Monday, December 31, 2012

The Wild Reed's Year in Review

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Part 4: October – December 2012

Following is a fourth and final selection of 2012 Wild Reed posts, the putting together of which I found particularly meaningful. Many of these posts have also generated the most comments from readers.

If you’ve yet to read these posts then I hope you'll take the time to do so. I also hope that the experiences and insights they convey will, in some way, resonate with you and encourage and inspire you on your journey.

(To start at the beginning of this series, click here.)


__________________________



October 2012

In the lead up to the November 6 election and the referendum in Minnesota on the so-called 'marriage amendment,' October was an incredibly intense month for those of us advocating for marriage equality and thus a 'no' vote. How intense? Well, at times I considered my theme song to be Wanda Jackson's 'Nervous Breakdown'!

Oh, yeah, and somewhere amidst it all I turned 47!



Sergius and Bacchus: Martyred Lovers

The Longing for Love: God's Primal Beatitude

An Autumn Walk Along Minnehaha Creek

Into the Fray

Jim David on the "Actual Benefits of Same-Sex Marriage"

Lies, ALL LIES!

In the Eye of the Storm, A Tree of Living Flame

Love as Exploring Vulnerability

Superstorm Sandy: A 'Wake-Up Call' on Climate Change



November 2012

A great celebratory start to the month with the defeat on November 6 of not only the 'marriage amendment' but the equally horrendous 'voter photo ID amendment'! Minnesota actually made history by becoming the first state in the U.S. to defeat an anti-marriage equality amendment. In addition, marriage equality victories in a number of other states ensured that the November election results comprised a watershed moment for LGBT Americans.

Another highlight of November 2012 that I'll always remember and cherish was the absolutely beautiful fall colors we experienced here in Minnesota!



"Thou Hast Thy Music Too"

In St. Cloud, A Prayer Vigil for Peace, Justice, Hope and Healing

In Maine and Maryland, History is Made

Both 'Marriage Amendment' AND 'Voter Photo ID Amendment' Rejected by Minnesota Voters

Something to Celebrate!

Dancers Among Us

Quote of the Day – November 13, 2012

Michael Greyeyes on Temperance as a Philosophy for Surviving

"Something Sacred Dwells There"

Beyond the Hierarchy: The Blossoming of Liberating Catholic Insights on Sexuality (Part 7)

Something to Cherish



December 2012



A winter storm, a journey to Washington, D.C, grappling with news of unspeakable tragedy in Connecticut, and celebrating Christmas with dear friends in Minnesota – events and experiences that for me marked December 2012.






Crazy Horse: "Strange Man" of the Great Plains

A Visit to the National Museum of the American Indian

O Happy Day

Beatrice Marovich on Divinity and Animality in Life of Pi

Photo of the Day – December 9, 2012

Out and About – Autumn 2012

Winter Storm

Rejoice?

Anne Rice on the "Genius of the Christmas Crib"

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "Same Love"

Acknowledging, Celebrating, and Learning from Marriage Equality's 'Triumphs of Faith'

Out and About – December 2012



See also the previous posts:
The Wild Reed's Year in Review: October - December 2011
The Wild Reed's Year in Review: October - December 2010
The Wild Reed's Year in Review: October - December 2009

Opening image: Björn Burton.


Out and About – December 2012



After all the energy and work expended this past year-and-a-half on defeating the Minnesota 'marriage amendment,' I have to admit I was really looking forward to a quiet and restful December. By and large, this indeed has been the case for me. However, the month definitely got off to a rather intense start – in a positive way – with a trip to Washington, D.C.


I traveled to the capital to be part of a gathering of faith leaders from across the country. It was basically a marriage equality "debrief," one expertly organized and hosted by the Human Rights Campaign. We gathered to acknowledge and celebrate recent advances in marriage equality in our respective states, and to strategize and plan for further nationwide advances in the journey toward full equality for LGBT individuals, couples and families.

For more about this energizing and inspiring gathering, click here.





Above and left: Two images taken just days after Winter Storm Caesar dumped around 11 inches of snow on the metro area of the Twin Cities.

For more images, click here.






It's always kinda tough being away from family at Christmas. All the more reason I'm so grateful for the many friends I have here in Minnesota who have taken me in as a member of their respective families!

Above: Christmas Eve with friends James, John, Alicia, Phil, Curtis and Noelle.

Right: Ainslie, Phil, Mike and Jacob.




Left: Mike and Kim.










Above: The ever noble-looking Quinn!






Right: "Hello, Charlie!"




Left: Eddie the Wonder Dog!.










I can't tell you how much I love these three fellas – Quinny, Charlie and Eddie! Spending time with them nourishes my soul. They are such special creatures and, according to their owners, they respond to me like they do to no other people they regularly encounter! We definitely share a very special bond, and I consider that a real gift.




Above: Friends Lisa, Theresa and Kate.

Right: With friends and fellow Catholicc for Marriage Equality MN board members Brent and Lisa. You may recall that Brent and Lisa feature in C4ME-MN's video series Catholics for Marriage Equality.




Above: Friends Tom and Pepperwolf.

The above three photo were taken at a special Boxing Day fundraising event for St. Stephen's Human Services, a 501c3 nonprofit that helps thousands of people secure housing and other support services.



Above: My lovely little Christmas tree!

For more images, click here.


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Out and About – Autumn 2012
Out and About – Summer 2012
Out and About - Spring 2012 (Part 1)
Out and About – Spring 2012 (Part 2)
Out and About – Spring 2012 (Part 3)
Out and About – Winter 2012


Sunday, December 30, 2012

Quote of the Day

It's impossible not to make a difference. Every choice we make leads either toward health or toward disease; there's no other direction. The question is not 'How can I, one person, make a difference?' The question is 'What kind of difference do I want to make?'

– Julia Butterfly Hill
Quoted in Leslee Goodman's article
"The Butterfly Effect"
The Sun
April 2012

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Acknowledging, Celebrating, and Learning from Marriage Equality's 'Triumphs of Faith'

I mentioned in a previous post that pro-marriage equality Christian and Jewish faith leaders from Maine, Maryland, North Carolina, Minnesota and Washington gathered December 3-4 at the Washington, DC headquarters of the Human Rights Campaign.

Here we acknowledged and celebrated recent advances in marriage equality in our respective states – advances in which people of faith and religious organizations played key roles. As Sharon Groves, Director of HRC's Religion and Faith Program, reminded us, "The faith work in all the states was the 'win work' in all the states."

We also shared what worked best in our respective campaigns, and strategized and planned for further nationwide advances in the journey toward full equality for LGBT individuals, couples and families. It was a very inspiring event, and one I was honored to be part of as Executive Coordinator of Catholics for Marriage Equality MN.

Following are some images of my time at HRC's "Triumphs of Faith Five State Debrief," an event that afforded me the privilege to meet and work with some of the truly great U.S. religious leaders of our time.




Right: With friends Adele Brown and Jim Smith. Adele is lead organizer with the Jewish Community Action in Minnesota, while Jim is a fellow board member of Catholics for Marriage Equality MN and the Program Director for DignityUSA.






Above: Director of HRC's Religion and Faith Program, Dr. Sharon Groves (center), with Religion and Faith Program assistant Michael Toumayan and Leslie Watson Malachi, who was our phenomenal facilitator for the two-day debrief (left).








Above: The faith team from North Carolina. From left: Caitlin Breedlove (Co-Director of Southerners On New Ground), Ryan Rowe (Field Organizer for the Human Rights Campaign), Bishop Tonyia Rawls (Founding Pastor of Unity Fellowship Church Charlotte, Founder and Executive Director of the Freedom Center for Social Justice, and Prelate of the Fourth Jurisdiction Unity Fellowship Church Movement), Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman (Senior Pastor of the Clinton Tabernacle African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the Third Vice President of the North Carolina NAACP) and Dr. Karin Quimby (Southern Regional Field Director for the Human Rights Campaign).



Above: Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman at the HRC debriefing.



Above: The Minnesota faith team! Thanks to my friend Adele Brown for this photo! I'm standing at right with (from left) Kathleen Campisano (Senior Field Organizer for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Faith Organizing Manager with the Task Force's Institute for Welcoming Resources), Emily Eastwood (Executive Director of Reconciling Works: Lutherans for Full Participation), Adele Brown (lead organizer with Jewish Community Action), Rev. Grant Stevenson (Faith Director for Minnesotans United for All Families), Javen Swanson (Deputy Faith Director for Minnesotans United for All Families), Jim Smith (board member of Catholics for Marriage Equality MN and Program Manager for DignityUSA), and Rev. Rebecca Voelkel (the Institute for Welcoming Resources and Faith Work Director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force).



Above: Sharon Groves (left), Director of the Religion and Faith Program at HRC with the faith team of Washington State: Rev. Dedra Peevey (Faith Director of Washington United for Marriage), Barbara Guzzo (Co-Founder of Catholics for Marriage Equality WA), Kirby Brown (member of the Steering Committee of Catholics for Marriage Equality WA), Kari Lipke (Regional Director for Reconciling Works: Lutherans for Full Participation) and Aubrey Thonvold (Faith Outreach Specialist with the Pride Foundation for the Washington marriage equality campaign).



Above: Rev. Dedra Peevy of Catholics for Marriage Equality WA.



Above: Rev. MacArthur H. Flournoy, theologian, author, preacher, and Deputy Director of the Religion and Faith Program for the Human Rights Campaign.



Above: Rev. Dr. Marvin Ellison of Maine's Bangor Theological Seminary.



As I noted at the beginning of this post, people of faith played a critically important role in the recent advances in marriage equality. And included among these 'people of faith' are many Catholics!

In the photo above I'm standing at left with Catholic marriage equality leaders from Maine, Minnesota, Maryland and Washington. Pictured next to me from left: Anne Underwood, Co-Founder of Catholics for Marriage Equality – Maine; Ryan Sattler, primary Catholic lay organizer for the Maryland Marriage Equality Campaign; Joseph Palacios, Co-Founder of Catholics for Equality; Cynthia Beliveau of Catholics for Marriage Equality – Maine; Jim Smith of Catholics for Marriage Equality – Minnesota; Barbara Guzzo, co-founder of Catholics for Marriage Equality – Washington; Jeannine Gramick, Co-Founder of New Ways Ministry; Marianne Duddy-Burke, President of DignityUSA; Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director of New Ways Ministry; and Chris Pumpelly, Communications and Development Director of Catholics United.



Above: Anne Underwood, Co-Founder of Catholics for Marriage Equality - Maine.



Above (from left): Marianne Duddy-Burke, President of DignityUSA; Jim Smith, Program Manager for DignityUSA and board member of Catholics for Marriage Equality MN; Sister Jeannine Gramick, Co-Founder of New Ways Ministry; and Frank DeBerardo, Executive Director of New Ways Ministry.


Left: Dr. Joseph Palacios of Georgetown University, co-founder of Catholics for Equality, sociologist of religion, and author of The Catholic Social Imagination: Activism and the Just Society in Mexico and the U.S. Sitting behind Joseph is Chris Pumpelly, Communications and Development Director of Catholics United.




Above: Standing with (from left) Barbara Guzzo, Joseph Palacios and Anne Underwood.



Above: Rev. Dr. Delman Coates, Senior Pastor of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Maryland. Rev. Coates was uniquely instrumental for the Maryland campaign and provided leadership to the cadre of African American faith leaders supporting the pro-marriage equality measure 'Question 6.' To view the TV ad featuring Rev. Coates, click here.



Above: Marty Rouse, the National Field Director for the Human Rights Campaign.



Above: Bishop Yvette Flunder, Presiding Bishop of the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, a multi-denominational fellowship of Pastors and Christian leaders representing 100+ churches and faith-based organizations.



I have to thank my friends David and Thew for taking such good care of me while I was in Washington, D.C. Thew vacated his beautiful Dupont Circle apartment (in the tallest building pictured above) so that I could have the place to myself. David, meanwhile, wrote up detailed directions that made my navigating of the city both fun and easy! Thanks, guys!

One place I visited while in D.C. was the National Museum of the American Indian (left). For images and commentary on this visit, click here.


Recommended Off-site Links:
Marriage Equality Campaigns: The Difference Faith Makes – Sharon Groves (The Washington Post, November 20, 2011).
In Minnesota, Same-Sex Marriage Supporters Want to Move Quickly on a Bill – T.W. Budig (Star News, December 19, 2012).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
O Happy Day
Quote of the Day – December 9, 2012
Quote of the Day – November 19, 2012
Something to Celebrate!
Both 'Marriage Amendment' AND 'Voter Photo ID Amendment' Rejected by Minnesota Voters
In Maine and Maryland, History is Made
In the Eye of the Storm, A Tree of Living Flame
Into the Fray
The Minneapolis (and Online) Premiere of Catholics for Marriage Equality


Friday, December 28, 2012

Steve Clemens: "If We Wish to Stand with the Holy Innocents, We Must Stand in Opposition to Empire"

. . . This year . . . the thoughts of many Americans will be focused on the twenty innocent children gunned down at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut two weeks ago. And we should mourn their loss as well as the teachers and other adult school staff. Maybe this loss will help us as a people gain empathy for the other Holy Innocents victimized each week in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and elsewhere by un-manned aerial vehicles – drones, with the names of Predator and Reaper, as though they are part of nature’s own cycle of life and death rather than the macabre machinery of military domination.

The Biblical story of King Herod killing the Holy Innocents in his frantic attempt to destroy any possible competition to his political rule is how all empires react to threats they perceive. If we wish to stand with the Holy Innocents, we must stand in opposition to empire, the creator of more victims. The candles we light are reminders that even in the midst of darkness, we are called to bear witness to the light we have been given. Quakers are known for reminding us that everyone has a spark, a glimmer, a light within – that of God or the divine within each of us. May we fan, feed, nurture that spark within us, within each other, as we remember the lives lost, the futures squandered, the hopes dashed by war, and help us to recommit to stand with the survivors demanding an end to the violence – especially that visited on children.

– Steve Clemens
"Remembering the Holy Innocents"
Remarks for Children of War Candlelight Service
Minneapolis, December 28, 2012


Related Off-site Link:
Drone Strikes Are Causing Child Casualties – 178 So Far – Robert Greenwald (AlterNet.org, December 26, 2012).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
John Pilger on Resisting Empire
Quote of the Day – December 19, 2012
Quote of the Day – July 24, 2012
Let’s Also Honor the “Expendables”
John le Carré’s Dark Suspicions
Tariq Ali Discusses Rudyard Kipling
In Search of a “Global Ethic”

Image: Steve Clemens.


Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "Same Love"

This evening for 'music night' at The Wild Reed I share the music video for the song "Same Love," as featured on The Heist, the debut album from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.

Featuring guest vocalist Mary Lambert, "Same Love" was penned by the Catholic-raised Macklemore in support of marriage equality. Here is part of what Macklemore (standing right in the picture at left) has to say about the writing of "Same Love."


This song, which I wrote in April [2012], is a response to what I have observed and experienced, and is also an act of personal accountability. It was not easy to write, and I struggled with how I, as a straight male, could genuinely speak upon this issue.

Initially, I tried writing from the perspective of a gay, bullied kid, but after getting some feedback, I felt it wasn’t my story to tell. What I do know, and where I wrote from, is my own perspective growing up in a culture where “that’s gay” was commonplace, with a huge stigma on those who identified and were perceived as gay.

Growing up in the Catholic Church, I saw first-hand how easily religion became a platform for hate and prejudice. Those who “believed” were excused from their own judgments, bypassing the stark issue of basic civil rights.

But, more influential to me as a kid than the church was hip hop, my cultural foundation that influenced my worldview.

Unfortunately, intolerance of the gay community in hip hop is widespread. The best rappers will use homophobic language on albums that critics rave about, making hip hop and homophobia inextricably linked. We have sidestepped the issue entirely, become numb to the language that we use, and are increasingly blinded to our own prejudice.

The consequence and impact of what we say, and the culture of shame and abuse it creates, has very real, sometimes deadly impacts upon LGBTQ young people looking for acceptance and belonging.

As somebody that believes in equal rights for all humans, you can only watch poison regurgitated for so long.

. . . More than anything, I am aware of how comfortable I (and many other straight people) have become in staying silent on this issue. If we choose to not speak on an issue of injustice out of fear, or how our peers might perceive us, we’re part of the problem. We know the truth, and vainly refuse to uphold it, when people’s lives are caught in the balance.

In the last couple of months, amazing things have happened that show progress and accountability to ensure that the LGBTQ community has the same rights and respect as everyone else. The President of the United States came out in support of gay marriage. Jay-Z, arguably the biggest rapper in the world, then followed. Finally, Frank Ocean felt comfortable enough with himself to share his sexuality in his music and came out last week. That is courage.

This song is a humble submission to help bring this conversation to the surface, so that we can reflect on the language we use, and how powerful it can be. Rethinking, and understanding the gravity of how we communicate with each other. Change happens when dialogue happens. When we confront our prejudice and are honest with ourselves, there is room for growth, and there is room for justice.






You may recall that last month Michigan teacher Susan Johnson was suspended for allowing one of her students to play "Same Love" in class. The incident elicited the following response from Macklemore.

This incident is just one of tens of thousands that have happened across the country where schools have exposed a latent homophobia, preventing safe space for all young people to feel confident in being themselves. It’s clear that Ms. Johnson felt bullying and 'gay bashing' were issues that needed to be addressed, and by doing so, was punished.

It’s discouraging that a song about love and civil rights has led to a teacher getting suspended from her job. But that’s where we are at. For those of us who get a pit in our stomach when reading a story like this, it just makes it abundantly clear there is far more work to be done.


Johnson later had her suspension reversed after an outcry from the American Civil Liberties Union and a number of community members.


Above: Ryan Lewis (left) and Macklemore.


Related Off-site Links:
A Review of The Heist – Alex Lee (Intersections, November 14, 2012).
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Same Love" Gets Alt-Pop RemakeHuffPost Gay Voices (December 11, 2012).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
The Same People
Marriage: "Part of What is Best in Human Nature"
From Australia, "Possibly the Most Beautiful Ad for Marriage Equality"
Lanae Erickson on Taking a Lesson from Down Under
Dr. Erik Steele and the "Naked Truth on Same-Sex Marriage"
Quote of the Day – July 7, 2012)
Homophobia? It's So Gay


Thursday, December 27, 2012

The Wild Reed's Year in Review

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Part 3: July – September 2012

Following is a third selection of 2012 Wild Reed posts, the putting together of which I found particularly meaningful. Many of these posts have also generated the most comments from readers.

If you’ve yet to read these posts then I hope you'll take the time to do so. I also hope that the experiences and insights they convey will, in some way, resonate with you and encourage and inspire you on your journey.

(To start at the beginning of this series, click here.)

__________________________



July 2012

In July I shared photos and commentary on this year's Twin Cities Gay Pride Festival (June 23-24), and remembered a good friend and Minnesota Catholic gay rights pioneer. Also in July, a 'Catholic Q&A on the Marriage Amendment' that my friend Florence and I had been working on for months was finally completed and published, and I continued sharing my interest in Sufism by highlighting at The Wild Reed the writings by Fazal Inayat-Khan and Hazrat Inayat Khan. The members of the Romanov family were remembered in a special post as this month saw the 94th anniversary of their execution in July 1918.


Sufism: A Call to Awaken

A Spirit of Defiance (Part 5 of The Wild Reed's Gay Pride / Queer Appreciation series)

A Catholic Presence at Gay Pride

Remembering David McCaffrey, One Year On

After Loving

Dark Matter: "An Intriguing Aspect of the Universe"

In the Garden of Spirituality – Hazrat Inayat Khan

Catholic Q&A on the 'Marriage Amendment'

Remembering the Romanovs



August 2012


A definite highlight of August was my time spent with friends in Chicago. The work of Catholics for Marriage Equality MN continued throughout the summer, and 'Worldwide Gay Pride' was celebrated with a special Wild Reed post.


Ever Faithfull

Worldwide Gay Pride – 2012

Responding to a Zealot

Weekend in Chicago (Part I)

Weekend in Chicago (Part II)

Weekend in Chicago (Part III)

Weekend in Chicago (Part IV)

In the Garden of Spirituality – Andrew Harvey

"A Thoughtful, Entertaining, & Inspiring Program"

Your Scent I Know

Thanking You, Archbishop



September 2012

In September, Catholics for Marriage Equality MN launched its "Another Catholic Voting No' yard signs, bumper stickers and buttons. Interestingly, demand for them spiked every time Archbishop Nienstedt issued a directive urging Catholics to vote 'yes' on the controversial 'marriage amendment'! A fun time was had in early September at the Minnesota State Fair, where my friend Kathleen and I enjoyed a performance by the legendary Wanda Jackson. Later in the month the beauty of this year's fall colors entertained us in an altogether different way.


A Day at the Fair

Nicolas Chinardet Asks: "What Exactly is a Bigot?"

The Naked Truth

Out and About – Summer 2012

A Pediatric Physician's Helpful Perspective on Same-Sex Parenting

Rockin' with Wanda

O Sacred Season of Autumn



NEXT: Part 4: October – December 2012



See also the previous posts:
The Wild Reed's Year in Review: July - September 2011
The Wild Reed's Year in Review: July - September 2010
The Wild Reed's Year in Review: July - September 2009

Opening image: Björn Burton.