Andrew Wilfahrt is first known gay soldier killed in war since
repeal of "don't ask, don't tell"
Wilfahrt had perfect score on Army aptitude test; Army named combat
outpost for him
His parents, Jeff and Lori, have become crusaders for same-sex
marriage in Minnesota
Shortly after Andrew's death, Jeff wrote a letter to his son's comrades.
"A gay child will take you to places in your heart you did not know
existed," he said. "Regardless of orientation, I beseech all of
you who are parenting now, or do so in the future, to give them all the
love you can muster. At times it feels like you are bailing the ocean, but
do not stop loving your children."
Some
thoughts by Coretta Scott King:
• Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of
bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to
deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood. This sets the stage
for further repression and violence that spread all too easily to
victimize the next minority group.
• Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma,
in Albany, Ga. and St. Augustine, Fla., and many other campaigns of
the Civil Rights Movement. Many of these courageous men and women were
fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for
their own, and I salute their contributions.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
The Time Is Now It is time to
take an intelligent look at gay and lesbians participation in anti-gay
religions. "People experience pain as they struggle
with what their society, and particularly their church, tells them is
unacceptable and their love of a family member who is gay. Many
of these families have found that the greatest healing has resulted
from an open, honest admission of the truth of the individual's sexual
orientation." - Roger Juline, Science of Mind Magazine, April,
2007
There are churches and spiritual philosophies that embrace
and fully accept gays and lesbians. These philosophies are not based
on new revelations, but instead, take their origins of the Truth that
was revealed centuries before Jesus. Homosexuality is not an
apparition of the last few thousand years. It has been present
and documented since the beginning of the written word. It first
appears most clearly in the Book of Leviticus in the Torah and later
in the Bible. It was the time in which the Hebrew people were
taken forcibly to Babylon. And the injunction against
homosexuality was not a moral one ... but instead, was intended to
establish and maintain a national identity for the exiled Israelites
that set them apart from their neighbors. It identified a people
in a culture that has nothing to do with morality ... or later,
Christian "sin."
I encourage all gay and lesbian people
reading this page to consider once and for all separating your self
from any religion that continues to perpetuate a false relationship
with gays and lesbians and God. Separate your self from any
religion that attempts to separate gays and lesbians from dignity,
equality and Truth. To declare your self free from
the mental bondage of non-acceptance or just being tolerated and begin
at once to begin to seek a way in which to acquaint your self with a
God that has an ever-lasting Love for you. We don't have to
allow the labels to intimidate us. Christians, Catholics,
Buddhists ... no religion has a monopoly on God ... and any religion
that has, as part of their dogma, a judgment against gay and lesbian
people ... is a false religion!
Jesus touched the "soul" of the
world. He taught that "God will never forsake you" ...
and this "you" includes gays and lesbians. John
Lewis - You Cannot Tell People They Cannot Fall In Love
Contrary
to popular belief, Jesus didn’t really give us two commandments.He gave us one – love.
His two commandments were really one divine law expressed in two ways,
as love of God and love of neighbor, love of cause and love of effect,
love of our divinity and love of our humanity. - Walter
Starcke Rev.
Al Sharpton Speaks Out for Marriage Equality
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