Showing posts with label god and gays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label god and gays. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
God and Gays DVD Release November 11th
We're thrilled to announce that God and Gays: Bridging the Gap is being re-released on DVD Tuesday, November 11th! So, pre-order it from Amazon, Save it in your Netflix queue, tell a friend...think of the holidays and who could use a movie to remind them of just how loved they are, just as they are...thank you for supporting us all this time. Enjoy the movie!
God and Gays Shows in Los Angeles Oct 23-26
We've heard from our film distributor that God and Gays: Bridging the Gap will show for one week at the Los Angeles Laemle Grand. Spread the news, invite friends and enjoy the movie!!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Intersections for A Girl Like Me
I just returned from Purdue University in Indiana where we made history together on Tuesday night. As part of their student diversity conference called Intersections, they broke ground and opened the dialogue on faith and sexuality reconciliation for the first time in the University's history...which dates back to the late 1800s.
There's an air of the topic being taboo if you support and accept homosexuality on campus. If someone is struggling, there's a small support group that one hears of through the grapevine on campus held in the counseling center. There's a queer student alliance which meets for mostly social reasons with apparently one member interested in advocacy. Can't blame them...even though the school is second in the nation for sheer numbers of international students, acceptance of diversity is still a challenge in the traditionally white, conservative, agricultural, Christian student body, especially when it comes to gay, lesbian and transgender students. The board of trustees doesn't support or fund a resource center where students struggling with homosexuality can safely come to for help. It's loose knit, faculty isn't involved, there's a huge hole and need for student support.
Although around the campus there's a belief that being gay isn't okay, and in our screening event, it was just the opposite. There were honest questions, honest struggles, celebrations, affirmations, support, love and call to action for people to not just watch and nod their heads...there's a real need to not only DO something, there's also the real need to BE something. Be who you are and not assume everyone is against something. We have to live FOR something, nothing survives for long when it's only against something. It's not sustainable.
I was proud, impressed and also heart broken during my visit. I heard stories of family members being rejected, the pain reverberated the room. I heard of kids staying in the closet and scared, of hating feeling they have to lie about who they are. I also met straight ally Christian men stepping up, standing with and supporting gay students. They are the heroes who are creating the climate change. It reminds me of Caucasian men and women marching with African Americans in the 1960s. It's exactly what is needed, and once again, just like the '60s, the youth are teaching the rest of us what kind of world is possible when unified.
One question I was asked was which faiths are most accepting of homosexuality. I mentioned Buddhism and then specifically mentioned Christianity at its purest form as lived out by Jesus in the New Testament (even though Jesus wasn't a Christian obviously). When Christianity is lived by the Christ Consciousness demonstrated by Jesus, seeing him role-model unconditional love and recognize every human being as a child of God, then I can say that it's a faith that is accepting. I mentioned the faith, not the followers...the followers have free will to misinterpret, play God and judge what they don't understand and miss the point to Christ's lessons. This happens often, however it's not every Christian.
I see authentic processing going with many Christians, young and older. I get emails seeking support, asking real questions, wanting to truly live with God's heart. It's tough to reconcile at first, I know, I was there. I just don't want people to do it alone. I really believe people want to do the right thing, there's a spirit of Anne Frank in me believing all people are good. I believe it's our natural state, and along the way of life, it got muddled, sometimes really really muddled. The movie and our screening events and conversations are an invitation to return to the natural state. To return to the basics. To return to love.
It's been suggested to have a message board on our website for viewers of the film to talk about how it touched them...and in some cases, saved them or a family member. I'll look into it. Until then, you have the comments option on any of our posts, you can also email our office at info@godandgaysthemovie.com to share your story.
One of the other events they held as part of the conference showed this award-winning short done by a high school student called A Girl Like Me. I highly encourage you to watch it and do something...or rather...be something after seeing it. As a media lecturer for 8 years before doing my own media projects, I find it powerful and am glad to share it with you. It's a reminder that we're all in this together...the solution is in the quality communication we share with each other.
There's an air of the topic being taboo if you support and accept homosexuality on campus. If someone is struggling, there's a small support group that one hears of through the grapevine on campus held in the counseling center. There's a queer student alliance which meets for mostly social reasons with apparently one member interested in advocacy. Can't blame them...even though the school is second in the nation for sheer numbers of international students, acceptance of diversity is still a challenge in the traditionally white, conservative, agricultural, Christian student body, especially when it comes to gay, lesbian and transgender students. The board of trustees doesn't support or fund a resource center where students struggling with homosexuality can safely come to for help. It's loose knit, faculty isn't involved, there's a huge hole and need for student support.
Although around the campus there's a belief that being gay isn't okay, and in our screening event, it was just the opposite. There were honest questions, honest struggles, celebrations, affirmations, support, love and call to action for people to not just watch and nod their heads...there's a real need to not only DO something, there's also the real need to BE something. Be who you are and not assume everyone is against something. We have to live FOR something, nothing survives for long when it's only against something. It's not sustainable.
I was proud, impressed and also heart broken during my visit. I heard stories of family members being rejected, the pain reverberated the room. I heard of kids staying in the closet and scared, of hating feeling they have to lie about who they are. I also met straight ally Christian men stepping up, standing with and supporting gay students. They are the heroes who are creating the climate change. It reminds me of Caucasian men and women marching with African Americans in the 1960s. It's exactly what is needed, and once again, just like the '60s, the youth are teaching the rest of us what kind of world is possible when unified.
One question I was asked was which faiths are most accepting of homosexuality. I mentioned Buddhism and then specifically mentioned Christianity at its purest form as lived out by Jesus in the New Testament (even though Jesus wasn't a Christian obviously). When Christianity is lived by the Christ Consciousness demonstrated by Jesus, seeing him role-model unconditional love and recognize every human being as a child of God, then I can say that it's a faith that is accepting. I mentioned the faith, not the followers...the followers have free will to misinterpret, play God and judge what they don't understand and miss the point to Christ's lessons. This happens often, however it's not every Christian.
I see authentic processing going with many Christians, young and older. I get emails seeking support, asking real questions, wanting to truly live with God's heart. It's tough to reconcile at first, I know, I was there. I just don't want people to do it alone. I really believe people want to do the right thing, there's a spirit of Anne Frank in me believing all people are good. I believe it's our natural state, and along the way of life, it got muddled, sometimes really really muddled. The movie and our screening events and conversations are an invitation to return to the natural state. To return to the basics. To return to love.
It's been suggested to have a message board on our website for viewers of the film to talk about how it touched them...and in some cases, saved them or a family member. I'll look into it. Until then, you have the comments option on any of our posts, you can also email our office at info@godandgaysthemovie.com to share your story.
One of the other events they held as part of the conference showed this award-winning short done by a high school student called A Girl Like Me. I highly encourage you to watch it and do something...or rather...be something after seeing it. As a media lecturer for 8 years before doing my own media projects, I find it powerful and am glad to share it with you. It's a reminder that we're all in this together...the solution is in the quality communication we share with each other.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Free Interview with God & Gays Director Feb. 7th
Our next guest for the God, Gays & You Live Interview series is Luane Beck, director of the film, God & Gays: Bridging the Gap (www.godandgaysthemovie.com). Listen to how the film was made, how she found the people in the movie who were so vulnerable and honest in telling their stories of struggle and reconciliation. Ask questions live on the call. To sign up for phone access and the special code, go to the website and get the e-blast. This is a free teleconference, from the comfort of your own home...every first Thursday of each month.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Peggy Campolo live interview TONIGHT
Hope you all can join us tonight for a live call with Peggy Campolo. An evangelical, mother, wife of popular speaker Dr. Tony Campolo, Peggy sticks her neck out as a Christian GLBT advocate. She accepts homosexuality not in spite of the Bible but because of it. Hear her story, how she and her husband disagree on this major issue, what it's like for her to speak out and why she's so committed to doing so.
This is part of our monthly teleconference series the first Thursday of every month with some of the biggest and most influential folks in the reconciliation movement. To get the access code and phone number every month, sign up for our e-blasts in the right column of the blog. For tonight's call, write us at info@godandgaysthemovie.com.
Join us!
This is part of our monthly teleconference series the first Thursday of every month with some of the biggest and most influential folks in the reconciliation movement. To get the access code and phone number every month, sign up for our e-blasts in the right column of the blog. For tonight's call, write us at info@godandgaysthemovie.com.
Join us!
Monday, July 02, 2007
My Weekend at the Ex Gay Survivor Conference
Wow....what a weekend. Peterson Toscano and Christine Bakke from BeyondExGay.com along with Soulforce put together this first time ever, unique and much needed Ex Gay Survivor's Confrence in Irvine, CA. It happened less than a mile from Exodus' "Freedom" Conference. Fascinating that what Exodus was interfering and creating at their conference, was the same thing the survivor conference was trying to repair and heal. It's like a photo I took of a Krispy Kreme donut store directly across the street from a hospital. Cause and effect. Choices and consequences. Eat a lot of donuts, you'll end up in the hospital sooner than you think. Believe a lot of harmful lies and psychological trauma based in fear, you'll end up suicidal, ripped from your family and if you survive, putting the pieces of your life together slowly, maybe have a healthy relationship without feeling guilty. Either donuts or dogma, we're allowing it to ourselves. We're the ones putting it in our system and digesting it. But these options are only available if there's an audience willing to pay and hear it.
Why not skip the middle man and allow God to guide you? No need to spend money to hear someone say every gay person is gay because they were molested (Melissa Fryear of Exodus) or it's the father's fault because he didn't hug his son enough (Nicolosi from NARTH) or it's the mom's fault because she wasn't a strong role model for her daughter. Why pay someone to do that to you? Why doubt yourself and God's guidance in your life that much?
Even Exodus' current leader, Alan Chambers, says, "expect a life of denial" as an ex gay and he frequently mentions a daily prayer he says asking God to help him not do what comes naturally to him.
The focus on the Survivor conference was not on Exodus or bashing them, it was in support and encouragement for those who went through the programs and are broken inside, carry pain and guilt still, feel divided, walked away from God, are angry and feel betrayed and for those who have accepted themselves, want to meet others and see they aren't alone.
People shared their stories, there were tears, there was laughter. We got to show our movie and the praise was high. This was a very different crowd for our movie...we usually have 80% heterosexual people attend. This time it was the opposite. What was important to me was that they felt properly represented. Like the movie voiced them and their experience, saying what they'd want to say to people. And they did. They felt great about the movie expressing and representing them. Phew.
You probably have caught the articles, our own Darlene Bogle on CNN, etc from the Ex conferences. It was amazing to be a part of history.
If you're ex gay or had an ex gay experience yourself or with your child, I highly recommend coming to our Gathering in Nashville August 3/4. You'll be safe. You'll be upheld. You won't be alone. You'll be comforted. You'll be heard. You'll matter. You'll be addressed in love. Click the registration button on the right column and see you in Nashville.
I'll continue to blog on my experiences and the kinds of stories we heard this weekend, some heart breaking, some very redeeming. I'll also share one of the disturbing emails we got recently.
Hang in there if you've had an ex gay experience. There is light at the end of the tunnel...hang on....there's a huge support system here for you.
Why not skip the middle man and allow God to guide you? No need to spend money to hear someone say every gay person is gay because they were molested (Melissa Fryear of Exodus) or it's the father's fault because he didn't hug his son enough (Nicolosi from NARTH) or it's the mom's fault because she wasn't a strong role model for her daughter. Why pay someone to do that to you? Why doubt yourself and God's guidance in your life that much?
Even Exodus' current leader, Alan Chambers, says, "expect a life of denial" as an ex gay and he frequently mentions a daily prayer he says asking God to help him not do what comes naturally to him.
The focus on the Survivor conference was not on Exodus or bashing them, it was in support and encouragement for those who went through the programs and are broken inside, carry pain and guilt still, feel divided, walked away from God, are angry and feel betrayed and for those who have accepted themselves, want to meet others and see they aren't alone.
People shared their stories, there were tears, there was laughter. We got to show our movie and the praise was high. This was a very different crowd for our movie...we usually have 80% heterosexual people attend. This time it was the opposite. What was important to me was that they felt properly represented. Like the movie voiced them and their experience, saying what they'd want to say to people. And they did. They felt great about the movie expressing and representing them. Phew.
You probably have caught the articles, our own Darlene Bogle on CNN, etc from the Ex conferences. It was amazing to be a part of history.
If you're ex gay or had an ex gay experience yourself or with your child, I highly recommend coming to our Gathering in Nashville August 3/4. You'll be safe. You'll be upheld. You won't be alone. You'll be comforted. You'll be heard. You'll matter. You'll be addressed in love. Click the registration button on the right column and see you in Nashville.
I'll continue to blog on my experiences and the kinds of stories we heard this weekend, some heart breaking, some very redeeming. I'll also share one of the disturbing emails we got recently.
Hang in there if you've had an ex gay experience. There is light at the end of the tunnel...hang on....there's a huge support system here for you.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Luane's Other Projects...and Our Next
So, how about this for "coincidence"? I'm started to write this blog at 6:16pm. That miracle won't mean anything unless you read the previous blog, but...SEE?? It happens to me all the time. Has it happened to you yet? We'd love to hear if 6:16 suddenly starts catching your eye...we can start a nationwide movement called 6:16 and have it about taking a minute every day to remember why we're here and be in appreciation that we are here. Hmmm...an interesting idea.
Speaking of 6:16, I forgot to tell you a few years ago Luane actually wrote a David Lynch-like script called 6/16 for a grad program project. We gathered a crew and shot the 24 min. short over a long weekend (and it was loooonggg...not much sleep on indy film sets). Luane's not happy with how the lighting turned out so currently it's only for our eyes. We showed it once at an Intentions screening (Intentions is Luane's first movie...you can get it at amazon, blockbuster, netflix and see it on Logo television). There was a fantastic reaction to it, but Luane being the artist she is, doesn't want to release it as it is. Who knows, maybe we'll re-shoot it and put it out there.
The story is basically how I saw and dealt with my sister's tragic death...then and now. It's out of order, I acted in it (well, tried) and the pool scene was too intense for me to stick around and watch. But it's a good script, a great story and I'm sure it'll help someone someday. With this short film and God and Gays, you'd think Luane uses me and my life story as her muse. Well, I guarantee our next project has nothing to do with my life...but a lot to do with my sense of humor. We're in scripting and plan to fund and start shooting next year. So excited!
We'll keep you in the loop as things move along...
Speaking of 6:16, I forgot to tell you a few years ago Luane actually wrote a David Lynch-like script called 6/16 for a grad program project. We gathered a crew and shot the 24 min. short over a long weekend (and it was loooonggg...not much sleep on indy film sets). Luane's not happy with how the lighting turned out so currently it's only for our eyes. We showed it once at an Intentions screening (Intentions is Luane's first movie...you can get it at amazon, blockbuster, netflix and see it on Logo television). There was a fantastic reaction to it, but Luane being the artist she is, doesn't want to release it as it is. Who knows, maybe we'll re-shoot it and put it out there.
The story is basically how I saw and dealt with my sister's tragic death...then and now. It's out of order, I acted in it (well, tried) and the pool scene was too intense for me to stick around and watch. But it's a good script, a great story and I'm sure it'll help someone someday. With this short film and God and Gays, you'd think Luane uses me and my life story as her muse. Well, I guarantee our next project has nothing to do with my life...but a lot to do with my sense of humor. We're in scripting and plan to fund and start shooting next year. So excited!
We'll keep you in the loop as things move along...
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