Equality on Main Street (Wall Street)

Wall Street:This afternoon PFLAG rings the closing bell at Wall Street -- THE CLOSING BELL ON HOMOPHOBIA. More and more businesses are recognizing the value of the LGBT market, and they're realizing the importance of LGBT equality.

Arkansas Supreme Court:The Arkansas supreme court says gays and lesbians cannot be barred from the foster care system.

Straight Into Gay America:The Advocate Magazine has a Straight Into Gay America article on their website this week, including a front-page picture for a few days. The article is posted here.

A lot like gambling:Publishing a book feels a lot like rolling dice.

• You never know the payoff. Today the Advocate article feels like high doubles.
• It's a lot like an addiction. I'm getting up with the early rising of the summer sun to work three hours on getting word out about the book each morning before going to my regular work.
• You're just one of a roomful of players: Thank goodness there are judges in Arkansas and traders in Wall Street who care about Equality.

I'm thankful for this season I get to spend with Straight Into Gay America. People who are reading A-Page-A-Day are writing back. This is the encouraging part, making connections with more people, and with more stories. You never know when or where they'll happen. Below are a few excerpts.

Blessings, Lars

I read your article in the Advocate.
I want to thank you, as someone who's been struggling with being queer in the Midwest. I think it's very remarkable what you have done. I get very angry when I see people trying to dehumanize others just for the way they love. Love is just that, no amount of laws or naysayers can change that. I wish more people were fighting for human/civil rights because even though we love differently we are all human and we deserve to feel safe and protected and when our government tells us otherwise it makes it hard to live and that's never okay.

A-Page-A-Day Reader Commnets:
"Thank God for your kindness and being so helpful. I am a PFLAG Mom. I have a wonderful gay son. May God richly bless and keep you..."

"Just read "dad's reservations" I'm sure you realize how lucky you are. I "used" to have that kind of relationship with my mom. Until I became true to myself and was no longer part of her "mainstream" Good Luck and God Bless You..."

"Thank you for working for my equality. As a 76 year old gay male widower, having lost my "spouse" of 34 years, 7 years ago, I know that homosexuality is normal and natural and found in every species on this planet..."

"What an amazing "work" you are doing. Just this evening (in Sydney) I received an e-mail about your book and have started reading the blog pages. It is amazing to me that there are good people like yourself who are willing to confront the hatred and ignorance out there on our behalf..."

Sabbath

Overloaded on Straight Into Gay America. Every day for weeks I've come in to my office between 4 and 5 a.m. to spend two or three hours on preparing for publication.

This morning I woke up and realized I've gone blurry with Straight Into Gay America. I emailed my essay into the Advocate Magazine and now I need a break. Sabbath day. A rest day. I had one of those on my tour last summer, unicycling through Connecticut. I remember a great nap on a warm day, under a church porch near the Connecticut River. After the rest I felt refreshed.

Back tomorrow to continue spreading word. A-Page-A-Day is fast approaching 500 subscribers.

All best,
Lars

Seattle Pride Parade

I could use a Pride Parade about once a month. And I'd love to do that parade with my kids unicycling alongside of me and Anne carrying our Straight Into Gay America banner, as we did yesterday in Seattle. What a day.

Young people and old people. Straight people and gay people. Faith groups by the dozen. Businesses such as Alaska Airlines and Wells Fargo. Longtime advocacy groups like the Human Rights Campaign. And PFLAG. We were further back in the parade, so we saw the result of their work, people wearing a sea of hot pink circles reading, "I'm loved by PFLAG."

Just one protestor with a megaphone. Next to him stood a man with a sense of humor and a t-shirt reading, "I'm not with stupid."

If you've not yet been to a Pride parade, and if you get a chance to participate, take the opportunity. You'll enjoy the edges of flamboyence. But more remarkably, you'll see how exceedingly regular a gay pride parade feels. Celebration. Energy. Hope. I need a parade like this as often as I can.

Thank you SEATTLE!

Blessings,
Lars

Blog Refuge

I need a journaling moment. I got to my computer okay for my normal 4:30 a.m. start, then got a little overwhelmed.

Yesterday I signed up to be in the Seattle Pride Parade. The kids and I will be unicycling and Anne will carry our Straight Into Gay American banner with the Religious Coalition for Equality.

And yesterday PFLAG made a powerful announcement about Straight Into Gay America, including encouragement to start getting the book for free. Here's the PFLA article And Gay Into Straight America did a piece, too, click to read. Because of them passing word about A-Page-A-Day, 92 new people signed up to get the book free yesterday. Over 400 people are now reading A-Page-A-Day.

And some are writing back. Brian from New Zealand! Betty about her gay son with thanks for my journey. Greg, Denise, Marie, and more.

And then the Advocate wrote and asked if I'll write an essay for the magazine. By early next week.

And then I thought how all of this is a dream come true, so enjoy it, take a minute to do what I love to do, write words, savor the connections, these amazing stories that are beginning to gather from writing Straight Into Gay America.

And then, back to giving my book away, back to being a little overwhelmed, and hugely grateful. Thanks all,

Blessings for the day,
Lars

The Fellowship of the Word

You've been reading about the woman who wants me to keep attending church. I write back about finding my place at the edge. Unicycling builds bridges. Writing creates connections.

Here's a person I've never met before, but her words arrived this morning as a new friend. She emailed after reading a free page from A-Page-A-Day. If you want your free pages, SIGN UP HERE

...This sounds awfully familiar. Our stories are so different, and yet so the same. I am a lesbian. I'm not sure anymore if I can call myself a christian. A couple of weeks ago I went to an [LGBT retreat]. I led the worship and music. It was the first time since I have come out, that I felt completely at home, welcomed, loved, affirmed. It's made things worse in some ways...why can't the playing field be level? Why am I always running uphill? Why is the church such a destructive place for people...and not just people like me. Why can't life be more like that weekend? Where my voice is heard and respected too?

I'm pretty weary. I feel as though I'm losing my faith completely.

Thanks for your honesty. Your book is wonderful. I'll have to order a copy for my partner...

Yes. This is why I ride and write and hope. Seeking the shared space of honesty. Walking the uncertain roads and finding the unexpected companions along the way. Gifts I treasure.

Blessings,
Lars

Back and Forth

She wrote back, the woman who thinks its terrible that I'm not going to church with my kids. This time she told of 55 years ago, how she and two other women in college were not able to go to seminary to become pastors, as they dreamed of. Two of the women married pastors, and "they were both smarter than their husbands."

"So," she asked, "if we didn't leave the church then, why are you leaving it now?"

Good question:

First, I'm thankful for all the people who stay in church and work for its bettering. The best example this week is the election of the new Episcopal Bishop of the USA, for the first time ever a woman -- a scientist, a great theologian, a straight talker. I'm overjoyed at this news of her election.

Second, I have learned that I am more angry in church than out of it. I have a difficult time reconciling the churches appeasement of insiders with our core message of Jesus' attention to the need of outsiders. When I'm in church I'm struggling to make insiders include outsiders, instead of working with outsiders. Riding Straight Into Gay America I spend my time with outsiders, wrote for outsiders first, and then make my story available to everyone. At least for this point in my life, the outside makes more sense to me.

Clearly, this will offend our insider sensibilities. That's why I'm on the outside.

Third, church has a great tradition to support the outsider way. There was this guy Jesus. He lasted three years, and then the insiders got him, but along the way to his crucifixion, I think he found a lot of meaning and satisfaction.

More about this in the book.

I'm thankful that the opening pages of A-Page-A-Day are already engendering these good conversations. If you're not yet getting A-Page-A-Day, start receiving the book for free at www.straightintogayamerica.com

Blessings,
Lars

Let the Education Begin

Two older women have written these past days.

One tells me to get back to attending church with my children. "Quit pouting and get back to church and work for change." She feels terrible that Anne and the kids are walking to church on Sunday morning and I'm not there these days for the kids.

The other older woman writes me, "So, you've become a humanist," and sends me references to check out for a place that she has occupied silently for many years, all the while going to church with her questions.

The letters are starting to come in faster now. My rate of education is picking up as people share stories and emotions brought up by Straight Into Gay America. The flip side of authoring a book, is receiving new stories. I feel grateful.

Publishing a book has similarities to opening a closet door. As I open my door to folks, others open their doors to me. I appreciate the gift of these connections. I'll share what I learn,

Blessings,
Lars