1. society
2. gay life

In This Section - Sample Meetings
Sunday, November 09, 2008
1:16 PM
This section is all about meetings. You will find helpful information on how to hold a meeting,
and how to be comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. You will also find plenty of ideas for
meeting topics and meeting types.
The best feature of this section is in the end - the actual sample meetings. I have chosen four
topics, researched material, and created whole meetings for you. These sample meetings
should guide you, show you how much, and what kind of material you should be preparing for
each meeting.
How To Hold Meetings
Sunday, October 26, 2008
8:46 PM
Public Speaking
Sunday, October 26, 2008
10:03 PM
Ideas for Meetings
Friday, November 07, 2008
10:17 AM
While GSAs are created to offer "Safe Space" for LGBT students, it is important to remember that you
are still a student organization, and your club, and therefore your meetings, should have a purpose.
Meetings can provide fun time for the members to hang out, but there should be a goal for each
meeting. It could be:
o What are we going to learn today?
o What project are we going to work on?
o What event needs planning?
o What issues are we struggling with (as a group, or as a school) that needs fixing, and what are we
going to do today to fix it?
These goals can be easily kept in mind by preparing an agenda beforehand, and sticking to it during the
meeting. The leader of the group should always have a clear idea of what is going to be discussed at the
particular day's meeting, and should keep the group on track until their goal has been accomplished.
Some leaders may focus more on the social aspects of the club, and may be afraid that students won't
attend if they are going to have to have serious conversations. What needs to be remembered is that a
GSA is contained in an educational setting, and while they provide support, GSAs also need to give back
to the LGBT community, and help others. The members should be able to identify with this idea, and
should support helping the community in your area. Your members are lucky that they have a safe place
to go, to be themselves, and it needs to be remembered that not all communities have GSAs.
If you are afraid that your members will stop attending, use what I like to call the "split meeting model".
Spend the first half of your meeting discussing the important topic. Don't limit yourself on time, if your
members are working hard to accomplish the goal, don't stop them until you have finished. Then, spend
the second half of the meeting as social time, bring out the snacks, and hang out. I would not suggest
having social time first, for two reasons:
1. It is easier for students to go from focused to rowdy, not the other way around
2. People have time constraints, and you don't want people leaving during the important
part of the meeting because they have to get home for dinner, their ride is there, etc.
As the leader of the club, you need to make sure that the content of the meeting is set into place. I
suggest buying a folder, and keeping week-to-week materials inside, so that you can easily access
information on what you think needs to be covered.
Creating an agenda, and possibly having meeting topics mapped out for the whole year, will help you
avoid talking about the same things over and over. Try to pick topics that you yourself don't know very
much about, do ample research, and learn along with your members as you discuss them.
The topics you could choose from are plentiful, and include:
a. Homosexuality: nature/nurture?
b. Bisexuality and the Kinsey Scale
c. Transgender Issues
d. LGBT people and Religion
e. Feminism
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.
p.
q.
r.
s.
t.
u.
LGBT Authors
LGBT Musicians
Ex-gays, Exodus Ministries, etc
AIDS
Civil Rights and Marriage
Activism
LGBT Victims of the Holocaust
Hate Crimes
Important LGBT People in History
i.
Glbthistorymonth.com
Gays on television and in media
i.
afterellen.com
ii.
afterelton.com
Gay Animals
Stereotypes of LGBT People
What is "Queer"?
Cross-cultural Examinations of Homosexuality
Showcase LGBT Organizations in your community
Goals for your school and your GSA this year
Other meeting ideas include:
a. Celebrating LGBT events
b. Having guest speakers from local LGBT Organizations
This may seem like a lot of work, but remember, the more you do as a serious organization for the LGBT
community, the more respect you will get in return, not only from the community, but from your school
administration, and possibly members of your student body. Being able to cite specific things that the
group accomplished under your leadership will also help when it comes time to ask for school-board
approval, or apply for scholarships. To help get you started, I have researched 4 topics, and provided
you with ideas for the meetings to accompany them.
Top 10 Meetings
Friday, October 31, 2008
12:37 PM
Gay/Straight Alliances: A Student Guide
Top Ten GSA Meeting Ideas
Running good meetings is an essential part of making your group successful. It's not so easy to
choose topics or activities that make people feel welcome and encourage them to keep coming
back. This Top Ten list was compiled after surveying groups from all across the Commonwealth.
The following are some of the best suggestions:
1) "Things I've always wanted to know but was afraid to ask..."
Newton South has a Question and Answer Day. Students anonymously write down questions on
any subject they want and then spend the rest of the meeting discussing the questions and
coming up with answers.
2) Bring-a-Friend Day.
Concord-Carlisle hosts a Bring-A-Friend Day when every member is supposed to bring someone
new to their meeting. They said it changed a lot of people's minds about the group and destroyed
some of their stereotypes about homosexuality.
3) "No Adults Allowed" (Or only one).
Some groups have complained that their advisors are too domineering. Having this sort of
meeting could be a good change of pace. Tell the adults that only one of them is invited to this
special meeting and that they aren't supposed to talk unless absolutely necessary.
4) "What would the world be like if 10% of people were straight and 90%
were gay?"
This is an activity that can help participants better understand what it feels like to be devalued.
Ask the group to imagine that instead of living in a heterosexist society, you lived in a
homosexist society. What would it be like if parents wanted their children to grow up gay? What
would it be like if you had to come out as straight? How does it feel to be labelled a minority?
5) "How can the Gay/Straight Alliance work with other school civil rights
groups?"
Newton South is planning a meeting with other groups to discuss how they can all work together
and educate each other to make their school better for everyone.
6) Coming Out.
Some groups have found that coming out discussions are very helpful and important. Plan a
meeting where people will talk about how they think people would react, what might happen,
how to establish support networks, etc.
7) Games...
Brookline High School's Gay/Straight Alliance plays a game called Common Ground. The
students and faculty advisors stand in a circle. One person begins by saying, "I've got a younger
sister," or some other statement that is true for them. Everyone for whom this is also true, steps
into the center of the circle. Everyone who doesn't have a young-er sister, stays on the outside.
You can always lie and choose not to step into the circle. The game often brings up personal and
important issues that students may not want to discuss in a more formal setting.
Sally Rubin, a Newton student, recommends an activity her group calls the Culture Walk.
She said, "There are one or two mediators and they begin by asking a group of people, for
example, the women, to move to one side of the room. The guys then ask them questions
they've always wanted to know and the women give them answers. Then the women get to
tell the guys what they as women want the guys to know about them. This game gradually
becomes more personal. You don't have to talk or walk."
8) The things you'll learn...
Some groups plan meetings where one student researches a topic related to gay and lesbian life,
culture, history or oppression, and then reports to the rest of the group what they've discovered.
Topics don't have to be dry and boring. They could include: Rock Stars Come Out, The Stonewall
Riots, Lesbian Pulp Fiction, etc. Other groups pick current events from the newspaper, such as
Gays in the Military, and discuss how they feel about these issues.
9) Working for Change.
Most groups have spent at least some meeting time working to institute change in their schools
or communities. Some have written editorials for their school papers describing the work of
their group, their plans for the future, what they'd like to see change in their school and how to
combat anti-gay prejudice. Other groups have detailed instances of homophobia on campus
including the defacing of Gay/ Straight Alliance (GSA) posters and anti-gay slurs or remarks
they've heard and then distributed them to students, teachers, administrators and school board
members.
Groups have written editorials for their school newspapers, PTO newsletters and community
papers about topics like "Homophobia Hurts Everybody" and "Why I'm a Straight Ally." Groups
have also spent their meeting time planning political action strategies or letter writing
campaigns. Brookline High's GSA made posters to carry at rallies for the amended AntiDiscrimination Law, sent letters to their state representatives and distributed petitions to the
student body.
10) You're invited!
Inviting other Gay/Straight Alliances or other clubs to your meetings or functions can be a great
way to build support in your school and network with other schools. Also, inviting outside
speakers can really spark interest in your group. Newton North holds an annual GSA
Conference, which is attended by numerous groups from around the state. Boston Latin held a
social for GSA's in their area. Other groups have invited speakers to come and talk with them.
Winchester High School, for example, invited Michael Smith from the gay and lesbian radio
show "1 in 10" on Boston's 101.7 WFNX. Newton North attended a special talk by a history and
social sciences teacher on "Gays in Popular Culture," and invited William Johnson from the
Boston Police Hate Crimes Division to address the school.
Pasted from <http://www.doe.mass.edu/cnp/gsa/Meeting.html>
Topic 1 : Important LGBT People in History
Thursday, October 30, 2008
9:48 AM
The point of this meeting would be to celebrate the rich heritage that we as LGBT people have. It would
also be a fun time to show the contributions that LGBT people have made, and probably surprise your
members with the information you present.
A great resource for this meeting topic is the LGBT History Month website, www.glbthistorymonth.com.
Here is their list of 31 Important people from 2008, and the biographies of some of them:
The 2008 Icons
1.
Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon
2.
Stephen Sondheim
3.
Gianni Versace
4.
Sheila Kuehl
First openly gay member of the California Legislature
b. February 19, 1941
“The hardest thing I ever did, coming out, turns out to give me a reputation
almost instantly for honesty and courage, which any politician would kill for.”
In a 1994 election, Sheila James Kuehl became the first openly gay California legislator. In
1997, she was the first woman in California to be named Speaker pro Tempore. She was a
member of the nation’s first legislative LGBT Caucus. In 2002, she coauthored a bill that
defined marriage as a civil contract between two persons, which passed the state
legislature, but was vetoed by the governor.
As a youth she appeared in the television series “The Stu Erwin Show” and “Broadside.”
While an undergrad at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), she portrayed the
irrepressible Zelda Gilroy in “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.”
Although her character Zelda was popular enough for CBS to plan a spin-off, the pilot was
canceled. A network representative later explained she was “just a little too butch.” During
the same time, Kuehl was banned from her sorority house when letters from her girlfriend
exposed her sexuality.
After television roles started to dry up, she transitioned into academia. She became
associate dean of students at UCLA. Thereafter, Kuehl graduated from Harvard Law
School.
Kuehl went into private law practice specializing in civil rights and women’s issues. She
advocated for victims of domestic abuse and cofounded the California Women’s Law
Center in 1989. She taught law at UCLA, University of Southern California and Loyola
University.
In 2000, she was elected a member of the California State Senate for the 23rd district of
Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Most significant are her successes in civil rights
legislation. As of 2007, she authored 171 bills that have been signed into law.
Kuehl is the recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profiles In Courage Award (2003); the C50
Award, Celebrating 50 years of Women at the Harvard Law School (2003); the
Outstanding Legislator Award from the Southern California Public Health Association
(2003); the Victory Fund Leadership Award (2005); the Building a State of Equality Award
from Equality California (2006); and the UCLA LGBT Center Distinguished Service Award
(2007).
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=4&tab=biography>
5.
Tennessee Williams
Playwright
b. March 26, 1911
d. February 25, 1983
"To me, it was providential to be an artist, a great act of providence that I was
able to turn my borderline psychosis into creativity."
Tennessee Williams was one of the most influential American playwrights. He transformed
the darkest aspects of human existence into poetic theater.
Born Thomas Lanier Williams, he was raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He received his B.A.
from the University of Iowa in 1938. He later changed his name to Tennessee, after his
father’s birth state.
While a scriptwriter at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Williams wrote an original screenplay
the company rejected. It was reworked into a play. "The Glass Menagerie" (1945) earned
the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award and launched Williams’s playwriting career.
Often set in the South and featuring characters seeking salvation and meaningful human
connections, his plays were infused with aspects of Williams’s personal struggles. He
sparked controversy by including gay characters.
His award-winning plays include "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1947), "The Rose Tattoo"
(1951), "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1955) and "The Night of the Iguana" (1961). "A Streetcar
Named Desire," "The Rose Tattoo" and "The Night of the Iguana" were adapted into Oscarwinning movies. Actors starring in his works included Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor,
Jessica Tandy and Vivien Leigh.
Williams and his partner, Frank Marlo, were together for more than 10 years. Their
relationship ended when Marlo died of cancer in 1963.
Williams received two Pulitzer Prizes, four Drama Critics’ Circle Awards, and a Tony Award
for Best Play.
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=5&tab=biography>
6.
Alice Walker
7.
Greg Louganis
Olympic gold medalist
b. January 29, 1960
“When you're a kid growing up, and you think you're gay, you're often teased.
But sports can be great for building self-esteem.”
The winner of five Olympic medals, Greg Louganis is the world’s most successful diver and
among the most high-profile openly gay athletes.
Raised in San Diego, Louganis scored a perfect 10 in the Junior Olympics in 1971. In
1976, he won an Olympic silver in Montreal.
Louganis graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1983. At the World
Championships the following year, Louganis became the first diver to score a perfect 10 at
an international meet.
At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Louganis won two gold medals—one each in
the springboard and platform events—and was the first to exceed 700 points in the two
competitions. For these achievements he received the Sullivan Award, which honors
America’s best amateur athlete.
During the springboard qualifying rounds at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Louganis misjudged
a jump and struck his head on the diving board. Despite suffering a concussion, he
continued diving and won two gold medals. He became the first male diver to win double
golds in consecutive Olympics.
In 1993, Louganis starred as a chorus boy who dies of AIDS in the Off Broadway play
“Jeffrey.” He came out and disclosed his HIV-positive status at the 1994 Gay Games in
New York.
Louganis’s best-selling autobiography, “Breaking the Surface” (1995), recounts his
experiences as an openly gay athlete.
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=7&tab=biography>
8.
Bertrand Delanoë
9.
Margaret Mead
10.
Mark Bingham
9/11 hero
b. May 22, 1970
d. September 11, 2001
“We have the chance to be role models for other gay folks who wanted to play
sports but never felt good enough or strong enough.”
Mark Bingham was a shining light on one of the darkest days in American history. On
September 11, 2001, passengers aboard United Flight 93 stormed the terrorists who had
hijacked their plane. The 9/11 Commission concluded this heroism diverted the plane from
its intended target, which was either the White House or the Capitol in Washington, and
caused it to crash in an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Bingham led the counterattack. He prevented the destruction of a national monument and
saved lives. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 220 pounds, Bingham was a star athlete, a
savvy entrepreneur, a fearless competitor and a man devoted to his family and friends.
Bingham was the CEO of The Bingham Group, a successful public relations firm with
offices in San Francisco and New York.
Bingham grew up in California, the son of Alice Hoglan, a single mom who struggled to
make ends meet. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where he
helped the rugby team earn national championships in 1991 and 1993. He played on the
San Francisco Fog, the city’s first gay rugby team.
Bingham hated losing and never backed down. He once protected his boyfriend from an
attack by wrestling a gun from the mugger’s hand. After being gored at the running of the
bulls in Pamplona, Spain, Bingham showed off the scar as a badge of honor.
About 20 minutes before Flight 93 went down, Bingham called his mother. “This is Mark
Bingham,” were his first words. She immediately sensed something was wrong. “I love
you” were the last words she heard from her son. Alice knew if there was any way to turn
tragedy into triumph, Mark would lead the charge.
The Advocate named Bingham its 2001 Person of the Year. He was posthumously awarded
the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2002. The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial
Tournament, an international rugby competition predominantly for gay and bisexual men,
was established in his memory.
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=10&tab=biography>
11.
Cleve Jones
Founder of NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt
b. October 11, 1954
"If AIDS had taught us anything, it was that we must be true to ourselves if we
are to survive."
In 1983, Cleve Jones cofounded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, making him among
the first to respond to the epidemic. In 1987, he conceived the NAMES Project AIDS
Memorial Quilt, which produced the world’s largest community artwork.
Born in Lafayette, Indiana, Jones studied political science at San Francisco State
University. He began his career as an intern in the office of openly gay San Francisco City
Supervisor Harvey Milk, who was subsequently assassinated.
He conceived the idea for the AIDS Memorial Quilt at an annual candlelight vigil
remembering Harvey Milk. AIDS loomed over the gay community. At the vigil, hundreds of
names of people who died of AIDS were written on cardboard scraps and taped to the San
Francisco Federal Building. The cardboard reminded Jones of the pieces of fabric his
grandmother quilted together.
The quilting of pieces of fabric memorializing loved ones became the world’s largest piece
of community art. In 1987, 1,920 panels were exhibited on the National Mall in
Washington, and were viewed by more than 500,000 people. The AIDS Quilt became a
symbolic funeral service since many who died were denied memorial services.
Since 2005, Jones has spearheaded efforts to diminish homophobia in the hospitality
industry with a project called UNITE HERE. He was instrumental in the Sleep with the
Right People campaign, which encourages gay tourists to stay at hotels that respect
employees’ rights.
Jones was awarded honorary doctorates from Haverford College and the Starr King School
for the Ministry. His memoir, “Stitching a Revolution” (2000), was a best seller.
By 2006, the AIDS Quilt had memorialized more than 44,000 lives.
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=11&tab=biography>
12.
Jann Wenner
13.
Harvey Fierstein
14.
Margarethe Cammermeyer
Military Officer
b. March 24, 1943
"I wear my uniform at every inappropriate moment to remind people of gays and
lesbians who have to serve in silence in the military."
In 1992, Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer became the highest-ranking military officer
discharged on the basis of sexual orientation. Cammermeyer was dismissed as chief nurse
of the Washington State National Guard after disclosing she was a lesbian during a routine
security clearance interview. She challenged the U.S. military’s ban on homosexuals in
federal court. In 1994, she was reinstated as chief nurse, making her one of the few
openly gay or lesbian members of the military.
Cammermeyer was born in Oslo, Norway, during the Nazi occupation. Her parents
sheltered Norwegian resistance forces. Cammermeyer credits her parents’ courage as her
inspiration for defending civil liberties.
In 1951, Cammermeyer’s family moved to the U.S. She became a citizen in 1961 and
joined the U.S. Army Student Nurse Program. After receiving her B.S. in nursing from the
University of Maryland in 1963, Cammermeyer reported for active duty.
At her request, in 1967, Cammermeyer was deployed to Vietnam where she served as
head nurse of a neurosurgical intensive care unit. She calls this time in her life “the most
extraordinary experience any military nurse could have been a part of.” Cammermeyer
was honored with the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service. In 1985, she was named Nurse
of the Year by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In 1964, Cammermeyer married a fellow soldier and had four sons. The couple divorced
after 15 years. In 1989, Cammermeyer met her life partner, Diane Divelbess.
Cammermeyer’s autobiography, “Serving in Silence” (1994), received critical acclaim. The
book was turned into a made-for-TV movie, executive produced by Barbra Streisand and
starring Glenn Close. The film generated more than 25 million viewers and received three
Emmy Awards and the Peabody Award. It was one of the first television movies about a
gay person.
Cammermeyer retired in 1997 after 31 years of service. She serves on the Military
Advisory Council for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and is an outspoken
advocate for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=14&tab=biography>
15.
Anthony Romero
16.
Melissa Etheridge
17.
Gene Robinson
First openly gay Episcopal bishop
b. May 29, 1947
“It’s not so much a dream as a calling from God.”
In 2003, The Rt. Rev.V. Gene Robinson was elected bishop of the diocese of New
Hampshire, making him the first openly gay Episcopal bishop. His ordination caused a
global rift within the Episcopal Church and led to international debate about the inclusion
of gay clergy in church hierarchy. In the weeks leading up to his consecration, Robinson
received hate mail and death threats, triggering the FBI to place him under 24-hour
protection.
Gene Robinson grew up outside Lexington, Kentucky. The son of poor tobacco
sharecroppers, he was raised without running water or indoor plumbing. He recalls his
childhood as rustic and religious, with Sunday school and services at a small Disciples of
Christ congregation.
Robinson earned his bachelor’s degree in American studies from the University of the
South and his Master of Divinity from the Episcopal General Theological Seminary in New
York. He was ordained a priest in 1973.
Despite doubts about his sexual orientation, Robinson married in 1972. He and his wife
moved to New Hampshire where they raised two daughters. Robinson worked as youth
ministries coordinator for the seven dioceses of New England and cofounded the national
Episcopal Youth Event. Robinson divorced his wife and came out in the mid-1980’s.
Robinson is the coauthor of three AIDS education curricula. In Uganda, he helped set up a
national peer counseling program for AIDS educators working with religious institutions.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force honored Robinson with a Leadership Award in
2004. In 2007, he received the Flag Bearer Award from Parents and Friends of Lesbians
and Gays (PFLAG) for leadership and inclusion in faith communities.
In 2008, Bishop Robinson and Mark Andrews, partners of more than 19 years, exchanged
vows in a civil union ceremony in New Hampshire.
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=17&tab=biography>
18.
John Waters
19.
Robert Mapplethorpe
Photographer
b. November 4, 1946
d. March 9, 1989
“I’m looking for the unexpected. I’m looking for things I’ve never seen before.”
Robert Mapplethorpe is one of America’s preeminent 20th century photographers. His
works have been displayed in prominent galleries and museums, including the Stedelijk
Museum, Amsterdam; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; and the National
Portrait Gallery, London.
Mapplethorpe was raised in suburban Long Island, New York. He earned his B.F.A. in
graphic arts at Pratt Institute.
In the 1970’s, Mapplethorpe’s photographs chronicling the lives of New York’s gay
community established him as a unique and controversial talent. Prominent art collector
Sam Wagstaff became Mapplethorpe’s lover and bought him a $500,000 Manhattan studio
loft, where the artist lived and worked.
Mapplethorpe’s photography encompasses an eclectic mix of subjects: flowers, especially
orchids and calla lilies, classical nudes, homoerotic acts, bondage and discipline, and
celebrities. Andy Warhol, Richard Gere, Peter Gabriel, Grace Jones and Patti Smith were
among the famous people Mapplethorpe photographed.
In the early 1990’s, Mapplethorpe’s “X Portfolio” series sparked a firestorm of criticism
when it was included in “The Perfect Moment,” a traveling exhibition funded by the
National Endowment for the Arts. The exhibit, which featured some of the photographer’s
most sexually explicit images, was condemned by conservative religious groups who called
on government leaders to withdraw financial support for the “presentation of potentially
obscene material.”
When “The Perfect Moment” was installed at the Contemporary Arts Center of Cincinnati,
the center and its director were prosecuted for “pandering obscenity” and subsequently
acquitted. The legal wrangling stirred debate about the delineation between art and
obscenity and government funding for the arts.
In 1988, Mapplethorpe established the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, which funds
HIV/AIDS research, promotes the art of photography and maintains the artist’s legacy.
In 1989, Mapplethorpe died from complications arising from AIDS. He was 42.
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=19&tab=biography>
20.
Georgina Beyer
First transgender member of a national legislature
b. November 1957
“It is important to allow people who want to be positive contributors of our
society regardless of sex, race, creed and gender to reach their human
potential.”
As the first openly transgender person in the world to hold a national office, Georgina
Beyer was elected a member of Parliament in New Zealand. Beyer’s transformation from
stripper and prostitute to politician is a testament to her remarkable fortitude.
Beyer, born biologically male, spent her early childhood on her grandparents’ farm in rural
New Zealand before moving to Wellington with her mother and stepfather. From an early
age, Beyer recalls feeling like a girl trapped in a boy’s body.
In her 20’s, Beyer began working in the Wellington gay nightclub scene as a singer and
drag queen performer, and then a prostitute. During a trip to Australia, she was attacked
and raped by four men. Beyer refers to this experience as her defining moment.
In 1984, she had sexual reassignment surgery and forged a successful career as a film
and television actress in Auckland. She was often typecast as a drag queen or
streetwalker. From Auckland, Beyer moved to the small conservative town of Carterton,
where she took a job as a youth social worker.
In 1993, Beyer was elected to the Carterton District Council. Two years later she was
elected Mayor of Carterton, where she served for five years. In 1999, she won a seat in
the New Zealand Parliament. While in Parliament, Beyer helped pass the Prostitution
Reform Act, which decriminalizes prostitution and protects sex workers and their clients.
She was instrumental in securing same-sex civil union benefits for New Zealanders.
Beyer chronicled her life in “Change for the Better: the Story of Georgina Beyer” (1999). A
documentary film about her, “Georgie Girl” (2002), won international awards.
Beyer was a keynote speaker at the International Conference on LGBT Human Rights in
Montreal in 2006. She retired from Parliament in 2007, saying, “I can now look for fresh
challenges.”
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=20&tab=biography>
21.
Tony Kushner
22.
Rosie O'Donnell
23.
Philip Johnson
Architect
b. July 8, 1906
d. January 25, 2005
"The job of the architect today is to create beautiful buildings. That's all."
Proportion, minimalism and geometry were elements Philip Johnson combined to create
his masterpieces, which include iconic New York buildings. It seemed destined that
Johnson, the descendant of Huguenot Jacques Cortelyou, who designed the town plan of
New Amsterdam (later renamed New York), would leave an indelible mark on the city.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Johnson studied philosophy and history at Harvard. His
education was regularly interrupted by long trips to Europe where he saw architecture that
influenced his designs.
At New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), he co-curated an exhibition that tracked
recent trends in building. The show, "The International Style: Architecture Since 1922,"
included Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe and provided the official
introduction of modern architecture to the United States.
During the Great Depression, Johnson pursued a career in journalism abroad. He
subsequently enlisted in the U.S. Army. After his military service, Johnson enrolled in the
Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he realized his passion for architecture.
Philip Johnson's work is characterized by innovation. In a career spanning almost 60
years, he developed a reputation for flexibility and foresight.
Johnson founded the Department of Architecture and Design at MoMA and served as a
trustee of the museum. He was awarded an American Institute of Architects Gold Medal
(1978) and the first-ever Pritzker Architecture Prize (1979).
The Glass House (1949), which he designed for himself, is a modest 56-foot-by-32-foot
rectangle with exterior walls made almost entirely of glass. The building, in New Canaan,
Connecticut, incorporates the bucolic setting as an integral part of the home's ambiance.
His other seminal works are the New York State Pavilion for the World's Fair (1964),
MoMA's east wing and sculpture garden (1964), Pennzoil Place in Houston (1975), and the
Sony Building in New York City (1984).
The architect shared the last 40 years of his life with his partner, David Whitney, who died
only months after Johnson.
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=23&tab=biography>
24.
E. M. Forster
25.
Randy Shilts
26.
Allen Ginsberg
27.
Troy Perry
28.
Bill T. Jones
Founder of NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt
b. October 11, 1954
"If AIDS had taught us anything, it was that we must be true to ourselves if we
are to survive."
In 1983, Cleve Jones cofounded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, making him among
the first to respond to the epidemic. In 1987, he conceived the NAMES Project AIDS
Memorial Quilt, which produced the world’s largest community artwork.
Born in Lafayette, Indiana, Jones studied political science at San Francisco State
University. He began his career as an intern in the office of openly gay San Francisco City
Supervisor Harvey Milk, who was subsequently assassinated.
He conceived the idea for the AIDS Memorial Quilt at an annual candlelight vigil
remembering Harvey Milk. AIDS loomed over the gay community. At the vigil, hundreds of
names of people who died of AIDS were written on cardboard scraps and taped to the San
Francisco Federal Building. The cardboard reminded Jones of the pieces of fabric his
grandmother quilted together.
The quilting of pieces of fabric memorializing loved ones became the world’s largest piece
of community art. In 1987, 1,920 panels were exhibited on the National Mall in
Washington, and were viewed by more than 500,000 people. The AIDS Quilt became a
symbolic funeral service since many who died were denied memorial services.
Since 2005, Jones has spearheaded efforts to diminish homophobia in the hospitality
industry with a project called UNITE HERE. He was instrumental in the Sleep with the
Right People campaign, which encourages gay tourists to stay at hotels that respect
employees’ rights.
Jones was awarded honorary doctorates from Haverford College and the Starr King School
for the Ministry. His memoir, “Stitching a Revolution” (2000), was a best seller.
By 2006, the AIDS Quilt had memorialized more than 44,000 lives.
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=11&tab=biography>
29.
Andy Warhol
30.
Rachel Carson
Environmental Pioneer
b. May 27, 1907
d. April 14, 1964
“If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the
emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds
must grow.”
Rachel Carson was a writer and research biologist credited with establishing the
environmental movement. Carson brought public attention to the need to regulate
industry and protect the environment.
She was raised in rural Springdale, Pennsylvania, where she and her mother explored
woods and springs, and enjoyed bird watching. She claimed her most enduring childhood
memory was a desire to become a writer.
In 1929, Carson graduated from the Pennsylvania College for Women (now known as
Chatham College) with a degree in zoology. She earned a master’s degree in zoology from
Johns Hopkins University in 1932.
Carson is best known for her book “Silent Spring” (1962), a meticulously researched work
about the dangers of the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Though the book sparked fierce
opposition from the chemical industry, it succeeded at raising public awareness. President
Kennedy ordered an investigation. As a result, the pesticide DDT was banned.
While battling cancer, Carson continued her efforts to bring attention to environmental
issues. She spoke out on the need for an independent government regulatory agency to
monitor environmental degradation and its effects on human health. Her activism led to
the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Chatham College established the Rachel Carson Institute to promote “awareness and
understanding of significant and current environmental issues.” In 1980, she was
posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor.
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=30&tab=biography>
31.
Michelangelo
Pasted from <http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2008/icon.cfm?id=1&tab=bibliography>
How to use this information in a meeting:
a. At the meeting before this one, you could assign your members one of the names to research and
present about.
b. Create a fun quiz, crossword puzzle, word search, etc, and give out candy for right answers.
c. Go through the list, asking the members as you go along to guess who the people are, and share
what they know about them (possibly with more candy?)
d. Important LGBT Pageant: Assign each member a name, and have them dress up as that person (or
use props, whatever), and act like them.
e. Write names on index cards, tape them to people's heads, and have your members try to guess
who they "are" after asking questions to others. It might be good to assign some reading
beforehand, so that there are answers. You could create a list of questions, and they have to
figure out who they are based on those questions alone.
Topic 2: Kinsey Studies
Thursday, October 30, 2008
9:49 AM
Alfred Kinsey was an important sex researcher whose study found very interesting things about people
and their sexual preferences. This would be a good topic because it can show your members that they
are not alone in their feelings. Also, the study has become controversial over time, and would make for
good discussion. Here is some information about Alfred Kinsey, and his findings:
Alfred Kinsey's 1948 and 1953 Studies
Kinsey, Alfred C. et al. (1948/1998). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. Philadelphia: W.B.
Saunders; Bloomington, IN: Indiana U. Press. Currently out of print.
o Kinsey, Alfred C. et al. (1953/1998). Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. Philadelphia:
W.B. Saunders; Bloomington, IN: Indiana U. Press. [Please note that Female volume is a
source of many comparisons of findings between male and female behavior.]
o Gebhard, Paul H. and Johnson, Alan B. (1979/1998). The Kinsey Data: Marginal Tabulations
of 1938-1963 Interviews Conducted by the Institute for Sex Research. Philadelphia: W.B.
Saunders; Bloomington, IN: Indiana U. Press. [Augments data in the original 1948 and 1953
studies and discusses Kinsey's interview and sample.]
Scope:
To describe individual and group variations in human sexual behavior using taxonomic
methods (primarily concerned with the measurement of variation in series of individuals
that stand as representatives of the species being studied) from biology. Kinsey sought to
accummulate "an objectively determined body of fact about sex" (p. 5 Male) that readers
of the reports could use to make interpretations that fit with their understanding of "moral
values and social significances" (p. 5, Male). He looked at quantifiable male sexual "outlets"
to orgasm: masturbation, nocturnal emissions, heterosexual petting, heterosexual
intercourse, homosexual relations, and intercourse with animals of other species; and at
what factors might account for variations in sexual behavior, including marital status, age,
o
educational level, occupational class, rural-urban background, religious group, geographic
origin, and age at adolescence. He then compiled data for the female. Data was gathered
from 1938 to 1963, when the project was closed.
Sample:
5300 white males and 5940 white females provided almost all the data, with the majority
of participants being younger white adults with some college education. (This part of the
sample is referred to as the "College Sample.") Kinsey tried to compensate for volunteer
bias in his sample by interviewing 100% of the individuals available in a given organization
or group. Approximately 25% of the sex histories came from these 100% groups. (Kinsey
did not believe a random sample was possible.)
Method:
Kinsey used in-depth, face-to-face interviews by highly trained interviewers. In each history
a subject would be questioned on up to 521 items, depending on his/her specific
experience (the average in each case being near 300). Histories covered social and
economic data, physical and physiologic data, marital histories, sexual outlets,
heterosexual histories, and homosexual histories.
Kinsey's Studies
|
Kinsey's Findings
|
More Information
Bisexuality
Males:
Kinsey estimated that nearly 46% of the male population had engaged in both
heterosexual and homosexual activities, or "reacted to" persons of both sexes, in the
course of their adult lives (p. 656, Male). 11.6% of white males (ages 20-35) were given a
rating of 3 (about equal heterosexual and homosexual experience/response) on the 7point Kinsey Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale for this period of their lives (Table 147,
p. 651, Male).
Females:
Kinsey found only a very small portion of females with exclusively homosexual histories. He
reported that between 6 and 14% of females (ages 20-35) had more than incidental
homosexual experience in their histories. (p. 488, Female). 7% of single females (ages 2035) and 4% of previously married females (ages 20-35) were given a rating of 3 (about
equal heterosexual and homosexual experience/response) on the 7-point Kinsey
Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale for this period of their lives.(Table 142, p. 499,
Female).
Kinsey's Studies
|
Kinsey's Findings
|
More Information
Homosexuality
Kinsey said in both the Male and Female volumes that it was impossible to determine the number of
persons who are "homosexual" or "heterosexual". It was only possible to determine behavior at any
given time. (See Kinsey's Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale.)
Instances of at least one same-sex experience to orgasm:
37% of males
13% of females, (p. 650, Male, p. 475, Female)
Males:
• 10% of males in the sample were predominantly homosexual between the ages of 16 and 55
• 8% of males were exlusively homosexual for at least three years between the ages of 16 and 55.
(p. 651, Male)
• 4% of white males had been exclusively homosexual after the onset of adolescence up to the
time of their interviews, (p. 651, Male).
Females:
• 2 to 6% of females, aged 20-35, were more or less exclusively homosexual in
experience/response, (p. 488, Female)
• 1 to 3% of unmarried females aged 20-35 were exclusively homosexual in experience/response,
(Table 142, p. 499, and p. 474, Female).
•
•
Pasted from <http://www.indiana.edu/~kinsey/research/ak-data.html>
Males do not represent two discrete populations, heterosexual and homosexual. The world is not
to be divided into sheep and goats. It is a fundamental of taxonomy that nature rarely deals with
discrete categories... The living world is a continuum in each and every one of its aspects, (p 639).
While emphasizing the continuity of the gradations between exclusively heterosexual and
exclusively homosexual histories, it has seemed desirable to develop some sort of classification
which could be based on the relative amounts of heterosexual and homosexual experience or
response in each history... An individual may be assigned a position on this scale, for each period
in his life.... A seven-point scale comes nearer to showing the many gradations that actually exist,
(pp. 639, 656)
Kinsey, et al. (1948). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male.
Kinsey Scale
0- Exclusively heterosexual with no homosexual
1- Predominantly heterosexual, only incidentally homosexual
2- Predominantly heterosexual, but more than incidentally homosexual
3- Equally heterosexual and homosexual
4- Predominantly homosexual, but more than incidentally heterosexual
5- Predominantly homosexual, only incidentally heterosexual
6- Exclusively homosexual
Pasted from <http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/resources/ak-hhscale.html>
How to use this information in a meeting:
1. Watch the movie, "Kinsey"
2. Depending on how comfortable you and your members are, you could discuss where you fall on
the Kinsey scale.
3. Split into 2 groups, and debate whether or not you believe in the statistics Kinsey reported.
4. Discuss the information, and talk about how it impacts your lives, and the LGBT community.
Topic 3: LGBT & Religion
Thursday, October 30, 2008
9:49 AM
Many of your members may have strong feelings about religion. Having a meeting focused on religion,
and showcasing a variety of faiths and their stance on LGBT issues. You may want to keep this meeting
on the positive side; while it is important to show some faiths' ideas that religion is bad, this shouldn't
be a "Lets talk about the religions that hate us" meeting.
A great resource for this meeting would be Jim Lucas, chaplain for the LGBT group Gays in Faith
Together. You can find his contact information in the 'LGBT Organizations' section. While his schedule is
a bit on the busy side, he is always willing to speak at meetings, so plan ahead for this one.
Here is some basic information on major religions and the LGBT Community:
Buddhism:
People's beliefs are greatly influenced by many factors; two of the most important are culture,
tradition, and religion. Culture often trumps religion. For example, in the case of the worldwide
Anglican Communion, many believers in the U.S. and Canadian provinces feel that the denomination is
in a state of sin because it does not grant equal rights to homosexuals. Many believers in African
provinces believe that Anglican Community is in a state of sin because some Anglicans support equal
rights for lesbians and gays. Here we have a single religious movement, using the same Bible as their
holy book, sharing the same rituals, sharing a common history for many centuries. Yet they take
opposite views on homosexuality because of their differing cultures.
The same cultural overlay phenomenon may be happening in Buddhism as well. 7 In the West, there
appears to be a growing acceptance of same-sex sexual activity as moral. In Asia, cultural influences
result in a continuation of a long tradition of considering same-sex behavior to be sexual misconduct.
Apparently, the Buddha did not leave any teachings on homosexual orientation or homosexual
behavior. He strongly encouraged his followers to "be a lamp onto yourself" -- to examine and test the
truth of religious teachings before accepting them.
Buddhism is most concerned with whether an action is helpful, based on good intentions, and freedom
from harm. Thus, a specific act can sometimes be either permissible or not permissible, depending
upon its context. This differs from the positions taken by Christian faith groups. They often evaluate a
specific action itself, based on whether it is good or evil according to a system of morality derived from
that group's interpretation of the Bible.
Many women, gays and lesbians have been attracted to Buddhism because of its relative lack of
misogyny and homophobia, when compared to some other religions. But others report "virulently antigay sentiments and teachings from religious teachers in Tibetan and other Buddhist" schools.
Pasted from <http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_budd.htm>
Scientology:
L. Ron Hubbard's initial beliefs:
The teachings of the Church of Scientology are based upon the writings of its founder, L. Ron
Hubbard (1911-1986). He was a very prolific author. In 2005 Mr. Hubbard was recognized as the
world's most translated author by the Guinness Book of World Record. In 2006 Guinness
confirmed this and also recognized him as the world’s most published author with 1,084 works.
One of his most famous books was published in 1950-MAY, "Dianetics: The Modern Science of
Mental Health." 1 It has never gone out of print since. It had sold over 17 million copies
worldwide by mid-2004. 8 Book 2, Chapter 5, Page 120 says, in part:
"The sexual pervert (and by this term Dianetics, to be brief, includes any and all forms of
deviation in dynamic two such as homosexuality, lesbianism [sic], sexual sadism, etc., and
all down the catalog of Ellis and Krafft-Ebing) is actually quite ill physically."
The term "dynamic two" within Dianetics normally refers to the human urge to procreate. Ellis
and Krafft-Ebing were two early researchers into human sexuality.
One year later, in 1951, Hubbard published "Science of Survival: Prediction of Human Behavior." 2
One source has quoted excerpts from it. 3 Hubbard crated a "tone scale" which classifies
individuals and human behavior. The scale runs from -3 to +4. He apparently rated gay and
lesbian behavior at a 1.1. -- between "fear" (1.0) and "anger" (1.5). On this scale, -3 means death
and +4 is the most positive rating attainable. 4
It is important to realize that Hubbard is rating same-sex behavior, not homosexuals and
bisexuals as people. An individual may change the tone scale at which they are functioning many
times an hour. Many anti-Scientology information sources have implied that persons who engage
in same-sex sexual behavior are permanently at 1.1 on the tone scale.
Book One, Chapter 18, Page 116 says:
"At 1.1 on the tone scale, we enter the area of the most vicious reversal of the second
dynamic. Here we have promiscuity, perversion, sadism and irregular practices."
This presumably includes homosexual behavior. In Book One, Chapter 27, Page 163, he writes:
"From 1.3 down to 0.6 we have the general area of the subversive, who promises a people
freedom and equality and gives them a slaughter of their best minds and cultural
institutions, to the end of a totalitarian dominance."
In Page 89-90, he writes:
"Such people should be taken from the society as rapidly as possible and uniformly
institutionalized; for here is the level of the contagion of immorality, and the destruction of
ethics...No social order which desires to survive dates overlook its stratum 1.1's. No social
order will survive which does not remove these people from its midst."
One of Hubbard's solutions to homosexuality was quarantine; the other was counseling with the
goal of raising the individual's rating above 1.1:
"The only answers would seem to be the permanent quarantine of such persons from
society to avoid the contagion of their insanities and the general turbulence which they
bring to any order, thus forcing it lower on the scale, or processing such persons until they
have attained a level on the tone scale which gives them value." 5
It is important to realize that L.R. Hubbard's beliefs matched those of mainstream psychiatry and
psychology at the time -- that homosexuals were suffering from a mental illness. This belief was
based on studies of gays and lesbians who were either under the care of mental health therapists
or were inmates in prisons. Needless to say, this was not a representative sampling of the
homosexual population. Studying heterosexuals in therapists offices and in prisons would
probably conclude that they also suffered from a higher rate of emotional problems. It was only
in the mid-1950's that Evelyn Hooker made contact with the homosexual community and studied
a random sampling of gays and lesbians. She published the first major balanced study of the
mental health of homosexuals. She found that homosexuals could not be differentiated from
heterosexuals using conventional psychiatric tests. This eventually led to the decision in 1973 by
the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its official manual of mental
disorders. 6 Other professional associations have since issued statements about homosexuality
which contradict the beliefs of mental health professionals of the 1950's, including Hubbard's.
Scientology has been one of the favorite targets of some members of the anti-cult movement.
They frequently quote Hubbard's quotations from the early 1950s and claim that it represents
the current teachings of Scientology.
L. Ron Hubbard alters position on gays and lesbians:
In 1967, perhaps in response to the groundbreaking work of Evelyn Hooker and subsequent
researchers into human sexuality, Hubbard wrote:
"It has never been any part of my plans to regulate or to attempt to regulate the private
lives of individuals. Whenever this has occurred, it has not resulted in any improved
condition....Therefore all former rules, regulations and policies relating to the sexual
activities of Scientologists are cancelled." 4
Pasted from <http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_scie.htm>
Islam:
Homosexuality is not allowed in Islam. There are various verses in Quran where Allah clearly says about
Homosexuality.
We also (sent) Lut: he said to his people: "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation
(ever) committed before you? "For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are
indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds." - Holy Quran 7:80-81
"Of all the creatures in the world will ye approach males". "And leave those whom Allah has
created for you to be your mates? Nay ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!" - Holy Quran
26:165-166
The end result for not giving up homosexuality was the destruction of entire cities
When Our decree issued We turned (the cities) upside down and rained down on them
brimstones hard as baked clay spread layer on layer Marked as from thy Lord: nor are they ever
far from those who do wrong! - Holy Quran 11:82-83
The Quran forbids any sexual relationship other than in a marriage between a man and a woman.
Many homosexual men and women claim that they are born with their sexual preferences and that
they have no choice. Although this point is very much in dispute in the medical world, it has no support
in the Quran. Even then, irrespective of the nature of homosexuality, this matter would not affect the
laws spelled out clearly in the Quran .
We know that this life is a test. Everyone of us has his/her own test. For example someone may be
born blind, but that person is expected to live his/her life according to God's law. Others are born poor,
short, tall, weak, missing fingers, having big nose...etc but all of them are expected to follow God's law.
Some men or women may never marry in their life, or spend part of their life without a spouse. As per
the Quran they still have to live a chaste life and avoid any sexual contacts outside a marriage. They
have to suppress their sexual feelings to follow God's law. It is a major test and not an easy one for
many. Only those who submit to God will do everything they can to follow His law. They know that
their salvation and eternal happiness rests in doing so.
Since God condemns homosexuality, then we have to believe that a man or a woman with homosexual
feelings is expected to behave like any other human being and follows God's laws if he/she truely
believes in them. He/she shall resist his/her feelings , maintains abstinence , use all available resources
of help including medical, social and behavioral therapies to overcome their behavior and feelings.
They should pray to God to help them getting over it and submit to God's law that sees homosexuality
as gross sin. Only those who steadfastly persevere in obeying God's law will they pass their test and
confirm their submission to God.
For a person who asks, "why me?" We know God is the Most Merciful and Just (16:90) and He will give
each one of us a fair test and a fair chance. He assigns the tests to suite each one of us and we believe
that He will never burden any soul beyond its means (23:2).
And We have explained to man in this Qur'an every kind of similitude: yet the grater part of men
refuse (to receive it) except with ingratitude!- Holy Quran 17:89
We have explained in detail in this Qur'an for the benefit of mankind every kind of similitude: but
man is in most things contentious. - Holy Quran 18:54
We have put forth for men in this Qur'an every kind of Parable in order that they may receive
admonition. - Holy Quran 39:27
The spouses that God have made from among ourselves are those that aid in producing children. Since
the spouses in homosexual relationship would not produce children they are not the spouses God
made from among ourselves.
And Allah has made for you mates (and companions) of your own nature. And made for you out
of them sons and daughters and grandchildren and provided for you sustenance of the best: will
they then believe in vain things and be ungrateful for Allah's favors? - Holy Quran 16:72
With regard to dealing with homosexuals, the basic rule governing this would be 60:8 & 9.
Allah forbids you not with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of
your homes from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just. Allah
only forbids you with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith and drive you out of your
homes and support (others) in driving you out from turning to them (for friendship and
protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances) that do wrong. - Holy Quran 60:89
However, to be a winner we have to advocate righteousness and forbid evil.
Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good enjoining what is right and
forbidding what is wrong; they are the ones to attain felicity. - Holy Quran 3:104
Ye are the best of peoples evolved for mankind enjoining what is right forbidding what is wrong
and believing in Allah. If only the People of the Book had faith it were best for them; among them
are some who have faith but most of them are perverted transgressors. - Holy Quran 3:110
The believers men and women are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just and forbid
what is evil: they observe regular prayers practice regular charity and obey Allah and His apostle.
On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power Wise. - Holy Quran 9:71
Also, if God so wills, a reminder may benefit the person.
On their account no responsibility falls on the righteous but (their duty) is to remind them that
they may (learn to) fear Allah. - Holy Quran 6:69
Therefore give admonition in case the admonition profits (the hearer). - Holy Quran 87:9
Pasted from <http://www.islamawareness.net/Homosexuality/homo.html>
Christianity (table):
The following table illustrates how each denomination deals with members who are currently in a
homosexual relationship. See also: Blessing of same-sex unions in Christian churches.
Denomination
Allows as members
Ordains
Blesses unions
Marries
Adventist
No[1]
No
No
No
Varies
African
Methodist
Episcopal Zion
Church/African
Methodist
Episcopal Church
No
No
No
Anglican
Yes (may not receive
sacraments in some
jurisdictions)
Varies
Varies
No
Baptist
Varies
No
No
No
Calvary Chapel
N/A - CC has no
'chuch membership'
per se, but
attendance is
permitted
No
No
No
Canadian and
American
Reformed
Churches
Yes
No
No
No
Christian
Reformed
Yes
No
No
No
Churches of
Christ
No
No
No
No
No
The Church of
Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints
("Mormons")
No
No
No
Church of the
No
No
No
Yes
Nazarene
Eastern
Orthodox
Yes (but may be
denied sacraments)
Yes (but must be No
celibate)
No
Episcopal
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Jehovah's
Witnesses
No
No
No
No
Lutheran
Yes
Many LWF=Yes,
ELCA, some
other LWF. &
Others (ILC,
CELC, etc) =No
LWF=Varies, ELCA,
Others (ILC, CELC,
etc) =No
No
Mennonite
Varies
Varies
Varies
No
Methodist
(UMC)
Yes[2]
No[2]
No[2][3]
No[2][3]
Metropolitan
Community
Church
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Moravian
Church
Yes
No
No
No
New Apostolic
Yes
No
No
No
Old Order Amish No
No
No
No
Pentecostal
No
No
No
No
Presbyterian
Yes (may be refused No
Baptism or
Communion)[citation
needed]
PCUSA=Yes, Church
of
Scotland=Undecided
(sent down to
Presbyteries under
Barrier Act), PRC,
PCA, OPC=No
No
United
Reformed
Church[4]
Yes
No national
policy; a matter
for prayerful
consideration
This is a decision for
local Church
meetings
No (Not currently
legal in the UK)
Religious Society Yes
of Friends
(Quaker)
Varies
Varies by meeting
Varies by meeting
Roman Catholic
Church
No (celibate gay
men also not to
No
No
Yes (but may
possibly be denied
sacraments since it
varies)
be ordained
although some
are secretly
ordained)
Old Catholic
Yes
Yes
Swedenborgian
Yes
New Church=No; New Church=No;
Swedenborgian Swedenborgian
Church=Yes
Church=Minister's
discretion
New Church=No;
Swedenborgian
Church=Minister's
discretion
Unification
Church
Yes
No
No
No
Unitarian
Universalist
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
United Church of Yes
Canada
Yes,
congregation
may decline to
call
Not applicable
yes, but only with
approval of local
session
United Church of Yes
Christ
Varies by
Association
Varies by
congregation
Varies by
congregation
Uniting Church
in Australia
Yes
Yes, Presbytery's ?
discretion
No
Unity School of
Christianity
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Waldensian
Yes
Yes
Varies by meeting
No
Yes (Europe) in
No
Netherlands,
Germany, Austria and
Switzerland
Pasted from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominational_positions_on_homosexuality>
Mormonism:
Quotations:
"Physical orientation and sexual orientation are not moral issues, and majority /
minority phenomena in nature do not involve natural versus unnatural categories.
The exceptional in nature is still natural, whether the exception is left-handedness or
the homosexual orientation of erotic desire." D. Michael Quinn, ex-Mormon and
former professor at Brigham Young University.
"Being gay in ... [the Mormon] culture is beyond hell … I wanted to be cured so badly.
The family is the center of Mormonism -- it is the sacred, potent unit. … It is a great
failure that family can only be the family almost by the Ozzie and Harriet definition,
and anything outside that is not family at all." Trevor Southey, artist
"The only marriage sanctioned by God is of a man to a woman. In the case of a gay
person, they really have no hope. … And to live life without hope on such a core
issue I think is a very difficult thing." Marlin Jensen, official LDS historian.
"Homosexuality Is Sin: Next to the crime of murder comes the sin of sexual impurity."
Excerpt from a 2002 Mormon pamphlet.
"We do not intend to admit to our campus any homosexuals. If any of you have this
tendency and have not completely abandoned it, may I suggest that you leave the
university immediately after this assembly.... We do not want others on this campus
to be contaminated by your presence." Ernest Wilkinson, president of Brigham Young
University, in a 1965 lecture to the BYU student body, titled: "Make Honor your
Standard."
Pasted from <http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_lds.htm>
Ways to use this in a meeting:
1. Assign each member a religion, and have them research and present on it.
2. Discuss your member's religious experiences.
3. Watch "Jesus Camp" - its not about LGBT issues, but it is an incredibly insightful look at modern-day
evangelism and youth.
Topic 4: Ex-Gays, Exodus Ministries
Thursday, October 30, 2008
9:49 AM
Ex-gays, or people who have turned to heterosexuality through religious intervention, are getting more
and more time in the spotlight nowadays, and it is important to discuss this topic with your members.
The biggest reason you would want to discuss this with your members is to show them that they are not
to be feared (the ex-gays, not the ministries themselves).
Some great resources (you should check out all of them before planning your meeting. Seriously):
o 'Save Me' - a serious film about an ex-gay ministry
o 'But I'm a Cheerleader' - a not-so-serious film
o 'Swish' - a memoir by Joel Derfner. He is not an ex-gay, but the final chapter is a moving account
of him sneaking into an ex-gay conference, and befriending the men there. It will change your
attitudes on ex-gays
o www.exgaywatch.com - a website devoted to "so-called ex-gays"
Information from Exodus International - a leading ex-gay ministry:
What can I do to make a gay person change?
Of course, you cannot make anyone change. They must be motivated for themselves to want to change. But
you definitely can play a very important part in assisting Christians to overcome homosexuality or lesbianism.
First, you can pray for an unsaved homosexual person and share the gospel with them. If you are relating with
a Christian struggling with this issue, you can pray for them, too. Pray God will give them the courage and
perseverance to achieve sexual abstinence. Sexual activity usually covers deep wounds. Once activity stops,
the "pain-killer" of sex wears off and underlying emotional pain can surface. Be there to listen and support
them in this process.
Pray God will help them see and find biblical resolution to underlying issues that led to a homosexual
orientation. Learn what you can about these problems, and find someone with expertise that can counsel your
friend. Pray the Lord will help them re-connect with His original design and purpose for them as a man or
woman. If you are the same gender as your friend, you can play a tremendous part in his or her healing just by
being a role-model of what a godly man or godly woman is like. That means being vulnerable about your
weaknesses, aggressively pursuing personal maturity, and above all, seeking to grow in your relationship with
Jesus Christ.
Don't discount your ability to help someone leave homosexuality and into all that God plans for their lives. Be a
friend: encourage, confront, listen, share. Go side-by-side with them through the challenging adventure ahead.
Pasted from <http://exodus.to/content/view/49/25/>
Is Homosexuality a Threat to the Family? To America?
How can issues like
gay marriage affect my family and the country?
Despite the usual physical nature of sexuality, homosexuality is based on emotional need
instead of sexual need. It involves the most intimate feelings a person can have—
attachment to one’s own gender identity. Because this process of identifying and
accepting our created gender assignment is vital to our emotional, physical, spiritual, and
national well being, deviation from heterosexuality to homosexuality is devastating. The
devastation pervades every relationship in which the homosexual man, woman, or child
engages.
Abuse or feelings of rejection or alienation often create strife between parent and child at
an early age sometimes, resulting in gender confusion. The gender confused child seeks
to correct the growing distance between him/her and his/her same gendered parent by
actions that range from total obedience to total disobedience. The emotional chaos of
adolescence can cause translation of these feelings and actions into anger and bitterness
toward those of the opposite sex; an overwhelming need for same sex affirmation; or even
an aversion to one’s own gender assignment. As a result, gender confusion becomes
defiant sexual activity (in thought or deed) and sexual satisfaction becomes the placebo
for true love and acceptance.
Today we have become overwhelmingly aware that childhood problems create huge
stumbling blocks for adults when they are not dealt with in a timely, God-centered way.
With relational brokenness of this magnitude going on in childhood it is highly unlikely that
normal healthy relationships can be achieved in adulthood by the homosexual youth
without God’s guidance. Even for the gender confused person who has never acted on his
sexual temptation, relationships with parents, siblings, spouses, and children will be
damaged by the untreated emotional brokenness of homosexuality. America’s national
health is predicated on the health of her families. Families who embrace, accept, or try to
ignore homosexual sin issues are never healthy. Homosexuality is dangerous to the well
being of the family and America.
Pasted from <http://exodus.to/content/view/310/25/>
What's your "success rate" in changing gays into straights? What you are really
asking is whether there is realistic hope for change for men and women who do not want their sexual
orientation to be homosexual. And the answer to that is yes!
In 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, Paul gives a list of all kinds of sinners that will not inherit the kingdom of God,
including those that practice homosexuality. But he goes on to say, "and that is what some of you were. But
you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the
Spirit of our God." Some Corinthian Christians had formerly been homosexuals, but now were counted among
the saints. Now, that's good news indeed!
No one is saying that change is easy. It requires strong motivation, hard work, and perseverance. But we find
hundreds of former homosexuals who have found a large degree of change--attaining abstinence from
homosexual behaviors, lessening of homosexual temptations, strengthening their sense of masculine or
feminine identity, correcting distorted styles of relating with members of the same and opposite gender. Some
former homosexuals marry and some don't, but marriage is not the measuring stick; spiritual growth and
obedience are.
On the statistical side, careful reviews of research studies on sexual orientation change suggest that real
change is indeed possible. Studies suggesting change rates in the range of 30-50% are not unusual, although
"success rates" vary considerably and the measurement of change is problematic. For details and review of
several studies, see the link below.
Pasted from <http://exodus.to/content/view/43/25/>