Intersections Launches New Believe Out Loud Campaign
On Sunday, Feb. 14 Intersections launched the new Believe Out Loud campaign.
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"Believe Out Loud will equip... clergy to take up the prophetic mantle with pastoral grace in ways that are consistent with their individual faith traditions.” -Harry Knox, director of the Religion and Faith Program at HRC
Join The Movement, Believe Out Loud!
“To be gay in America overwhelmingly means to be denied essential rights and protections,” said Intersections Director Robert Chase in his recent blog post. “[T]he estimated 30 million Americans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) face pervasive social and legal opposition to exercising basic liberties most citizens take for granted. Sadly … nowhere is this opposition more vitriolic than within the Christian church.”
This Valentine’s Day, Intersections celebrated LGBT religious equality with the launch of the new Believe Out Loud campaign — a trans-denominational effort to bring about full inclusion of LGBT individuals in the church. Believe Out Loud targets the more than 40 million mainline Christians who hold critical influence in public perception and ending discriminatory treatment of LGBT persons.
“[T]he 'God vs. gays' dichotomy is false, and reflective of only part of Christendom,” said Chase. “The religious right’s divisive paradigm is paralleled by more progressive stances that have resulted in inclusive institutional transformation.”
Believe Out Loud offers a wide variety of inspirational and useful tools, from liturgical resources to downloadable print and poster ads. The website's materials helps churches seeking to become fully open to gays and lesbians and, in partnership with the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce, provides online access to churches considered “Welcoming & Affirming.”
“LGBT people, their families and friends are calling for full inclusion in the life of the church,” said Harry Knox, director of the Religion and Faith Program of the Human Rights Campaign. “Clergy, too, are hearing their call for justice and hearing God’s call to leadership. Believe Out Loud will equip these clergy to take up the prophetic mantle with pastoral grace in ways that are consistent with their individual faith traditions.”
Peter Laarman, Director of Progressive Christians Uniting and an early architect for this effort has written a comprehensive background piece on Religion Dispatches. And on Friday, Feb. 12, The Advocate –– a national LGBT publication –– featured the project's launch and an exclusive interview with Believe Out Loud Project Manager Sung Park.
To learn more about this national movement, visit www.BelieveOutLoud.com. For more information, please contact BelieveOutLoud@IntersectionsInternational.org.