Out and About – October 2010

October was a very full month, as you'll see. And surrounding all the various activities documented here was, of course, the beauty of autumn in Minnesota. It's definitely my favorite time of year.

I took the photo above and at left while out riding my bike along the Minneapolis side of the Mississippi River.

For more images of this beautiful time of year, see here and here.



Above: Two of the several hundred participants at a Candlelight Vigil for Victims of Anti-Gay Bullying – Loring Park, Minneapolis, October 14, 2010.

For TheColu.mn's report on this event, click here.



On the evening of October 15, Doug and I were guests of our friend Brian to Dark Matters, a truly amazing dance performance at the Walker Art Center.

Above: At right with (from left) Doug and Brian.

Right: Outside the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. (For more photos of this unique building and nearby Whitney Bridge, see here.)



Above: Pictured at left with Daniel Maguire, Paula Ruddy and Paul Lipetzky – October 21, 2010.

I contacted and invited renowned theologian and ethicist Daniel Maguire to the Twin Cities to counter the Minnesota Catholic bishops' misguided anti-gay marriage campaign. On October 21, Daniel spoke on "Why You Can Be Catholic and Support Gay Marriage."

The event was sponsored by CPCSM, Dignity Twin Cities, and Catholics for Marriage Equality MN. Held in the beautiful sanctuary of St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis (above left), Maguire's presentation drew approximately 400 people.

For more images and commentary, click here.

For The Wild Reed's special four-part series leading up to Daniel Maguire's Twin Cities visit, see here, here, here and here.



Above: Celebrating my 45th birthday – Saturday, October 23, 2010. From left: Bob, Doug, me, Paul, John and Cory.

For more birthday pix, see here.

For my special 45th birthday post, click here.



Above: With Doug at the unveiling of Lucinda Naylor's DVD to ART project, "The Wave" – Friday, October 29, 2010.


Right: Made from 2,000 unwanted copies of the DVD at the center of the Minnesota Catholic bishops' recent anti-gay marriage campaign, "The Wave," says Lucinda, is about "the Spirit of inclusion and love, which is sweeping through the Catholic Church as it continues to change, as usual, from the people up to the hierarchy."

For more images, commentary and links, click here.



Above and below: My friend Noelle's birthday celebration – Saturday, October 30, 2010.

Pictured above from left: Douglas, Fernanda, Noelle and Mark.




Above (from left): Phil, Annslie, John, Doug, me, Douglas, Fernanda, and Brittany.




Left: Phil and Brittany.








Above: What a handsome crowd!



Above and below: Earlier today, approximately 150 Minnesotans gathered at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Paul to respectfully let Archbishop Nienstedt and the MN Catholic Conference of Bishops know that they do not agree with their recent anti-gay marriage campaign.

The event was organized by a coalition of church reform and LGBT Catholic groups, including the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities, Rainbow Sash Alliance, and Catholics for Marriage Equality MN.

For more images and commentary, click here.




Above: My friend Phil in the scariest Halloween costume he could come up with. I think he succeeded, don't you?



Above: Quinn in his Halloween costume. And, no, he doesn't look too thrilled to be dressed as a banana, does he?

For more traditional Halloween fare, click here.