The Institute for Welcoming Resources

Join us as we look at three churches around the United States who are part of the "Welcoming Movement." These churches, in Arizona, Minnesota, and Washington, D.C., are committed to accepting and affirming gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Watch their triumphs and struggles in this special documentary episode!

Level Ground:A Safe Space for Dialog through Art

Level Ground uses art to create safe space for dialogue about faith, gender, and sexuality. Our hope is to cultivate a better way of speaking with one another across our differences and disagreements. Level Ground is becoming a national innovator in film festival programming, art curation, and dialogue.

The name Level Ground comes from a prophecy in the book of Isaiah. The name embodies a space where we descend from our mountains and climb out of the valleys to meet one another on sacred, though likely uncomfortable, level ground.

We believe safe space is integral for transforming how we see each other and create a world of peace and civility together. Level Ground works with artists and communities, curating art that tells stories and fosters reconciliation.

Goodbye to David Cupps

The new year is always an exciting time. We get to look forward to new futures and new possibilities. This New Year's is a little bittersweet though. After more than three years of excellent service on the staff of Integrity, our Operations Manager, David Cupps, will be moving on to new opportunities.

We are sad to see him go. He has served as the core for many systems and groups that have not only served Integrity well, but that have served the Episcopal Church well. “During the year when we had no Executive Director, David really kept the organization going, and I depended on him for his wisdom, knowledge, and leadership as well as for doing everything it takes to make Integrity run smoothly,” said the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall, president of Integrity's Board of Directors.

2013's Top Ten Moments in Christian Faith & LGBTQ Equality

This year has brought unprecedented progress toward LGBTQ inclusion and equality in the United States and around the world. Even as we gain traction in our work, debates over Christian faith and LGBTQ equality persist.

In August 2013, Pope Francis surprised the world by asking a simple question on the topic of gay priests: "Who am I to judge?" The next month, he challenged the Catholic Church to focus more on becoming a "home for all" than topics like homosexuality. Pope Francis has yet to affirm LGBTQ identity, and he continues to uphold the Catholic definition of marriage, but his change in tone is undoubtedly shifting dialogue on LGBTQ equality in the Catholic Church.

Big LGBT faith moments of 2013

2013 was a big year for LGBT equality, and the LGBT religious movement had several significant moments as well. Take a look at the list below:

We mourn the passing of Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was an inspiration to the millions of people who yearn for freedom across the world. With great personal sacrifice, he fought Apartheid and state-sanctioned racism. His principled approach, his willingness to reach out to former enemies, led to the introduction of multi-party democracy and real change in South Africa. Indeed, South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution was the first in the world to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation. His legacy is hope; hope that people can achieve peace and freedom in a world with more than its fair share of conflict.

More articles below:

Faith Transitions at National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is pleased to announce the dynamic team of people who will lead the Faith Work at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for the coming months. Javen Swanson will serve as the Interim Faith Work Director and Barbara Satin will be promoted to Assistant Faith Work Director. The changes are in response to the October 1st departure of Rev. Dr. Rebecca Voelkel after eight years of important work as the founding Director of the Faith Work Program.

To support this transition period, the Haas, Jr. Fund has provided The Task Force with a generous grant from its Flexible Leadership Awards program. As a result of this strategic support, Viveka Chen and Steve Lew have been engaged to serve as Listening Process and Search Consultants. Their work will provide an opportunity for the Task Force’s Institute for Welcoming Resources constituents and other faith leaders to reflect on the status and needs of the Welcoming movement into the future.

Statement from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force on 50th Anniversary Commemoration of the March on Washington

“Today's commemoration of the march on Washington was in the spirit of Bayard Rustin — the openly gay man who was the lead organizer of the march 50 years ago — and an extraordinary and magnificent showing of support for Dr. King's dream of jobs, justice, freedom and equality: a dream that is yet to be fulfilled,” said Rev. Darlene Nipper, Task Force Deputy Executive Director, who marched with a group of Task Force supporters from across the nation.

“On jobs, LGBT people can be fired for who they are and who they love. Congress must pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). On freedom, Congress must restore the Voting Right Act gutted by the Supreme Court just a few weeks ago. You only had to watch the voter suppression tactics against people of color in the last election to see why this landmark law is still absolutely essential to deliver justice and a free and fair democracy. On jobs and freedom, Congress must pass comprehensive and inclusive immigration reform.”

NEW DOCUMENTARY!

"In Our Fullness: Faith and Activism Across Difference"
presents conversations with activists about faith-based work for radical social change around issues including sexuality, gender, race, class, and age. The video includes powerful testimonies from activists representing Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Native spiritualities, presenting challenges and successes in faith-based progressive-left coalition building.

Produced by the Institute for Welcoming Resources, a Project of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in partnership with the Macalester College Chuck Green Civic Engagement Fellowship.

Additional Ecumenical & Multi-Faith Groups Convened by IWR

Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays Vs. Christians Debate

As a teenager and young man, Justin Lee felt deeply torn. Nicknamed “God Boy” by his peers, he knew that he was called to a life in the evangelical Christian ministry. But Lee harbored a secret: He also knew that he was gay. In this groundbreaking book, Lee recalls the events–his coming out to his parents, his experiences with the “ex-gay” movement, and his in-depth study of the Bible–that led him, eventually, to self-acceptance. But more than just a memoir, TORN provides insightful, practical guidance for all committed Christians who wonder how to relate to gay friends or family members–or who struggle with their own sexuality. Convinced that “in a culture that sees gays and Christians as enemies, gay Christians are in a unique position to bring peace,” Lee demonstrates that people of faith on both sides of the debate can respect, learn from, and love one another.

What Do I Do Now? When a Child Comes Out as Lesbian or Gay

Few parents are prepared for the moment when a child comes out as lesbian or gay. What Do I Do Now? gives loving reassurance and theological guidance towards maintaining a loving relationship with your son or daughter. Rev. Dr. Johnston, a Pastoral Psychologist with 25 years of experience working with gay men and women and their families, encourages parents towards understanding, open communication, and self care in this practical guide.

God Believes in Love: Straight Talk About Gay Marriage

From the Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church, the first openly gay person elected (in 2003) to the historic episcopate and the world's leading religious spokesperson for gay rights and gay marriage - a groundbreaking book that lovingly and persuasively makes the case for same-sex marriage using a commonsense, reasoned, religious argument, made by someone who holds the religious text of the Bible to be holy and sacred and the ensuing two millennia of church history to be relevant to the discussion, equally familiar with the secular and political debate going on in America today, and for whom same-sex marriage is a personal issue; Robinson was married to a woman for two decades and is a father of two children and has been married to a man for the last four years of a twenty-three year relationship.

Puzzles: When Hate Came to Town

The film follows the story of a violent hate crime that occurred in New Bedford, MA, when an 18-year-old entered an LGBT bar and brutally attacked three patrons with a hatchet and a gun. In response, the community came together to establish greater understanding and connection. PUZZLES is a deeply human exploration of the roots of hate crime, and the intersections between joblessness, homophobia, intolerance, alienation and violence.

Queer Clergy: A History of Gay and Lesbian Ministry in American Protestantism

Attorney, historian, and novelist, R. W. Holmen brings a unique voice to the conversation of gay clergy in the pulpits. Queer Clergy: A History of Gay and Lesbian Ministry in American Protestantism provides a detailed history of the ways in which the United Church of Christ, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have dealt with the issue of ordaining Queer clergy. Queer Clergy will prove to be an historical reference book for years to come.