St. John the Divine Cathedral Reading and Satyagraha!

On Sunday, April 13th, between 10-15 people gathered around a large table to talk about issues raised in the book On Being a Gay Parent at St. John the Divine Cathedral in NYC right after the 11:00 worship. It was a wonderful discussion, in which nothing was taken for granted in terms of the contours and ways of being family. I appreciate the give-and-take of raising issues that challenge and shape our families, gay and straight alike.

That evening, after spending time in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I went back for the Evening Vespers, followed by a public forum on Satyagraha, which means "truth force" of non-violent struggle, based upon the work of Gandhi, but recognized as well by other faith traditions, with Jesus Christ, along with the Christian civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. In contemplating the intersection of contemplation and the engagement of social action in the world for our families--gay and straight alike--how do we recognize and celebrate and "be" the change we want to see in the world? Or as MLK, Jr., said the right time to do the right thing is right now.

Peace,

Brett

Giovanni's Room, Philadelphia, PA!

Today was a beautiful introduction into the next part of the pilgrim path of this book tour of On Being a Gay Parent. Ed, owner of Giovanni's Room, gave me a sense of the history of Giovanni's Room, one of the oldest and still running LGBT bookstores in the nation. It was an amazing store: I stood and listened to conversations among the many lesbians, gay, bisexual and trans folks coming into the bookstore. As Ed said, "this is a bookstore in which the windows are clear and wide open," unlike other gay and lesbian bookstores in which they are in small buildings, sometimes cinder block, and there are no windows, neither letting the sunshine in or the pride of being who we are out.

Ed and I struck up a conversation at the "anointed" time at 5:30, and some folks came and stood and listened to the conversation going on. Soon, friends like David Wall from Princeton, NJ, and Brian came and joined the conversation. What a great talk with had among ourselves.

It is 10:21: the train to NYC and the next leg of this pilgrimage is about to being.

More to come!

Peace,

Brett

Join Us at Giovanni's Room, Philadelphia, on Sat., April 12, at 5:30 P.M.

Annamarya Scaccia wrote a lovely article/blurb in the Philadelphia paper, City Paper, for a reading from ON BEING A GAY PARENT, this Sat., April 12th, at 5:30 P.M., at Giovanni's Room. Click here for more.

Following this reading on Sat., I'll be reading and discussing issues from the book at St. John's the Divine Cathedral on Sunday, April 13th, at 1:00 P.M. in NYC!

What I've so enjoyed about these readings is the discussion afterwards, with various folks asking questions and making comments I never intended from the book itself. Heck: the next book may just be ON BEING A GAY GRANDPARENT!

Hope to see you folks there!

Peace,

Brett

"Stop! In the Name of Love, Before You Break My Heart..." and the Church

When I was growing up and acting oh-so-gay-and-karaoke-singing in Denny's, two friends and I would love to sing "Stop! In the name of love," thanks to the Supremes! We had hips moving, hand gestures, and heads-bopping, dancing in the aisles of Denny's restaurant in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Sadly, I remember those words nowadays when contemplating marrying couples and reading this story from BBC-News about a Unitarian Church in England (Newington Green Unitarian Church in Islington, England), in which all weddings are no longer allowed until everyone can wed, gay and straight alike. This Unitarian Church has said "Stop! In the name of Love!" for many of our hearts are broken because so many churches, synagogues, etc., do not allow us the sacred spaces to be wed.

This is a theological and polity issue: the church/Church will have to come up with a theological justification/rationale or basis for helping us all understand--in good times and bad--the union of two people becoming one, whether these "two people" are a woman and man, or two men, or two women. As a minister of the Word and sacrament, this will help in reading and stating the declaration of marriage at the beginning of a wedding worship service.

Click here for more.

Peace,

Brett

On being a grandfather, and on being a gay grandfather!

I recently met a grandfather whose grown daughter "came out" of the closet at an older age. The daughter was married to a man for several years, is a mom of three children, and is living with her partner of three or four years, who also has children from a previous lesbian relationship. The two met over their respective children's athletic events. The grown daughter who was married is also living in the after effect of her former husband's suicide, which he committed right before the divorce was final. The grown daughter's former in-laws, along with her former husband's entire family, have been alienated by the former husband's brother, who made sure that the grown daughter would be cast as an outsider.

Meanwhile, in Tacoma I met a man who is a grandfather with a grown son and grandchildren, in which the grown son will have to explain to his children that "Grandpa is gay!" The grandfather asked and kidded me about the next volume in the series of books that could come out of this book, "You know, that's the next book: On Being a Gay Grandparent."

As we "come out" and live in the light of day, it is important for us to remember that our living truthfully is, first, going to cause a ripple effect as the news (shall I say gossip in the good understanding of the word), trips upon the tongues of others. Second, not everyone is going to be excited for living truthfully. In a culture that lives "don't ask, don't tell" in more than the military service, our being out and gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered people, is a threat unto many who live in the closets of their--and society's--construction.

Live well, grandpas and grandmas!

Pilgrim peace,

Brett

Univ. of Puget Sound in Tacoma, and Ravenna's Third Place Books: A Gathering of Readers, Activists, Questioners, and Listeners

Many thanks to all who came out for a reading and discussion of the book ON BEING A GAY PARENT at the University of Puget Sound!  What fun to discuss the issues of the book with an engaged audience who are invested in the issue of equality for all of us. 

A big thank you to Ravenna's Third Place Books for a nice reading atmosphere last night!  We had several people in the bookstore who, upon hearing the reading, came out of the shelves and sat down and listened to the reading, politely applauding at the end of it...and hopefully a book.

Thanks to one and all at Ravenna for a great night!

Peace,

Brett

Integrity, Seattle-Tacoma, extend a beautiful welcome!

I had a wonderful dinner last night with the folks of Integrity, an Episcopal group that works with churches in making them welcoming place for LGBTQ people. We had dinner in the Capitol district in Seattle last night, and talked about the changes and cultural shifts taking place in the Church and world in welcoming all. This Episcopal diocese is more open and welcoming of gay and lesbian clergy than most others!

Thanks!

Peace,

Brett