LGBTQI Nexus / Gay Atheists

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Comment by Dallas the Phallus on May 1, 2013 at 6:42pm

What a shame! -- Dallas

Before Jason Collins, there was Justin Fashanu

Fifteen years before Jason Collins took his ground breaking steps out of the closet and into American sports history, a 37-year-old man named Justin Fashanu walked into a London storage unit and took his own life.
Fashanu, an English professional soccer player, was the Collins of his time, having revealed his homosexuality midway through a career that flirted with stardom and ended in tragedy.
But Fashanu's time wasn't ready for him. Neither England, nor the 1990s, nor soccer, were prepared to embrace an openly gay athlete, setting into motion a spiral of self-destruction that ended in a premature death.
While Collins has rightly been lauded for his bravery after his revelation earlier this week, Fashanu's sexuality made him a target in a sport that still does a shockingly poor job at tolerance. His own coaches spat homophobic epithets in his direction. His teammates made crude and insulting attempts at humor. Opposition fans concocted vile songs and chants. Even his own brother spoke out against him. [continue]

Comment by Grinning Cat on April 30, 2013 at 1:13pm

My father was a Catholic deacon, my mother was a lay minister and I thought about becoming a priest. I was in church every Sunday for the first 15 years of my life. Now I spend my Sundays on my bike, on my snowboard or on my husband. I haven’t spent my post-Catholic decades in a sulk, wishing the church would come around on the issue of homosexuality so that I could start attending Mass again. I didn’t abandon my faith. I saw through it. The conflict between my faith and my sexuality set that process in motion, but the conclusions I reached at the end of that process — there are no gods, religion is man-made, faith can be a force for good or evil — improved my life. I’m grateful that my sexuality prompted me to think critically about faith. Pushed out? No. I walked out.

Dan Savage, in his review of Jeff Chu's book Does Jesus Really Love Me (emphases added)

Comment by The Flying Atheist on April 30, 2013 at 11:05am

A wonderful new program just started at a Chicago high school:

LGBT Mentor Program Launches at Lincoln Park High School

The dean of the high school is heading a mentor program, which pairs recent university graduates with LGBT teens at the high school to help them deal with issues such as bullying and how and whether to come out to their families while still in their teens.

There are no similar programs in the city, lest the country, Lang said, and he hopes the model could expand city-wide and serve as an example across the country.

The first meeting was held at the school in mid-April and drew an even greater attendance than the organizers anticipated, leaving them in search of more mentors.

 

Comment by Dallas the Phallus on April 29, 2013 at 5:03pm

Breaking a sports barrier, NBA's Jason Collins comes out as gay

Comment by Dallas the Phallus on April 28, 2013 at 11:01pm

Never mind. I don't think I want your support any more.

Unbelievable. 

Comment by Dallas the Phallus on April 25, 2013 at 10:07pm

Fourth Grader's Pro-Gay Marriage Essay Goes Viral

Comment by Dallas the Phallus on April 23, 2013 at 5:33pm

Nevada Senator Comes Out During Gay Marriage Vote

A big step forward for gay marriage in Nevada last night—and a dramatic one at that. No, the state Senate didn't bust out into joyful song after the 12-9 vote in favor of repealing the state's ban on same-sex marriage (that reaction belongs to New Zealand's parliament), but something perhaps more noteworthy did occur: State Sen. Kelvin Atkinson publicly came out, reports the Las Vegas Sun. "I'm black. I'm gay," said the Democrat in what the Sun describes as a "trembling" voice. "I know this is the first time many of you have heard me say that I am a black, gay male." [continue]

Comment by Sentient Biped on April 23, 2013 at 5:13pm

And now in Delaware.  I think Rhode Island is expected to be next.

Who after that?  I expect, not, Mississippi.  Also depends on US Supreme Court.

As for countries....  UK maybe?  

Comment by Sentient Biped on April 23, 2013 at 4:58pm

France passed marriage equality.

bbc

cnn

from christian science monitor:  In France, there has been blood. Recently there were attacks in gay bars in Lille and Bordeaux. One man who was beaten up in Paris while walking with his partner posted a photo of himself on Facebook afterwards, battered and bruised, declaring it the “Face of Homophobia.”

I was surprised about the size and intensity of the homophobe backlash - egged on by priests?  I don't know.  hard to imagine it has been spontaneous.  

I guess, we can view imams as sources of terrorism, but not feel the same way about priests?

Regardless, I'm happy that the largest country so far has passed marriage equality.

Comment by Dallas the Phallus on April 18, 2013 at 7:19pm

Brittney Griner coming out is no big deal, and that's a big deal

On Wednesday, Brittney Griner, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and one of the best female basketball players on the planet, came out of the closet, to the world at large anyway.

The world didn't end. The sun rose again. And Griner's career prospects are as bright as ever.

Now, imagine if the No. 1 pick in next week's NFL draft announced he was gay. Imagine if a Super Bowl champion announced he'd be taking his male partner to Disney World. Apocalypse, right?

Twenty years ago, absolutely. Today? Plenty of media coverage, with most of it likely favorable. Twenty years from now? It might receive a passing mention, or nothing at all. And if that comes to pass, if tolerance spreads across sports, it'll be people like Griner, who states her case for her identity with confidence and pride, who deserve credit.
"Don't worry about what other people are going to say, because they're always going to say something, but, if you're just true to yourself, let that shine through," Griner told Sports Illustrated. "Don't hide who you really are."

Now, universal tolerance in sports is wonderful in theory. In practice, certain sports – the WNBA, figure skating, women's golf – are far more open and accepting of gay relationships than, say, the NFL or the NBA. Even as Griner came out, talk continues to swirl about whether certain NFL players may be gay, or whether gay players will need to come out en masse as a means of protection against what's possibly to be vicious backlash, from a segment of fans if not from within the NFL itself. Two sports, same year, different eras. [continue]

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