‘Come Out’ Album’s Message: God Loves You Just as Gay as You Are
LOS ANGELES, CA — Gospel singer and an out lesbian member of clergy in the Gospel Truth Music Ministry (http://www.rizigospel.com/), the Rev. Rizi Nasele Timane’ is unveiling her new album “Come Out,” a collection of original songs that call for full human rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. As part of the album’s promotion, Timane’ is touring the United States during the summer of 2009.
The album’s title song challenges the fundamentalist notion that God and the Bible condemn homosexuality and strives to educate the public about what the Bible really says and does not say about homosexuality. “I have extensively studied the Greek and Hebrew translations of the Bible, and I found that, when interpreted properly, the Bible does not condemn homosexuality at all,” stated Timane’.
“I’m the first out lesbian reverend and gospel singer from Nigeria, West Africa,” Timane’ continued. “I was one of the first people to identify as openly gay in homophobic Africa, and I know firsthand how that rejection translates to drug addiction and suicide.” According to the Massachusetts 2006 Youth Risk Survey, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Additionally, San Francisco State University’s Chavez Center Institute has found that LGBTQ youth who come from a rejecting family are up to nine times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers because of the negative treatment endured.
“For LGBT persons, this painful struggle with religion or spirituality and sexuality is responsible for depression, low self-esteem, drug addiction, self-abuse, isolation and the entering into of false heterosexual marriages,” said Timane’. “Worst of all, it’s responsible for thousands of suicides each year in the LGBT community, especially amongst our teens and young adults. It is my hope to put a stop to these negative traits and suicides by re-educating our community.”
“Anti-LGBT arguments like the one contending that California’s Proposition 8 ensures children’s wellbeing by providing them with a mother and father are totally absurd. In the case of Proposition 8, the state’s laws permit adoption by gay and lesbian parents as well as single parents and even allows courts to assign a single grandparent, aunt, uncle or even a non-blood relative to be a child’s guardian or caregiver,” continued Timane’.
“The goal of my new album is to enable any LGBT person seeking God to know that God loves them just as gay as they are,” states Timane’. She also wants to help those who are struggling with their spirituality and sexuality, just as she did for many years, to finally find complete reconciliation and affirmation.
Gospel music lovers and Timane’ fans will be able to attend live performances at the following times and events:
– June 20 at 2:50 p.m., Rhode Island PrideFest in Station Park
– June 27 at 3 p.m. and June 28 at 12:30 p.m., San Francisco Pride Celebration in Civic Center Plaza
– July 9 at 7:30 p.m., Annual Fellowship Convention in Westin Atlanta Airport hotel
– July 18 at 2 p.m., San Diego Gay Pride 2009 in Balboa Park
To learn more about Timane’ and her experiences as a gay Christian that inspired her music, visit http://www.rizigospel.com/.
“Come Out” video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfre1lV61Es
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/06/come-out-albu…
‘Come Out’ - A New Voice in the Battle for Marriage Equality “It is wrong to treat LGBT people as less than heterosexuals
” NEWHALL, Calif., On November 4th, 2008, Proposition H8te passed in California and Rizi Nasele Timane’s “COME OUT” was born. It was born out of anguish and heartbreak. This OUT lesbian inspirational singer is a bold and necessary voice in our quest to spread the truth that God loves everyone, be they gay, straight, bi or transsexual. Rizi’s “COME OUT” is a compilation of original songs that focuses on challenging the status quo and fighting towards achieving full human rights for the LGBT Community. Her lyrics in the single “Come Out” and songs like “Do you know” provide a direct confrontation to the religious fundamentalist notion that God/Bible condemns homosexuality and strives to educate the public about what the Bible really says and does not say about homosexuality.
COME OUT’S ultimate goal is to enable any LGBT person who wants to know God but has been turned off by religion to know that God loves them just as gay as they are and also to help those who are struggling with their spirituality and sexuality, like Rizi did herself for many years (watch video of her story of “exorcism” and cocaine addiction by clicking the Rizi’s story link here: http://www.rizigospel.com/), to finally find complete reconciliation and affirmation.
“This horrible and painful struggle with religion/spirituality and sexuality is responsible for depression, low self-esteem, drug addiction, self-abuse, disownment by family, isolation, the entering into of false heterosexual marriages by LGBT persons, and worst of all, it’s responsible for thousands of suicides each year in the LGBT Community, especially amongst our teens and young adults — and it is my hope to put a stop to these negative traits and suicides by re-educating our community ….” — excerpt from Rizi Nasele Timane’
Presently, a series of Rizi’s 30-second TV commercials geared towards promoting this important message is airing locally in Los Angeles and San Francisco on Bravo TV and CNN (with a nationwide campaign on Logo TV to follow shortly). To watch the commercial, log on to http://www.rizigospel.com/ or http://www.youtube.com/user/COMEOUT2009
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-out-new-…
