Articles in Religion
Alaskan minister preached against homosexuality, now an ally
Murray Richmond, a Presbyterian minister for 17 years (the last 10 years in Alaska) and a hospital chaplain for 3 years, writes about how he changes his mind about homosexuality and marriage equality.
We answer to a higher calling….
A. Caleb Pritt writes on the relationship between Christian faith and the GLBT community.
Christian Gay & Trans Resources
The Christmas season is a good time to highlight resources for LGBT Christians and people with Christian friends and family members. The Gay Christian Network, SoulForce and the Parents Reconciling Network are a few of the online resources that were recently recommended by Alaskans.
“I wish that you guys could post a link to The Gay Christian Network. [They have] amazing YouTube videos on helping people who are gay come to terms with their spirituality,” wrote Mark Allred of Alaska Native Lutheran Church in Anchorage.
Mark encourages watching all 7 videos, but he thinks the one embedded below is the most useful. Watch Gay Christian Answers, episode 4: “Aren’t we designed for heterosexuality?”
MCC Anchorage
Matthew Moak at Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Anchorage also recommends The Gay Christian Network, along with several other resources. Of course, MCC itself is a great resource.
- What the Bible Says – and Doesn’t Say – about Homosexuality (pdf) is an important resource from SoulForce, a group that “works to end the religious and political oppression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning people.”
- Homosexuality And The Bible is a list of articles and websites by Christian Gays, a group that provides “the resources for any who wish to understand the ACCURATE interpretation of the Original Scriptures with regard to homosexuality.”
- SisterFriends Together “is an outreach ministry of Grace Unfolding Ministries, and we exist to provide a safe and welcoming online faith community for lesbian, bisexual, questioning and transgender women.” They can also be found at ChristianLesbians, their previous name.
- The Gay Christian Network is “a nonprofit ministry serving Christians who happen to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, and those who care about them.”
- Coming Out as a Transgender Person is a workbook created by MCC Transgender Ministries, which “provides opportunities for spiritual development for transgender people and their families and friends.”
PRN is an organization of United Methodist parents of GLBT children. Rev. Johnathan of Church Life Alaska mentioned a new transgender resource from PRN in last week’s Alaska GLBT News. The information came from Sara Boesser, who compiles the weekly LGBT News Roundup posted here on Bent Alaska.
New Resource: Our Transgender And Intersex Children
What causes a person’s sexual orientation is unknown. Causes for people being transgender or intersex are not fully understood. A huge variety of factors are at work in making each individual the person that they are and there is no one reason that causes people to be transgender. It has nothing to do with anything you did or did not do, nor anything your child did or did not do.
Families love their children and want what is best for them. You cannot change your child. However, you can change your response to your child. Your specific response can improve your child’s health and happiness. Your consistent parenting and unconditional love does have a central and enduring influence on your child’s life. Here are some parenting guidelines, shown by research, to improve the physical and mental health of LGBT children.
LGBT-friendly church groups
Most denominations have an LGBT or LGBT-friendly wing, and many of these movements have web sites with resource pages. A good list of national LGBT-friendly church groups can be found HERE. This does not imply that the local Alaska congregations are LGBT-friendly, unfortunately, but the online resources can be useful.
The Resource page on the Open and Affirming (ONA) site of the United Church of Christ (UCC) was suggested by a reader named Matt. He belonged to an ONA church before moving to Alaska, although he is not involved with the UCC in Alaska. None of the Alaska UCC’s are listed as Open and Affirming on the Coalition’s site, and I don’t know if the local congregations are LGBT-friendly or not. But the national ONA site includes resources for gay and trans Christians.
A list of Alaska’s LGBT-friendly churches and religious groups is posted HERE.
Do you know a good online LGBT-positive Christian resource that we didn’t mention? Please leave the name and link in a comment below this list.
Lisa snubs Pride Conference, honors Prevo instead
While U.S. Senate candidate Scott McAdams was impressing us and our allies at the Alaska Pride Conference last weekend, write-in incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski ignored the invitation to speak to LGBT Alaskans and instead was at Anchorage Baptist Temple kissing up to Rev. Jerry Prevo, a man who brags that his personal legacy has been to prevent gay Alaskans from getting equal rights.
Watch Lisa thank Jerry for the love and guidance he has shown “our community,” by which she means the homo-haters of Anchorage, apparently:
The video of Lisa and Jerry is courtesy of Alaska Commons, and the transcript was posted on Mudflats (the highlighting is mine):
Pastor Prevo, Mrs. Prevo, it is such an honor and a real delight to be with so many here today to celebrate this pastoral anniversary. Think about where you were in 1971. What was going on in your life. Well, here in Alaska… Everyone’s now starting to talk… think about what was going on in 1971… We just passed the Alaska Land Claims Settlement Act that led to the development of our Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Think about how our state has transformed with the advent of that line and what oil has brought to our country, our state.
That was the same time that Pastor Prevo and Mrs. Prevo came to Anchorage and began to build this community – 135,000 people in Anchorage at that time, and think about the changes that we have seen within our community, within our state. And so much of what we’ve seen that has been good and strong has been built right here at the Anchorage Baptist Temple by Reverend Prevo. Think about the ministries. We saw the children’s ministry here today and the delight in the children’s faces. The ministries for the men, the women’s connection, the recovery ministries – so many of the good things – the Anchorage Christian Schools, so much that has been developed under the leadership of this man, with the love and support of Carol Prevo. This leadership is demonstrated on a daily basis and we benefit from it.
And Pastor, I want to thank you from a very personal note for what you did to celebrate the life of a great Alaskan. It was here in this church that Alaskans and people around the country paid tribute to a great Alaskan, Ted Stevens. And what you did, and your guidance and how we showed our final respects was a tribute to all of Alaska. That leadership doesn’t come without the greatness of a man. We thank you for what you have given our community – the guidance you have shown, and the love for so many. Continue it for another 39. Thank you.
WTF? Here is one example of Prevo’s love for us. It’s part 2 of his sermon against last summer’s equal rights ordinance (in case you missed it) and includes a long list of insults for LGBT Alaskans:
Can’t you feel the love? Prevo’s only legacy is peddling fear and hate of LGBT people and preventing Anchorage from becoming a city of equality and fairness.
What is Lisa thinking?
Catholics reject ceremony for Alaska’s married gay-friendly Episcopal Bishop
The consecration of Bishop-Elect Mark Andrew Lattime to the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska was set for Sept. 4 at a Catholic church in Anchorage, but the venue for ordaining the married religious leader was abruptly changed to a Methodist church.
Catholic news sites announced the event last week, focusing on Lattime’s LGBT ministry:
“Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, will ordain an Episcopal cleric from New York State as the Episcopal bishop of Alaska on September 4. The ceremony will take place at a Catholic parish in Anchorage.
“Until recently, Lattime was a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester’s Committee for Gay and Lesbian Ministry, which “seeks to further the cause of recognition and legitimization of lesbian and gay relationships within the church and in civil society.” Lattime is married and has three children.”
Oh, no — he has a wife!
Lattime’s resume for the Alaska position said he is a three-time deputy to General Convention from Rochester, NY, where he served on the diocesan council and as a dean of the southwest district and a stewardship consultant, among his many posts. He is also a certified private pilot and was a volunteer ambulance driver for the Fire Department
The Catholic news sites didn’t mention any of his qualifications, only that he was a member of a committee on Gay and Lesbian Ministry. He wasn’t the chair or founder, just a member. They didn’t say what work he did on the committee, or how long he was on it. He was involved with a gay and lesbian ministry, and that’s enough.
The consecration was to take place in the Lady of Guadalupe Church in Anchorage, but is now scheduled for First United Methodist Church. After the ceremony, a reception will be held at the church, and a no-host banquet will be held at 7 p.m. in the Sheraton Hotel — where, in a sweet coincidence, The Imperial Court’s Coronation is also being held that weekend.
Kudos to the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska on the election and consecration of Bishop Lattime, and to First United Methodist for hosting the ceremony after the Catholic church backed out.
Prevo calls gay Christians "deadly" as Ray Boltz sings of love
The Ray Boltz concert in Anchorage was a hit with LGBT fans and mainstream Christians – but not with Jerry Prevo, who warned his flock to avoid the free concert and wrote a column attacking gay Christians, calling Boltz an “ex-Christian” with “deadly secrets.” Boltz took the high road and answered the hate with a new song about love:
“I will choose to love,
though they shake their fists at me.
And I will be myself with you,
living authenticity.
Though they wrap their hatred
in a message from above,
I will choose to love.”
Amen to that.
In June, Bent reported that Ray Boltz was coming to Anchorage and posted his hit song “Don’t Tell Me Who to Love”, featured in a video for marriage equality. Meanwhile, Prevo warned his followers about the concert in a special all-caps “BEWARE” message, and explained in the ABT bulletin why Christians should not attend the concert of one of their favorite Christian singers:
“Many of us are familiar with such Christian songs as “Thank You” and “Watch the Lamb” written by Ray Boltz. For years, Mr. Boltz performed before numerous crowds and churches, singing and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sold over 4.5 million records before retiring from Christian music. Why did he retire?”
Prevo is very familiar with the song “Thank You” — in fact, his congregation chose the Boltz song as their special tribute to Prevo when they celebrated his 38 years of spreading fear and hate against gays. Oops! Boltz had already come out, but ABTers are notoriously behind the times.
“In December of 2004, Boltz revealed to Carol, his wife of 30 years, and his four children that he was a homosexual. Since that time, he has divorced his wife in lieu of his settling into his new-found lifestyle.”
Carol writes a blog in support of gay Christians, and gives advice to their former spouses. She also manages Ray’s website, and weeds out the hate mail from people like Prevo. Boltz lives with his male partner, as an honest gay man whose family loves and accepts him. He performs at gay-friendly churches around the country, and the tickets are often free.
“How does this happen? Paul gives us a look into this phenomenon. “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim 3:2-5). These are the religious people; these are the ones who exist in the community of believers; these are the ones who exhibit a “form of godliness.”
Do you think he has a special grudge against gay Christians? Blasphemers, traitors, brutal – he aims that whole list of sins at gay people of faith, just because they tell the truth about how God created them and continue to believe that God loves them. Prevo hates that truth.
“How hopeless can it be to know the truth and deny the power of that truth? How can we go through the motions day after day, coming to church, and even involved in ministry, yet “denying the sovereign Lord who bought us?” (2 Peter 2:1) “They profess to know God, but in works deny Him” (Titus 1:16). Jude wrote “They have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah” (v.11).”
Actually, these quotes apply perfectly to preachers who sell hate-for-profit disguised as religion. Just sayin’.
“Only an individual and God can know what deadly secrets he/she keeps. Don’t let them have power over you like Cain’s hatred for Abel (Gen. 4:7). Having a clear understanding of doctrine, attending church, and working in the ministry are vital to the Christian life, but they can also be counterfeited to fit a religious form. Jesus did not say the good branch sits faithfully in pews; He said, “It abides.” This is revealed in a continual desire to draw near to God, the expression of obedience, and a hatred for sin. Nothing would be more tragic than to say those hopeless words, “Did we not prophecy in your Name?” to the Lord who never knew you.”
Being gay is a “deadly” secret? Yes, says Prevo, a secret that will lead to the murder of good Christian Abels who are taken in by the “counterfeit” gay Christians.
THAT is HATE.
Hate laced with the threat of violence. Don’t let them have power over you like Cain… don’t let them murder you with their deadly secrets… defend yourself and your family… kill them first.
Crazy dangerous hate.
Why does Prevo hate Ray Boltz so violently? He should be happy that Boltz continues to believe and has not abandoned the church.
Prevo hates Boltz because he knows that when Christians hear a believer they respect singing heartfelt songs about being gay and knowing God’s love, they will forget to be afraid of him and will be touched by the truth and humanity of his music.
And when they stop fearing gays, they won’t pay Prevo to protect them from a non-existent threat.
Try it for yourself. Watch the video below and the other videos from the local concert, and see if his songs move you. “Who Would Jesus Love” from the new album True is especially appropriate for Anchorage in the aftermath of the ordinance.
“Would He only love the ones
who look the same as me?
Would He only offer hope
when He saw similarity?
Would he leave the others waitin
like a stranger at the gate?
Would He discriminate?
Tell me, who would Jesus love?”
The following video opens with photos of his Alaska visit set to “Don’t Tell Me Who to Love”, then switches to the concert. Boltz tells about coming out to his supportive family, and sings the new song “I Will Choose to Love.” (The song starts around 4:20 and it’s worth waiting for.)
The haters in Anchorage need to hear this message, even more than the gays and allies do. I hope a few disobeyed Prevo and went to this incredible concert. Perhaps they will also choose love.
Openly gay Ray Boltz performs in Anchorage, July 11
Ray Boltz is performing in Anchorage on July 11 — and the concert is FREE! Yes, that’s right, you can hear this acclaimed gay singer perform for free by registering HERE before they run out of tickets.
Ray Boltz sold over 4.5 million records and was the recipient of two Dove awards before coming out as a gay man and retiring from Christian music. After a five year break from the stage, Boltz recorded True, with songs about same-sex marriage (“Don’t Tell Me Who to Love”), bias crimes (“Swimming Hole”), and the conservative claim of a gay ‘agenda’ (“Following Her Dreams”).
“Don’t Tell Me Who To Love” was featured in this Soulforce video on Prop 8. Check it out:
In several of the songs on True, Boltz tries to reconcile being gay with his Christian faith.
“I don’t believe God hates me anymore,” said Boltz in an interview with the New York Times. “I always thought if people knew the true me, they’d be disgusted, and that included God. But for all the doubts, there’s this new belief that God accepts me and created me, and there’s peace.”
Both Bolz and his ex-wife Carol have been vilified by religious extremists for becoming LGBT advocates. She manages his website and blogs her support at My Heart Goes Out.
Mrs. Boltz also realizes better than anyone how many former fans vehemently object. She fields the e-mail messages that pour into the Web site, the ones that say, “We will be destroying all your cds cassettes etc immediately” and “Instead of converting to man-love, why not goat love?”
Ugh. Sounds like something Prevo would say. So if you enjoy gay-themed songs or contemporary Christian music, go to this free concert and support Ray Boltz in his return to the stage as an openly-gay man. And bring your straight Christian friends and relatives! They need to hear his message as much as LGBT people do.
The Anchorage concert is sponsored by the Metropolitan Community Church (MCCA) and St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. For more on Boltz and his tour with another recently out singer Azariah Southworth, visit the Living True tour.
Transgender podcast debuts with Alaska show on "Transpeople and Christianity"
The first show of “Good Morning, TransAmerica!” is now available, with news and discussion on transgender issues around the world, hosted by Anja Gensel of Anchorage, Alaska.
The first show is called “Transpeople and Christianity: Does God have a plan for us?” Anja and her guests address why many fundamentalist Christian churches reject transpeople, how they hijacked the Anchorage Assembly hearings last summer, and why they have it wrong.
We ask the question “Can you be transgendered, AND be a Christian?” We hear from Anchorage Televangelist Jerry Prevo, Pastoral Minister Sarah Gavit of St Mary’s Episcipal Church, and two Christian Transwomen, Kelly Johnson and Piper Moritz.
Another local segment on the show is “TransLife in a small Alaskan town” with commercial fisherman and transwoman, Carrie Thorne. Carrie also discusses her experiences with Dr. Toby Meltzer, who performed SRS, Voice modification and FFS on her.
Other guests include Lisa O. discussing her SRS results performed in Thailand by Dr. Suporn.
Finally, Mental Health Clinician Roni Lanier, M.S. reviews the book: “Transgender Emergence: Therapeutic Guidelines for Working With Gender-Variant People and Their Families” by Arlene Ister Lev.
Plus, the podcast opens with a review of recent transgender world news.
The second show is called “TransLife in Australia” and will be available in June. For the third show, Anja travels to Chicago to the 2010 “Be-All” International Gender Conference.
“Transpeople and Christianity: Does God have a plan for us?” is available HERE.
For more information on the next shows, visit “Good Morning, TransAmerica!” on TransAlaska Pipeline, the website for Transgender Alaska.
Christian singer Letting Go and coming out
Christian singer Jennifer Knapp returned from a seven year break with a new cd Letting Go, a new tour, and a new honesty about herself — she’s both a Christian and a lesbian.
It hasn’t been easy for Knapp. Many have condemned her, and she was forced to debate her soul on Larry King Live. But others have embraced her and created Facebook pages to show their support, including this one by an Anchorage fan who hopes to bring Knapp to Alaska for a concert.
Here is an acoustic performance of Dive In recorded before a show in February 2010 in Tennessee:
Breaking Free from ABT: One Man’s Journey
Does Anchorage Baptist Temple really do exorcisms to cast out the demon from gays? Yes, they do, and they set family members against each other. In an interview with The NorthView (published in its April 2010 issue), RJ described his struggle to break free from ABT and come out as a gay man, a struggle that nearly tore apart his family. He shares his story in the hope that it will help others who are coming out or supporting a gay family member, and even help members of ABT.
“I sincerely hope people from ABT read it. Perhaps it will be a wake up call for them to stop ignoring the things going on around them and perhaps they will open up their hearts and experience a little more love.”
Thanks, RJ, and happy birthday!
* * *
One Man’s Journey
This is an interview with RJ, a gay man raised in Anchorage Baptist Temple. RJ agreed to this interview in the hope that sharing his story and what he has experienced and learned will perhaps help others who may be walking a similar path or, at least, let them know they are not alone.
Editor: Let’s start with the basics of your background.
RJ: My grandparents moved to Alaska in the 1950’s. My mother and I were both born here. My grandfather was a minister. My father was a chaplain who worked in the ministry. In my early years, I lived with my father in Talkeetna and did my schooling through a Christian home school program. Our whole family was very involved in church. In the 1990’s, when I was 11, we moved to Anchorage and became very involved with Anchorage Baptist Temple (ABT).
My father and step-mother both worked at ABT to offset the school bill as it is really expensive to go there. Both taught Sunday school. Sunday they drove busses to pick up kids for Sunday school. We attended Sunday school in the morning followed by church and church again on Sunday night. On Monday night we had bible study, Tuesday night was visitation, Wednesday we had church and Awanas, a Christian program sort of like the Scouts, Thursday night was prayer meeting, and Friday night was open gym or “Destination Unknown,” a youth activity. And, of course, I had school Monday through Friday. Saturdays we would often go to Reverend Prevo’s house for dinner or meet with other church people. For a long time, I looked up to my father and I looked up to Prevo so much.
Editor: How long did this last?
RJ: I went to ABT through 6th, 7th grades and was kicked out in 8th grade.
Editor: What happened in the 8th grade?
RJ: For years I believed everything I was taught. The church was my life. Then, I began to notice and to realize things about the people all around me at ABT and, at the same time, I began to suspect I was gay. I saw so much hypocrisy, too many holes, too much difference between what the church people were teaching me and how there were acting in their own lives. But we were not allowed to talk about it or to question. We had to pretend everything was good. The biggest sin was to question. Instead of providing an answer, they would ask “Why are you being blasphemous?” I began acting out and got kicked out of school several times.
Editor: How was it to realize you were gay, especially since you so looked up to your father, Prevo, and the youth ministers?
RJ: At ABT we were taught anti-gay propaganda. We were taught gay rights are special rights. ABT provides families with an anti-gay “educational” video by Focus on the Family to watch at home. There were also exorcisms which ABT called “demon warfare.” The youth ministers and everybody else were taught this same anti-gay philosophy. I started to realize they were talking about me. The first time I kissed a guy I vomited a day straight over the conflict that it felt so right and I must be a horrible person – the worst thing I can be.
Editor: How were things going at home since your father and step-mother were so involved with ABT?
RJ: The whole gay issue tore me away from my family. There are generations of ministers on my father’s side of the family and to this day they do not speak to me because I am gay. Before I came out, I remember my step-mother telling me that I was so like her brother except that he was gay and I would never be.
It was always made clear that it was not okay to be gay. My whole life began falling apart. When I was 13 I told my father I did not want to go to ABT church or their school. I told him I would go to church only if I could go to public school. He responded by locking me in my room with a board and nails. I kicked down the door and came flying through it like a hellhound with fists flying at my father. I got arrested for malicious destruction of property and went to McLaughlin for three days, followed by family court, a shelter, and foster care. My whole teenage time was spent bouncing between the Laurel shelter, foster homes, Convenent House, Maplewood, and my mom’s house. I was on probation. Lori Rodriguez was my P.O. and she was a phenomenal case worker.
Editor: Wow. What happened after you were thirteen?
RJ: When I was 14, I came out to my mother. I said, “Mom, I think I’m bi.” She said, “No, honey, I think you’re gay.” Later, she told me she thought I was going to be transgender. She told me I used to dress up with her make-up. My brother was a gay hate monger until I told him. When I was 15, I came out to my father in the Anchorage Daily News when they published a letter I wrote. He called me and asked, “Are you sure?” My step-mother said, “No, you’re not gay. You’re just confused.” I moved to Palm Springs when I was 17. Palm Springs was my “gay education.” My birthday there was a white party. What a way to turn 18! I made a lot of friends and learned about what that kind of gay life was like.
I returned to Alaska and, since I had no place to stay, I told my father it was just a phase, moved back with him, and back into the closet. I tried to pray my gay away. I begged God. I would have given anything to be straight.
Editor: Is this when the exorcism took place?
RJ: Yes. I went back to ABT. They had been studying Bob Larson‘s “Deliverance” exorcism ministry. They had a class to teach how to cast out demons on Friday nights. There was a questionnaire to determine if I had done something to open a portal which leads to demonic possession. The questions were things like did I try to control the weather, change stop lights, read horoscopes, use tarot cards and, of course, have sex with a man.
Editor: What happened at the exorcism? Who was there?
RJ: The exorcism took place at ABT. There were others there as well. I sat down and started crying. The Board of Directors, deacons, classmates, and family prayed over us. They anointed us each with oil and tried to cast the demon out.
Editor: Wow. I don’t know what to say. What happened next?
RJ: The reason I am telling you this is because I was in foster homes and shelters. I did not have anyone to look up to or with whom to talk. There wasn’t gay TV. Everyone said AIDS was God’s punishment. I want others to know they are not alone. When I was 19 I began developing a good group of friends, ones to last a lifetime. My friend Chris got me out of there. Tasha, who is another friend and a devout Catholic, said “Whether I agree with it or not, I don’t understand how what people do in their bedrooms has anything to do with me.” And, that gave me my first glimmer that maybe I was okay. They did social things with me when they knew I was gay. The father of one of my friends was a minister and he said “It’s not my job to judge you. It is my job to love you. If God is angry at you about anything, it is probably because you used to be friends with him.” I wonder, how can I have a relationship with God when everyone I know who follows him tells me I am the devil? When I do something wrong, I have a heavy conscious. But when I lie in bed with my partner, I feel no guilt. I know that being with him is right and I know God loves me.
Editor: Where are you now in your relationships with your mother, father, and ABT?
RJ: My mom is a great supporter. Mom was a cab driver and she took me to introduce me to Myrna’s and the GLBT community. She comes for all my Imperial Court functions. Last summer she was at the Assembly hearings. She saw a guy carrying a sign that said “I was born Black. You chose to be gay” and asked to meet Prevo. She said to Prevo and the group with him “Do you remember my son? He grew up in your church. I watched your message of hate try to destroy him, to teach him to hate himself. My God is a God of love and healing. This message of hate is something you are going to have to answer to God for one day.” Then my mom walked away. One of the men jumped up and said he did not want her to walk away angry and wouldn’t she please eat with them. She agreed and had a hot dog with them. Then she stood up and said “I sat down and ate with you. Will any of you sit down and eat with my son?” She was met with silence.
My dad is still a struggle but we are starting to build a dialog. My father has made significant steps in my direction. He sent me some e-mails which I ignored. Then one came and the subject line said “I don’t care that you’re gay. I just want to talk to you.” Considering where he started from, my dad has come a long way and I give him a lot of credit for it.
We have all made mistakes and ABT hates us now. I pity that church. You keep everything quiet, don’t talk about the problems the people are actually having. There is no real community.
Editor: I know you are telling your story to hopefully help others. What final things would you like others to know who may be having an experience similar to yours?
RJ: Get out and talk to as many people as you can. Ask questions. Ask other religious leaders. Don’t be afraid to talk about it. I don’t think any one person can impose on us their particular interpretation of things. You have to have your own personal relationship with God. I wish I had spoken up sooner. I discovered a lot of people already knew I was gay and did not care. The people that are going to be there for you are going to be there for you.
Editor: Is it okay if people contact you if they are walking a similar path and want to reach out?
RJ: Yes. I can be reached via e-mail.
