Everyone’s on pins and needles this week while the Boy Scouts of America decide whether or not to lift the ban on LGBT leaders and scouts in their nation-wide program. Religious leaders have spoken out in support of the lift, including the United Church of Christ, Unitarian Universalists, and a United Methodist pastor. The Southern Baptist Convention and the Roman Catholic Church, however, were quick to voice strong opposition.
Read more about faith story behind the Boy Scouts potential change.
Two Christian communities took important steps toward equality this week: a Lutheran church in Rockford voted to become the city’s first LGBT affirming Lutheran congregation, and an Austin Episcopal church prepared for its first blessing for a gay couple. A Baptist minister and his life partner were jailed after staging a sit-in protest in response to being denied a marriage license. And a musical is being created to remember the 32 people killed in a fire in a gay bar that also housed the Metropolitan Community Church.
Read more about transgender youth.
The Roman Catholic Archbishop in San Francisco tried to compare marriage equality to males lactating (which males can do, under certain circumstances). A Catholic adoption agency in Scotland was told it had to stop discriminating against LGBT couples or face government shutdown, and the Roman Catholic Church told its priests that the action against marriage equality is more important than ever. Also, RuPaul is back (thank God), and shared some spiritual convictions with the Huffington Post.
Read more about Manti Te’o's Multiple Identities.
Baptist
- Gay minister arrested in sit-in
- Associated Baptist Press News, January 23, 2013
- Gay and Baptist: How an Oxymoron May Save the Church
- January 27, 2013
- Boy Scouts could be poised to reverse gay leader policy
- Baptist Press, January 28, 2013
- Scouts Considering Retreat from No-Gays Policy
- NPR, January 28, 2013
- Boy Scouts may soon welcome gay youths, leaders
- USA Today, January 28, 2013
Catholic
- Scotland Catholic adoption agency told stop gay ban or close down
- Gay Star News, January 23, 2013
- R.I. Catholic official says gay marriage ‘undermines’ common good of state
- Providence Journal, January 24, 2013
- Catholic school denied help to gay student
- Star Observer, January 24, 2013
- Government cannot protect teachers from the sack, if they refuse to teach same-sex marriage
- The Catholic Herald, January 25, 2013
- The Time I Called Pope Benedict ‘the Devil’ to His Face
- The Huffington Post, January 25, 2013
- Gay marriage: Catholic Church tells priests ‘time to act is now’
- The Telegraph, January 27, 2013
- UK: Catholic Church Threatens to Fire Gay Teachers For Marrying
- Queerty, January 28, 2013
- So Long, Catholic Boy Scouts?
- Religion News Summary, January 28, 2013
- SF archbishop: Don’t say ‘gay marriage’
- National Catholic Reporter, January 28, 2013
- Colorado Catholic Adoption Agencies Say They Won't Serve Gay Couples, Suggest It's Not 'Safe'
- Towleroad, January 29, 2013
- Transgender teacher sues Catholic prep school for alleged discrimination
- CNN, January 29, 2013
Christian
- Christian Music Venue Fires Employee for Pro-Gay Rights Shirt
- Patheos, January 23, 2013
- Confession From A Christian: I’m Not Trying to Change My Gay Friends
- The Huffington Post, January 25, 2013
- Is There Hope for the Gay Undergrad
- Chicago Now, January 27, 2013
- Composer Remembers 32 Victims of 1973 New Orleans Gay Bar Arson Fire
- Towleroad, January 29, 2013
Episcopal
- St. David’s, Austin, Prepares for its First Same-Sex Blessing
- The Episcopal Diocese of Texas, January 24, 2012
- Biship Gene Robinson Accepts Award for Commitment to LGBT Equality
- Believe Out Loud, January 29, 2013
Evangelical
- Vast majority of evangelical Christians say gays trying to remove Christian values from US
- The New Civil Rights Movement, January 24, 2013
International
- Malaysian, Christian…and Gay
- Patheos, January 28, 2013
- An English Gay Catholic
- Patheos, January 29, 2013
Lutheran
- Vote will confirm Emmanuel Lutheran’s Acceptance of Gay Members
- Rockford Register Star, January 26, 2013
- Lutheran church in Rockford formally accepts LGBT community
- Rockford Register Star, January 27, 2013
Mennonite
- Kenneth Miller, Mennonite Pastor, Jailed For Refusing To Testify In ‘Lesbian’ Custody Case
- The Huffington Post, January 24, 2013
Methodist
- Boy scout sponsor excited about possible opportunities for gay scouts
- ABC, January 28, 2013
- Breaking up with the church: A gay Methodist love story
- WBEZ, January 28, 2013
Metropolitan Community Church
- Arson Fire Kills 32 LGBT, No One Notices: Why the 1972 Up Stairs Lounge Fire Should Matter
- Owldolatrous, January 26, 2013
Miscellaneous
- Boy Scouting community divided over news that national group may lift ban on gays
- Washington Post, January 28, 2013
- RuPaul’s Divine Mystical Wisdom
- The Huffington Post, January 28, 2013
Mormon
- Ryan Anderson is My Son—Boy Scouts, Mormons, and Inclusion
- No More Strangers, January 29, 2013
- BSA: Gay, OK?!
- Religion Dispatches, January 29, 2013
- Mormon –founded Marriott supports DOMA repeat. So does eBay, Reuters, Aetna
- America Blog, January 29, 2013
Muslim
- Muslim Patrol ‘vigilantes’ abuse gay man in online video
- Telegraph, January 24, 2013
- London: Police make fifth arrest in connection with anti-gay ‘Muslim Patrol’ probe
- Pink News, January 25, 2013
- How I Accepted Myself as a Gay Muslim
- The Huffington Post, January 25, 2013
- London: Police make fifth arrest in connection with anti-gay Muslim probe
- Pink News, January 25, 2013
- Victim of ‘Muslim Patrol’ anti-gay abuse found
- Gay Star News, January 28, 2013
Presbyterian
- Two Eagle Scout Ministers Say, Lift the Ban on Gay Scouts
- Unbound, January 29, 2013
Quaker
- Comment: As Quakers we rejoice at the Government’s bill to make same-sex marriage legal
- Pink News, January 25, 2013
Unitarian Universalist
- Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick celebrates passage of same-sex marriage bill
- Frederick News Post, January 21, 2013
- Religious Opponents of Equality Should Follow the Unitarian Church and Agree to Marry Gay Couples
- Pink News, January 25, 2013
- Boy Scouts Re-Consider Gay Policy: Religious Groups to Decide for Themselves
- The Huffington Post, January 28, 2013
United Church of Christ
- UCC LGBT advocates urge Boy Scouts of America to welcome gay scouts and scout leaders
- United Church of Christ News, January 29, 2013