Colo. Springs leader supports gay, lesbian event

(Colorado Springs, Col.) An annual event in Colorado Springs organized by gays and lesbians has the ceremonial support of a city leader for the first time in years.

Vice Mayor Larry Small has issued a personal letter of support for PrideFest, which will include a parade and interfaith religious service Sunday.

Mayor …

In Ozarks, Gay PrideFest Met With Protest

A festival meant to celebrate the gay and lesbian communities in the Ozarks was met with mixed opinions Sunday afternoon.
The local chapter of the National Socialist Movement made their opnions heard at Pridefest. Leaders with the Socialist movement say gays and lesbians are not welcome in Springfield. The Minutemen United stood just to the side of the celebration.

They say they were praying for God to lift up the homosexual community.

“We love them so much that we want their soul in heaven for eternity. That’s the greatest live that there is so we want to see that they get there. I think they’ve kind of mis guided in this situation. The people aren’t here to be saved and taken cae of. They’re here to enjoy an aspect of their lifestyle that they enjoy.” said Dr. Gregory Thompson. See Gay PrideFest Met With Protest
Ozarks First

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Gay Pride event in Des Moines draws biggest turnout

Sunday’s PrideFest festival in Des Moines had its biggest turnout in its 30 years following the April ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court that allowed same-sex marriage.For Jack Barnhart and Bob Schanke, who were married June 6 after waiting 25 years, the day was the perfect opportunity to celebrate their marriage.The Pleasant Hill couple, decked out in rainbow flags, carried yellow-and-red signs reading “Just Married.” They strolled down the PrideFest parade to the sound of cheers, congratulations and the clicks of cameras. See Gay Pride event in Des Moines draws biggest turnout DesMoinesRegister.com

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‘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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Gay marriage law’s impact on Iowans subtle, yet powerful DesMoinesRegister.com -Gay marriage law’s impact on Iowans subtle, yet powerful

The April marriage ruling hasn’t enticed Jean and George Huffey’s two gay children to move back to Iowa from Wisconsin and Indiana, as the two parents had hoped.

Not many same-sex couples have relocated here in the two short months since the Iowa Supreme Court ruled on April 3 that both gay and straight couples have equal rights to marriage, anecdotal evidence suggests.

“It’s going to take time,” said Des Moines real estate agent Mindi McCoy, who had two same-sex clients from New York City look at properties, then decide against purchasing. “We’re still in kind of this honeymoon stage, no pun intended.”

Gay culture is sharply in focus this weekend as thousands gather to celebrate at the Capital City PrideFest in Des Moines. The Des Moines Register interviewed dozens of gays and lesbians to identify early trends since the first marriages took place April 27, including the effects on the ease of coming out of the closet, family relationships, religion, business, politics and the underground gay sex scene.

The changes in Iowa since the ruling are subtle but powerful to the individuals affected, according to both advocates and opponents.

Same-sex married couples who live here said they are already experiencing firsthand how Iowa law still treats them differently from opposite-sex couples.

Of the hundreds of same-sex Iowa couples who are now married – no state agency tracks the number of same-sex unions – some said they feel less guarded about holding hands or sharing a kiss in certain public settings.

“At your job, you don’t feel like you can’t have a picture of you and your partner up,” said Des Moines resident Justin De Vries.

Marriage seems to have been embraced mainly by same-sex couples with a history together: five years, a decade, 20 years or more. Some faith leaders have committed acts of quiet rebellion to marry them, even as their churches remain locked in debate over same-sex weddings.

“People are taking this as a very serious issue,” said Sharon Malheiro, a Des Moines lawyer. Couples are asking: ” ‘If we get married, what will the impact be? What are our obligations to each other?’ They’re not being nonchalant about it.”

See Gay marriage law’s impact on Iowans subtle, yet powerful

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