Gay In Augusta

February 14 is “National Standing on the Side of Love Day“, what the sponsors are calling “Valentine’s Day Re-imagined.” Sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), Standing on the Side Of Love is promoting events across the country.

A local event will be at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta at 3:00 p.m. The event is a UUCA “public advocacy campaign promoting respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person.” The celebration will feature a free screening of the documentary ‘Lesbian Grandmothers from Mars.’ You are invited to join UUCA at 3501 Walton Way Ext and “celebrate a Valentine’s Day re-imagined. Love is about more than romance, greeting cards and chocolates. We want to celebrate love’s power to transform communities!”

To learn more about the Standing on the Side Of Love campaign, visit standingonthesideoflove.org

The Unitarian Universalist Church has long been an LGBT ally, but this Sunday a local church is leaving no doubt that there are indeed allies in the CSRA. On Sunday, October 11th (National Coming Out Day), the Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta will focus their church service on the importance of this day.

“Come Out, Come Out Whoever You Are” The Reverend Margaret L. Beard

October 11th is “National Coming Out Day” which is an internationally-observed civil awareness day for coming out and discussion about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues. Find out more about the history of this day, the national and local situation and why “fullness of being” and full equality are religious issues.

Service is at 11:00am

For directions and contact information, visit uuaugusta.org.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw this interview with Reverend Joseph Lowery on WRDW News 12 in Augusta. Reverend Lowery will give the benediction at the inauguration next week, and sat down with him to discuss some of his history with the civil rights movement as well as the inauguration next week.  When the interviewer brought up the Rick Warren issue, he had this to say:

“I think it’s disgusting some of the profane things he has said about gay people…equating homosexuality with pedophilia,” said Rev. Lowery. “I condemn that kind of demeaning of gay people. I think that all God’s children got shoes, and I think it’s beneath Brother Warren’s status as a Christian pastor to demean people with that kind of profane language.”

Very well said. I, for one, can’t wait to hear a little more from Reverend Lowery next Tuesday.

To watch the (short) interview, go to http://www.wrdw.com/politics/headlines/37739369.html

From The Augusta Chronicle:

Members of North Augusta’s St. John’s Episcopal Church severed ties with the national congregation Sunday, rejecting a shift toward a more progressive theology that has led to the blessing of same-sex marriages and gay leaders in the church.

While it’s not surprising to me, it’s still sad and unfortunate.

Read the full article at http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/01/05/met_506567.shtml

The recent murder at a Unitarian Universalist church in Knoxville was truly shocking to me. Truly shocking, but not surprising. After all, I do occasionally force myself to watch Bill O’ or another drone who spits out hateful, horrible untruths that I honestly think no none could take seriously. Unfortunately, some of their listeners not only believe what they say, but believe they should act on it. In a letter found in his car, the shooter described his hatred for gays and liberals and how he believed all liberals should be killed for ruining the country. Where did he get those insane ideas from? O’Reilly, Hannity, Coulter, Robertson, and Savage are on the short list.

In case you have any doubts, here’s the best exposé of right wing hate speech I’ve found to date.