USEFUL LINKS TO OTHER SITES
Gay Catechism: We are really in need of a basic lesson plan to help LGBTQ Christians rethink our faith in light of our own experiences and of the fear and estrangement which has popped up in so many Christian churches.
I have tried to imagine "coming out" on the same page with "being born again," and to consider our love-hate relationship with the institutional church at the same time we talk about forgiveness and reconciling. It's a big challenge. Will somebody please help? Read more at: www.gaycatechism.net.
NoOn8Church.org: A new site launched in November 2008 as part of the public outcry against the passage of this infamous constitutional amendment in California. Be a part of the movement to overturn Proposition 8, claim our civil rights, restore legal same-sex marriage and sta informed on the issues. Pages on God Talk, Money|Politics, Why Yes Won, Headlines, Links, Legal Issues, Stop "Protecting" Marriage, etc. www.NoOn8Church.org.
Goodsoil: The umbrella organization uniting all the Lutheran activists to change the ELCA's negtive policies. The ELCA Churchwide Assembly was held August 6-11, 2007 at Navy Pier in Chicago. We were there in record numbers! Read more on the Good Soil web site: www.goodsoil.org.
Goodsoil had an impressive presence at the recent ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Chicago, August 6-11, 2007. You can read and download its devotional booklet, "A Place Within My Walls" in PDF format (28 pp.).
Lutherans Concerned/Los Angeles: Lutherans Love is a ministry of the Los Angeles chapter.
Read about Los Angeles' weekend of love (June 9-10)! We had wedding cakes, a fountain filled with "bubbly", a guest book, a real altar and candles, flowers galore, and photographers. We spoke with more than 800 people, and photographed 350 couples who dressed up in wedding attire and were ready to decalre their love to the world. www.lutheranslove.org.
Lutherans Concerned/North America: The main web site for the original organization to bring together gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Christians for mutual support, education and action. www.lcna.org.
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) was officially launched October 31, 2007, joining the forces of two former organizations (see below) to promote mission and ministry where LGBT Christians will find Gospel, healing and safety. The new organization is not a separate church, but an association to promote justice and mission in the Lutheran Church. www.elm.org.
The former organizations which have merged into ELM were:
Extraordinary Candidacy Project: Promoting the full participation of sexual minority people in the professional ministry of the Lutheran church. www.extraordinarycandidacyproject.org.
Lutheran Lesbian & Gay Ministries: The mission arm of the Lutheran LGBT movement, LLGM raises funds and supports ministries from San Francisco to as far as Cape Town, South Africa. www.llgm.org.
Lutheran Network for Inclusive Vision: An organization of solidarity and support for LGBT pastors which works for justice in the Lutheran churches. The Network maintains a public roster of pastors who have signed on in supporrt of our cause. Newsletters are available on line in PDF format. www.inclusivenet.com.
Soulforce: A strong ally with Lutherans Concerned and other religious justice organizations, Soulforce is dedicated to freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from religious and political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance. www.soulforce.org.
DanHooper.info: Personal Links and Connections:
Hollywood Lutheran Church, Los Angeles, California. These are the web sites for our local program, ministry and outreach efforts in Hollywood.
www.hollywoodlutheran.org -- our congregation's general web site. Here you can meet the staff, read or hear sermons, check the calendar, and respond to key issues in the community.
Hollywood Lutheran Church, dressed for the season of Lent
Also see:
www.HollywoodWedding.org -- Want to get married? This site is devoted to planning the perfect wedding, including "my big fat gay church wedding."
www.HollywoodCallBack.org -- An innovative project to bring together Hollywood professionals, actors, young talent and wannabees, just to meet one another and exhange contact information.
www.LosFelizArtWalk.org -- A project of the church community in our neighborhood to bring spirituality and arts together and stir up the creative human spirit.
www.WorldAIDSHollywood.org -- Hollywood observes World AIDS Day on Sunday evening, December 2 with a deeply moving community service including a street procession, world premier of newly-composed music, combined choirs, and the lighting of hundreds of candles in remembrance and hope for a cure.
and see my regular blog: see www.IndwellingSpirit.org
Other sites I admire and use:
www.faithinamerica.info: "Religious bigotry -- let's end it now and forever" --- operated by Rev. Jimmy Creech, a former United Methodist Church pastor who was disciplied and removed for performing lesbian/gay marriages. Media, blog, resources and events.
www.welcomingresources.org -- The ecumenical level of all Christian reconciling, open and affirming, welcoming churches. Lots of resources are available here.
www.whosoever.org -- An independent and ecumenical online magazine for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Christians. In its twelfth year, contains archives going back to 1996.
www.lgbtran.org -- The LGBT Religious Archives Network is a clearing house for the history of the LGBT/Christian movement; it is hosted by Chicago Theological Seminary. The site contains leaders' profiles, oral history, online exhibitions and collections catalogue.
www.outhistory.org -- A new site launched by Jonathan Ned Katz, which he describes as "a freely accessible educational website in development about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and heterosexual history."
www.religioustolerance.org -- Almost "the Wikipedia of religion", this sponsored (there are ads!) site has an inexhaustible number of good articles on many aspects of religion and spirituality.
www.straightintogayAmerica.org -- straight man Lars Clausen has written a book about his adventure on a unicycle trying to better understand "gay America." Here are his story, his book, his site and his friends.
www.365gay.com -- These people do a good joob of news headlines and briefs you should read. There is a lot of religion coverage here. Once you know there's a story, you can always Google for it and find more.
www.indegayforum.org -- Independent Gay Forum: Forging a Gay Mainstream. Not a "religion" site, but contains many insightful articles about religion, the religious right, and other issues we care about.