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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1987)
SPIRITUALITY: ALTERING SENSATIONS Religious Concerns in the Gay and Lesbian Community_____ officially reject homosexuality and condemn homosexual activity. Others such as the Friends hank God I was bom and raised (or Quakers) and the Unitarian Universalists, an atheist,” a gay friend said accept homosexuality and welcome gays and jokingly during a recent discussion in lesbians. Still others, most prominently the which the issue of homosexuality and organized Metropolitan Community Church, minister religion came up. I thought the point was well directly to the lesbian and gay community. taken. Lesbians and gay men are so often de The churches’ attitude towards homosexuals nounced and condemned in the name of religion is. of course, only half the story; the attitude of that it’s easy enough for us to conclude that homosexuals towards the churches is the other religion itself is an enemy. The thought of being half. Just because a church rejects gays and without religion altogether seems attractive, lesbians doesn't mean that gays and lesbians especially around the holiday season with all its have to reject the church. Homosexual Catho commercialized and empty religiosity. For lics, Mormons, and Seventh Day Adventists some gays and lesbians, though, thinking away have refused to accept their churches’ rejection; their religious impulses and beliefs would be as they have refused to go away. Instead, they difficult as thinking away their homosexuality. have organized gmupis for mutual support, rec For others, intellectual commitments dictate ognition. and fellowship. They also strongly that they seek and worship God. For still others, lobby their denominations for recognition and religious observances are strongly intertwined acceptance. w ith family ties, childhood memories, and Unfortunately, they are not always success ethnic identity. Such people often face a ful. and in one notorious instance may have dilemma because homosexuality does not mix helped provoke an anti-gay backlash. That well with some of the most vocal forms of group is Dignity, a Catholic organiztion for organized religion. Fortunately, there are some gays and lesbians and their friends. The historic options currently available, and there are many position of the Catholic Church always has been people engaged in the effort to open up new hostility towards homosexuality. However, the ones. Church is a vast organization and the way If we restrict ourselves to Catholic and Pro Catholicism is practiced varies from place to testant denominations we can say that, broadly place. In the Pacific Northwest. Dignity has speaking, churches fall into three categories been relatively successful in finding at least de with regard to their attitude towards homosexu facto acceptance, much to the displeasure of ality. Some denominations such as Catholics. higher officials in the Church. Archbishop Mormons, and many Evangelical Protestants Hunthausen of Seattle was recentl> reprimanded B Y R O D G E R J -_ A T Just Out 10 January. 1987 R S O N in part for allowing priests to say Mass for Dignity. No doubt it was also the growing visi bility of Dignity that prompted the Vatican to write a letter to the American bishops describ ing homosexuality as a disorder, asserting that no one has any conceivable right to engage in homosexual behavior, and suggesting that homosexuals invite violent reactions by demanding civil rights. Of course, Dignity is not to blame for the hateful response it has provoked, and perhaps it is a consolation that at least they've gotten the Pope's attention The situation is quite different in churches that officially accept gays and lesbians as mem bers. Here the difference between the official church position and the way the religion is practiced in different areas may work against the interests of gay and lesbian members. The denomination may be tolerant but the individual congregation may remain homophobic. I know a Unitarian who came out as a gay man in his thirties after having been married and having a child. As a family man he was well accepted in the church community, but as a gay men he was virtually shunned. Thus, even within gay- supportive churches there has been a need for gay and lesbian caucuses and organizations. For instance, the local Unitarian Church has a chapter of Unitarian Universalists for Lesbian and Gay Concerns. A few months ago I was talking with the minister of a liberal, gay-tolerant church. I hap pened to mention the Metropolitan Community Church. A pained but puzzled smile came to my companion’s face as he said, “ Oh, that’s the homosexual church. You know. I’ve never un derstood why people would want to base a church on their sexuality.’ ’ MCC would say that my friend had made two mistakes. First of all. it is the mainstream churches which declare that homosexuals cannot be saved that are basing their religion on their sexuality. MCC is open to everyone regardless of their sexuality. Secondly, MCC would urge that they are not a homosex ual church but rather they are a scripturally centered Christian church with a special out reach to the lesbian and gay community. For people who want a traditional approach to Christianity in a homosexual-supportive context. MCC may be just the place to go. There are many options for religiously oriented gays and lesbians. This brief article has mentioned only some. We have omitted, for instance. Judaism: the attitudes of Jews towards homosexuality vary from congregation to con gregation. and some are very supportive. No doubt attitudes vary also within religions that come from non-Western traditions. In addition, gays and lesbians are exploring alternatives that would have seemed unthinkable a generation ago. There are now, in Portland, several Pagan spiritual groups which invite the participation of all people whatever their sexuality. Atheism, of course, is available to people whose prior ex perience has turned them .iff to religion altogether, but for those gays and lesbians who have religious needs, our community offers many opportunities to fulfill them •