Azariah Southworth's suddenly a very public figure.

The Nashville-based Christian-television host caused a national stir this week when he came out of the closet, telling the world, "I believe by me living my life honestly and authentically now, I am able to be a better person and a better Christian."

Obviously we couldn't resist reaching out and having a chat with Southworth, who graciously agreed to talk shop with our editor. Those Christians sure are generous!

Read what the Indiana-born Southworth has to say about becoming an overnight celebrity, why the church should stay out of politics and whether his parents think he's going to hell - after the jump, of course.

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Oklahoma lawmaker Sally Kern simply can't quit her anti-gay ways. After coming out last week against gay discrimination, Kern took pen to paper and published an op-ed in which she again rails against the so-called "gay agenda:"

Anyone who thinks there is no homosexual agenda need only look here in Oklahoma to the newly formed Equal Rights Project created to help elect candidates by bridging the gay/straight community. The Equal Rights Project states "We felt we were uniquely qualified to help those running in the South and the Bible Belt. Running in these communities is much different than in California and New York. Our idea was to train, educate and support all candidates who support equal rights for all."

Homosexuals are already citizens who have equal rights. They want "special rights" for the acceptance of their deviant lifestyle. I'm thankful that Oklahoma is different than California and New York. I pray it stays that way.

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• Jennifer Lopez popped over to David Letterman's Late Show to announce she's pregnant with a leather baby.

• Jeanne Phillips aka Dr. Abby supports gay nuptials: "I believe if two people want to commit to each other, God bless 'em. That is the highest form of commitment, for heaven's sake."

• Romney v. Giuliani over taxes. Tonight's debates should be interesting…

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Non-Christians don't think too highly of Christians:

Barna [Group] poll polls conducted between 2004 and this year, sampling 440 non-Christians (and a similar number of Christians) aged 16 to 29, found that 38% had a "bad impression" of present-day Christianity. "It's not a pretty picture" the authors write. Barna's clientele is made up primarily of evangelical groups.

Kinnaman says non-Christians' biggest complaints about the faith are not immediately theological: Jesus and the Bible get relatively good marks. Rather, he sees resentment as focused on perceived Christian attitudes. Nine out of ten outsiders found Christians too "anti-homosexual," and nearly as many perceived it as "hypocritical" and "judgmental." Seventy-five percent found it "too involved in politics."

Maybe not for long…

Conservative anti-queer clergy are up in arms over San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders' recent change of heart. Republican Sanders shocked party allies when he came out in support for gay marriage.

Yesterday, in an effort to shame Sanders, about 50 homophobic activists protested in front of city hall. A prepared statement read:

The mayor and some council members do not have the authority or the voice of the majority of the citizens of San Diego, and the recent decision to support gay marriage does not support what 52 counties in California, including San Diego, voted for.

Pacific Research Institute VP and President Bush speech writer Joshua Treviño gets even nastier.

Holy photo op! Controversial gay Bishop Gene Robinson posed with director Dan Karslake and actress Jane Krakowski before the NYC premier of Karslake's For The Bible Tells Me So.

A look into the often anti-gay world of Christianity,the documentary attempts to reconcile the chasm between the Bible and Christianity. And, from what we hear, leaves quite an impact. Read all about it here!

"Meltdown". That's one word a friend used when describing the trans-centric squabbling over the ENDA. Politicians, lobbyists and journalists have been debating over whether or not transgendered people should be included under ENDA, which could forbid discrimination based on perceived or actual sexual orientation and gender identity. A test vote showed that the majority of politicians objected to the trans-inclusion. Under such pressure, openly gay Representative Barney Frank, who co-sponsored the inclusive ENDA draft, slipped into acquiescence. To keep the bill above water, Frank effectively split ENDA in two: one version protecting gays and another for trans folk. They're now floating alone in an ocean of inequality.

Our government - and much of our culture - deny transgenders their rights because, quite frankly, they can't understand the trans's existence. Our culture does not have mechanisms to deal with "gender deviants." Trannies are a threat to our nation's very foundations. The Alliance Defense Fund's Doug Napier said the law will "strike at the very heart of our American liberties." He must be using the word "liberties" liberally. Napier's not alone, of course. Millions of people - gay and straight - simply cannot muster the imagination to consider trans folk equal. What's more, we have no use for trans people. And, as contributor Dan Avery and editor Andrew Belonsky assert, the American stonewall against trans rights goes much further than 1974 - and even our borders. "Trans" populations exist all over the world and crop up in seemingly unlikely locales, like Iran.

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Christianity may espouse charity, but Texas' High Point Church wasn't feeling it when they canceled gay veteran Cecil Sinclair's funeral last week.

The Church claims they couldn't reconcile their perspective on gays with their faith. You know, 'cause gays are total demon sinners.

Despite their heartfelt heartlessness, Paul Wagner, tells a different tale.

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Charles Merrill's latest act gives new meaning to "incendiary". In an effort to protest spiritually sanctioned homophobia, Merrill tuned his ire into fire.

The 72-year old artist activist, who used to be married to Johnson & Johnson heiress Evangeline, took it upon himself to ignite an antique Qur'an valued at $60,000. He also recently used markers and scissors to edit a copy of the Bible. No surprise Merrill's take on the protests are just as combustible as the actions themselves:

The purpose of editing and burning Abrahamic Holy Books is to eliminate homophobic hate. Both ancient books are terrorist manuals… Airplanes are flown into buildings because of words, [as are] hate crimes against gays.

Talk about an explosive statement! We understand religion can be used for evil, but Merrill seems to forget that it can also be used for good.

So, where did Merrill get the now destroyed book? The King of Jordan gave it to his late wife in the 1950s, when Evangeline traveled the world spreading the peaceful word of the United Nations.

Jesus may have been a rabble-rouser, but no doubt he'd wag a holy finger at the hoodlums who tagged Jesus Metropolitan Community Church's pro-gay billboard. According to bilerico, the pious progressive teamed up with Faith in Action to place a number of billboards and yard signs proclaimed Jesus' equally progressive politics. Not surprisingly, some people objected to the so-called son of God's posthumous politics.

JMCC's senior pastor, Reverend Jeff Mineer, refuses to give up the good Good Book fight:

There appears to be some kind of organized effort to suppress our message of hope. But that will only reinforce our determination to go forward. For too long, religious extremists have distorted what the Bible really says about homosexuality. We're taking the Bible back, and religious extremists aren't happy about it.

Homie ain't playin'.

Via Joe. My. God.

(PS: Can any of you cultural warriors cite the headline's reference? Here's an inspirational hint: think Big.)

The Christian right has made no secret of its homo-hating. NOt only are the gays absolutely damned sinners, they're an assault on masculinity everywhere. In his examination of the rights' revolting mission against the gays, journo Chris Hedges points out a somewhat overlooked aspect of their ideology: good Christian men are meant to submit to Jesus, a savior Jerry Falwell once described as "a man with muscles". Hedges writes:

The unspoken truth is that Christian men are required to have a personal, loving relationship with a male deity and surrender their will to a male-dominated authoritarian church. The submission to church authority is a potent form of emasculation. It entails a surrendering of conscience and personal control and deadens emotions and feelings.

Hedges goes on to warn the reader that though the right may seem weakened, they still pose a tremendous danger to our loves and, more importantly, lives.

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We're not sure what organizers were expecting when they decided to hold World Pride in the middle of the Holy Land, but there has been a rare moment of unity between the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths in Israel as they cry "foul" together over the event. Despite the fact that only one quarter of the city of Jerusalem wants World Pride held in their city and that all these conservative religious leaders are having aneurysms over it, plans are going forward for the celebration, which should draw hundreds of thousands of queers from all over the world to the embattled region for a few days of gay revelry.

In general we think that spreading gayness to the Middle East will have a positive effect on the general global understanding. For example, if 500,000 gays come and party in Jerusalem for a few days and the city doesn't get swallowed into the sea or smote by the Hand of God, maybe the hysteria will lessen ever so slightly. Or are we being foolish optimists? Our main concern is that things don't turn violent, and we hope the Jerusalem police are prepared for the possibility will protect the safety of their visitors.

Christian leaders slam gay parade [Jerusalem Post]

The gay marriage debate sometimes makes us want to lose faith in humanity. We wonder how so many people could be such stupid, unfeeling monsters. And then we hear about a group like the Jesus Metropolitan Community Church, which is based in Indiana and has just launched a high profile campaign of religious inclusiveness. Indiana was recently voted one of the Top 10 most unfriendly states for gays, and this group is reaching out to people in the heart of the beast by speaking their language.

They obviously believe that people can change and grow to become better and more loving, and we are happy to be reminded that there are still optimists in the world. We know first-hand that even the most bigoted person can have a change of heart, but sometimes we forget, or can't put in the effort to bring it about.

The campaign has gotten a fair amount of media attention, and we're certain they could now use what all new non-profits can use: money. So check out their site and donate if you're so inclined.

DAVID AND GOLIATH IN INDIANA [PAYOR]
Faith In America [Official Site]

Christians are so persecuted in this country it is practically like ancient Rome, except instead of being thrown to the lions, they are punished for discriminating against gays. Well they have decided to take a stand by suing for the right to be intolerant and bigoted, or in their words, "Christian." We personally don't see intolerance and bigotry as parts of the Christian faith so integral that they should be legislatively protected, but others see it differently:

Policies intended to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination end up discriminating against conservative Christians. Evangelicals have been suspended for wearing anti-gay T-shirts to high school, fired for denouncing Gay Pride Month at work, reprimanded for refusing to attend diversity training.

And our personal favorite: "When they protest tolerance codes, they're labeled intolerant."

Fancy that. We think this is all a publicity ploy, but is a downright offensive one.

Christians Sue for Right Not to Tolerate Policies [LA Times]