay ordination. In other news, a Jewish day school severed its charter with the Boy Scouts because of the organization’s policy against gay troop leaders, a gay seminarian left the Methodist church so he could be a pastor, and a Muslim man placed third in Mr. Gay Netherlands.
Baptist
- ‘With Liberty and Justice for ALL’
- The Washington Post, November 5, 2012
Black Churches
- LGBT faith leaders meet in Harlem
- GBM News, October 20, 2012
- Pro-marriage ministers plan Gallaudet protests
- The Washington Blade, October 28, 2012
- Black Churches and Same-Sex Marriage
- PBS, November 2, 2012
Catholic
- Maine Catholics speak out for gay marriage
- Boston Globe, October 25, 2012
- Maine’s top Catholic speaks against gay marriage
- Associated Press, October 26, 2012
- ‘These aren’t my grandfather’s Knights of Columbus. And that’s a shame!’
- The Washington Post, October 26, 2012
- Many Catholics support Referendum 74
- Union Bulletin, October 28, 2012
- Catholics defy bishops to pray for gay marriage
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 28, 2012
- A Catholic pastor in Maryland dissents from archbishop on gay marriage
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 29, 2012
- Catholic man speaks against Church’s push to oppose gay marriage in Maine
- Seacoast Online, October 30, 2012
- The Catholic Case for Marriage Equality
- The Huffington Post, October 31, 2012
- Lesbian answers bishop’s call for conversation on gay marriage
- The Washington Post, October 31, 2012
- Maryland Priest Counters Archbishop’s Letter With Support For Marriage Equality
- Think Progress, November 2, 2012
- Gay Rights: Baltimore Catholics support gay marriage
- Baltimore Post-Examiner, November 4, 2012
- Ex-Roman Catholic priest becomes Austin’s 1st out school board member
- Dallas Voice, November 12, 2012
Christian
- Journey towards acceptance: theologians and same-sex love
- Ekklesia, October 27, 2012
- ‘Viral video’ pastor says support has been incredible
- News-Leader, November 2, 2012
- University lecturer speaks on struggles of Bible Belt gays
- Murray State News, November 8, 2012
- MD Pastor says Sandy Was God’s Punishment for Bloomberg’s Support of Marriage Equality
- Religion Dispatches, November 5, 2012
- Slapping Gay Christians in the Face
- Huffington Post, November 12, 2012
Episcopal
- Gene Robinson Isn’t Retiring Quietly—But No One Thought He Would
- The Advocate, October 22, 2012
- St. Paul’s Anglican Church: prayer and advocacy in Vancouver’s West End
- The Vancouver Observer, October 25, 2012
- ‘Live Free or Die’: Building Bridges Between LGBT People and Conflicted Christians
- The Huffington Post, October 26, 2012
- S.C. Episcopalians say split goes beyond gay debate
- The Washington Post, November 2, 2012
- Bishop Robinson to receive Pat Jackson Award
- New Hampshire Union Leader, November 8, 2012
- And Here's to You, Bishop Robinson
- Huffington Post, November 13, 2012
Evangelical
- Undercover as a gay man
- Salon, October 25, 2012
- Evangelical support for gay families
- The Boston Globe, October 28, 2012
- Rev. John McTernan Blames Obama and Gays for Hurricane Sandy
- Queerty, October 29, 2012
- An Open Letter to Jim Daly, President of Focus on the Family, From a Gay Evangelical
- The Huffington Post, November 2, 2012
- Evangelizing While Gay
- The Daily Beast, November 4, 2012
- Dear Evangelicals, Let's Stop Burying Our Heads in the Sand on 'Ex-Gay' Ministries
- Huffington Post, November 12, 2012
International
- Tongans march against same-sex marriage bill
- Radio New Zealand, October 27, 2012
- There is no place for homophobia in the church, anywhere in the world
- The Guardian, October 29, 2012
- Australia: Archbishop meeting angers gay advocates
- The Australian, November 5, 2012
- Gay Pakistanis, Still in Shadows, Seek Acceptance
- The New York Times, November 3, 2012
- France approves draft law to legalize same-sex marriage, gay adoptions
- LGBTQ Nation, November 7, 2012
- Churches force Malawi to change tune on anti-gay law
- Yahoo! News, November 8, 2012
- Liberians launch campaign against gay marriage
- Kansas City Star, November 10, 2012
Jewish
- NJ School Drops Boy Scouts Charter Over ‘Egregious’ Anti-Gay Ban
- GLAAD, October 25, 2012
- Jewish filmmaker’s documentary looks at marriage equality
- jWeekly, October 25, 2012
- Gay Marriage Pits Laymen Against Religious Hierarchy
- Bloomberg News, October 26, 2012
- New District, new gay-nups stance for Sen. Addabbo
- New York Daily News, October 29, 2012
- Jewish and Gay: One Choice in This Election
- The Huffington Post, October 31, 2012
- Jews push back against Scouts over policy banning gays
- The Christian Century, November 6, 2012
- My support for Israel is not ‘pink-washing’
- jWeekly, November 8, 2012
- Transgender Jews Seek Place at Table
- Jewish Daily Forward, November 14, 2012
- Principal Claims Jewish Day School Fired Him Because He’s Gay
- Queerty, November 14, 2012
Lutheran
- Baltimore Church Accepts LGBTs, Supports Question 6
- Southern Maryland Online, October 29, 2012
- All Saints: A Day for All Families
- ReconcilingWorks, November 2, 2012
Marriage Equality
- Former Maine bishop says voting for gay marriage ‘unfaithful to Catholic doctrine’
- Bangor Daily News, October 25, 2012
- Sunday Dialogue: Rethinking Marriage
- The New York Times, October 27, 2012
- Mormons silent on state gay marriage referendums
- Standard Examiner, October 29, 2012
- ‘Yes’ vote on gay marriage is just cruel
- Duluth News Tribune, October 30, 2012
- Unnatural disasters
- The Washington Post, October 31, 2012
- Marriage amendment draws parents, church-goers from opposite sides of issue
- Mankato Free Press, November 3, 2012
- People of Faith March for Marriage Equality in Washington State
- Queerty, November 5, 2012
- Preaching to the ‘Moveable Middle’: Bishop Gene Robinson on Marriage Equality and the Election
- Religion Dispatches, November 5, 2012
- Down to the Wire for Marriage Initiatives
- Religion Dispatches, November 5, 2012
- Why My Vote On Gay Marriage Shouldn’t Count (And Neither Should Yours)
- The Huffington Post, November 5, 2012
- Why Marriage Equality Matters for Straight Blacks
- Ebony, November 7, 2012
- Obama 2.0: What a Difference Four Years Make!
- The Huffington Post, November 7, 2012
- Election shows country is changing, gay marriage advocates say
- LA Times, November 7, 2012
- Voters approve same-sex marriage for the first time
- CNN, November 7, 2012
Methodist
- Golden Valley Pastor Preaches Against Gay Marriage Amendment
- Golden Valley Patch, October 28, 2012
- Gay seminarian leaves Methodist denomination to be ordained
- Chicago Tribune, November 1, 2012
- Church marking 20 years of welcoming lesbian, gay, transgender parishioners
- Statesmen, November 7, 2012
Metropolitan Community Churches
- “Fairness Wins!” say Pro-LGBT Denominational Leaders
- Religion News Service, November 7, 2012
Mormon
- Mormon church is conspicuously absent in Maryland same-sex marriage referendum
- The Washington Post, October 28, 2012
- Gay Mormons hold conference to gather support
- ABC, November 3, 2012
Muslim
- Confessions of an Arab-American Woman
- PolicyMic, October 29, 2012
- LGBT History Month Icon of the Day: Ifti Nasim
- Huffington Post, October 29, 2012
- Muslim Man Places Third in Mr. Gay Netherlands
- Euro-Islam.Info, November 6, 2012
- Being gay in the Muslim world
- Daily Life, November 8, 2012
Presbyterian
- ‘Not So Churchy’ Offers Alternative Religious Services
- The New York Times, November 1, 2012
- PCUSA Court Rules Gay Pastor Allowed to Marry But Not Officiate Same-Sex Ceremonies
- The Christian Post, November 2, 2012
Seventh Day Adventist
- Seventh-Gay Adventist: Documentary
- The Collegian, October 29, 2012
- Voting for Same-Sex Marriage: An Adventist Perspective
- Spectrum, November 4, 2012
Unitarian Universalist
- Church Teaches Class on Banned Books in Defiance of Local School District
- The Huffington Post, October 25, 2012
- Marriage: sacred trust between 2 individuals
- Kennebec Journal, October 25, 2012
- Gay Christian minister ask that Mainers vote in support of love
- Morning Sentinel, October 29, 2012
- Church forms 'non-discriminatory' scouting group
- Standard Examiner, November 2, 2012
- Be Not Afraid
- Huffington Post, November 8, 2012
United Church of Christ
- Illinois UCC speaks out for marriage equality through theater performance of 8, The Play
- UCC News, November 6, 2012
- Marriage equality wins big on Election Day
- UCC News, November 7, 2012
- Monumental marriage equality victories likely to carry forward
- UCC News, November 13, 2012