Though it doesn’t get the play Christmas does, this is a very religious week: As Jews the world over continue to celebrate the holiday of Passover, Christians are gearing up for Easter.
So Carl Siciliano, director of New York’s Ali Forney Center, released an essay and a set of videos calling on Christians to recognize the anti-LGBT climate prevalent in many churches, and how it can lead to queer youth being homeless or engaging in high-risk behavior.
The videos feature clients of the Ali Forney Center describing instances of physical abuse, psychological torment, and rejection they suffered in Christian households, driving them out of their own homes. Incidents described by the youths include a client being strangled by his father, a Southern Baptist minister, during a homophobic rage, and another made to stay up all night reciting biblical verses condemning homosexuality.
“Decent people do not stand by in silence when children are being abused,” says Siciliano. “We need to recognize that the condemnation of LGBT people in churches leads to the abuse and rejection of LGBT children in far too many Christian homes. As Christians commanded to love one another, we need to demand that this climate of rejection stops.”.
So maybe instead of painting eggs and scarfing down chocolate bunnies, you could do somehting to help LGBT youth in need? For ideas, visit the Ali Forney website.
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hyhybt
Why “instead of?” There’s nothing homophobic about chocolate bunnies and colored eggs.
LandStander
@hyhybt: Agreed, and anyway the bunnies and eggs came from the REAL easter, the pagan holiday for the goddess Eostre. She was the goddess of spring and fertility (hence the bunnies). The christians stole those ideas to make converting pagans to christianity easier.
Billysees
This is another “great work” by LGBT folks to bring attention to the misguided attitudes that permeate so much of conservative Christianity and the harm and hurt it causes.
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a very liberal Christian family with liberal minded friends and neighborhood and schools and city and state.
I can only hope that all experiences of lgbt youth will one day be the same.
It will one day when liberalism rules.
City: Baltimore
State: Maryland