God, Recibe a hero with you... Eric Rofes

From the NY times...

Eric Rofes, an educator, author and organizer whose iconoclastic writings on gay concerns preceded the AIDS epidemic and who then helped define its stages, died on Monday in Provincetown, Mass. He was 51.

The cause was not determined, said Richard Burns, executive director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in New York.
Dr. Rofes (pronounced RO-fes) founded or led gay organizations in Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco and was a principal organizer of three national meetings on gay and lesbian issues. He wrote or edited 12 books, some of which provoked sharp debate.
Dr. Rofes became a leading exponent of the view that the AIDS emergency had passed and that gay men should cast aside the crisis mentality of the 1980's. What he called his "reconceptualization of AIDS" included not only tolerance for promiscuous gay sex, but also cautious approval.
"We value the enactment of our desires and will not always give them up in a grand gesture of sacrifice to the AIDS epidemic," he wrote in his book "Dry Bones Breathe: Gay Men Creating Post-AIDS Identities and Cultures" (1998).
He defended unprotected sex as, at least, unavoidable.
Larry Kramer, Gabriel Rotello, Michelangelo Signorile and other prominent gay writers criticized such views as dangerously irresponsible, even with a decline in AIDS cases.
Dr. Rofes's outspokenness extended to comparing gay men in the time of AIDS to survivors of Nazi death camps. He wrote what may have been the first book on gay people and suicide, and he strongly criticized AIDS service organizations and anti-AIDS activists for what he saw as dogmatism and fostering a culture of terror.
When testifying to the National Commission on AIDS in San Francisco in 1991, he wore leather chaps, vest and gloves to suggest that sexual expression took many forms.
Eric Edward Rofes was born on Aug. 31, 1954, in Brooklyn. He grew up in Commack on Long Island. Dr. Rofes graduated from Harvard in 1976.
In the 70's, he was one of the so-called "Boston Mafia" who founded the Gay Community News and the Boston Lesbian and Gay Political Alliance. In an article he wrote last year for White Crane, a quarterly intended for gay men, he told of his joy in joining the emerging gay culture.
"Gay was good," he wrote. "Gay was very good. Gay was excellent."
In that period, he taught sixth grade in public school until he was fired for being openly gay. He then taught for five years at the Fayerweather Street School in Cambridge, Mass. He and his students published three books on young adults' perspectives, including "The Kids' Book of Divorce: By, for and About Kids" (1981).
In 1985, he was hired as executive director of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. After moving to San Francisco in 1989, he headed the Shanti Project, an AIDS service group.
Dr. Rofes received his master's from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1995 and his doctorate in 1998. He had taught at Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif., since 1999.
His research subjects included charter schools and schoolyard bullies, and he consistently used his own experience and research to document the changes in gay culture from the time before AIDS to the disease's epidemic proportions to what is happening now.
"Dr. Rofes's contribution is unique in the continuity it provides with the political movements of the late 1970's, before the derailment that occurred in the early 1980's as a result of AIDS," The Gay Community News wrote in 1996.
Dr. Rofes brought detailed descriptions of his own experiences, including explicitly sexual ones, to his work, as well as stark emotions.
The Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review, in reviewing "Dry Bones" in 1999, suggested that it "is at root not about AIDS at all, but about what AIDS took away from him and his generation, what it left him with, and what he's doing with his anger about the theft."
Surviving are his partner of 16 years, Crispin Hollings of San Francisco; a brother, Peter, of Milwaukee; and a sister, Paula Casey-Rofes.

Why did I leave the roman Catholic Church

Today's NY Times dropped the bomb... in an article that sort of officially announces the side that the Archbishop of Canterbury is taking: He is not taking the side of the "Anawin YHVH", the poor and oppressed of the world, he is taking the side of the powerful conservatives, that have hijacked Christianity since the Trent Council.

It makes me sick the name of people like Akinola, or the American Anglican council, who in my opinion actually work for the devil, not for GOD. These Pseudo-Christians refuse to seat at the table with those who differ from their views. These sons of satan accuse Gay and Lesbian inclusive Parishes and Dioceses of "attempting against the ortodoxy of Christianity" but the reality is that, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender folks have been quiet for centuries about the injust and ridiculous demands of the so called "mainstream Christianity" and now, that people are finally start listening to the voice of God and speaking out without fear... they -the conservatives- are making sure that the voices who disagree with them are silenced, punished and ridiculed.

As I was reading this morning's NY Times, I was reflecting on why did I leave the roma catholic Church in the first place. It may be just easy to think that the idea was just to go to a more inclusive church, but in reality, I astrugled more than that.

I remember reaging Garry Wills' "Why am I still a Catholic" or some articles from different sources by Andrew Sullivan. I remember looking for very progresive roman catholic Parishes, I became active with progressive roman Catholic groups and ministries... and nothing worked. The voice of God, like a very gentle wind, walked me out of the roman Church forever and gently guided me to the doors of the Episcopal Church. In the Episcopal church, I found diversity and a level of plurality that I don't think I will ever see in the roman Catholic Church. While I secretly admired John Paul II as a man of concern for some of the poor of the world, I am convinced tha he was also biased about who he thought deserveed compasion... and who was living "in sin". In the Episcopal Church, I experienced the bennefits of my rupture with a systema that imposed personal views and disregarded the signs of the times, and I was very happy to break with a church -the roman- that has abandoned the Gospel , by considering homosexuals and women sencond class humas beings. I still admire their views on immigration, but I still think they should go forward and listed to the profetic voice of those who claim full inclussion of All.

Today, I see the poetic immage of the "beast of seven heads" colorfully presented in the book of Revelation 12:3, as representing the conservatives of the world, those who are trying to steal the baby boy from the Strugling Mother. My faith calls me to believe that they will be defeated, even when our struggling progresive Churches have to be nurtured in the wilderness, in a place prepared for God.

John the Baptist "The voice of one crying in the wilderness" said "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." Mattew 3:3, and he was killed by herod. The Bible teaches us that the rigtheous may always prevail, but no without struggle... and that is how I would like us -progressive people- to be remembered by future generation, that contemplate the atrocities that are taken place against Gays and Lesbians in the name of "ortodoxy" and God.

Gay Pride/ Episcopal Pride

A day of healing and bonding LGBTQ Episcopalian of the Diocese of NewYork and Diocese of Long Island.

It is an increasing tradition for LGBTQ folks to start and end thecelebrations of Gay Pride in church. Thruought the week, the presenceof LGBTQ Episcopalians was felt in virtually every Pride Celebration,such as the Garden Party, and the endless breakfasts and dinners,vigils, demosntrations and even dances that take part in the City. For many people, Gay Pride day religious services are an opportunityto explore what the church has to offer, and for lots and lots is thevery first contact with an all open, accepting and inclusive churchenvironment. Also, the presence of LG families with babies was muchmore visible this year.

Another interesting thing is how the EpiscopalChurch is the one were many interacial Lesbian and Gay couples can beseen, and actually both partners feel accepted.The Morning service that my lover and I attended was held at the Allinclusive church of the Holy Apostles in the very Gay Chelsea area.Holy aposltes is open and accepting beyond the Sunday services, theyoffer a very generous soup kitchen and space for "Beth-Simcha Tora"the LGBTQ Synagogue of NY. The homily was delivered by MotherElizabeth G. Maxwell and was about how, while many of us are fellingthe pain of the recent events before the closing of generalConvention, the struggle is not over. The complete homily can beenjoyed at http://www.holyapostlesnyc.org/church/sermons/sermons.htm

and a verbatim will be placeed soon on line ofr people to read.The group from church, then, proceded to head to the gathering area,close to Fifth Ave. Many of us noted that the contingents wereconsiderably smaller than last year, whn Bishop Robinson honored uswith his presence. Actually, No bishop marched with us this year.

Tradionally, the churches along Fifth Ave, open their door and scoresof volunteers donate time offering water to the thousands of marchers.Some of the Churches are Marble Collegiate Church (which count withthe largest ministry for LG parents, Saint Thomas Episcopal Church,Ascension Episcopal Church, Fifth Avenue Presbiterian Church...etc.The only one, also traditionally barricated on both sides -their ownside walk and the side walk acccross the street, along the fron ofRockefeller Center- is, off course, Saint Patrick's Cathedral. In thepast, Dignity NY use to stad up to greet people from there... not sureif it is still happening. Saint Patrick's Cathedral is the only oneclosed, barricated and not offering water... or anything else.

Upon our arrival to the Greenwich Village, at the end of the parade,The Episcopal Church of Saint Luke in the Fields open its doors to theMarching Episcopal Churches, and more scores of volunteers donatecheesburgers, juice, snacks and candy. The End of the parade can beseen from the gardens of Saint Luke's, facing Christopher Street.The Even song at Saint Luke in the Fields was -as usual- a moving andlovely service, celebrated by Bishop Katherine Roskam. The homily wasdelivered by The Rev. Martin Smith, from Washington D.C., aboutthe "unfinished" work that we are witnessing in the world as LGBTQpersons, and our responsibility to the future, not the past. theHomily will be soon available to read -and is strongly recomended- atwww.stlukeinthefields.org

finally, just wanted to mention that Many of us marched with a Badgethat read:"My manner of Life presents a challenge to the wider Church"Resoultion B033and through the entire march, services, etc. was a way to identifywith each other, and the most talked about topic in an environmentfull of half naked men and women with beautiful bodies. This was alsothe year that I felt the most cohesion yet among LGBTQ and straightallies from the Episcopal Church.Thank you all for keeping the doors of our churches open for us andthe ones to come... thank you for opening your hearts to everyone."The Episcopal Church Welcomes You"

The Da Vinci senator...

The Da Vinci Senator
By Bob Geiger, AlterNet. Posted June 19, 2006.
http://www.alternet.org/story/37668/

The United States Senate is often called "the greatest deliberative body in the world," which usually raises the bar on the tenor and intellectual content of speeches given on the floor, if not for the official record.
Not so for Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., who took to the Senate floor last week to deliver a strident push for the bigoted "Marriage Protection Amendment." Alongside the typical massive distortions of the issue was an argument that was based almost solely on the opinion of a little-known conservative think tank affiliated with the Roman Catholic organization Opus Dei.
"The problem we have in front of us is the institution of marriage has been weakened, and the effort to redefine it on this vast social experiment that we have going on, redefining marriage differently than it has ever been defined before," the Kansas senator grimly intoned last week. "This effort of this vast social experiment, the early data that we see from other places, harms the institution of the family, the raising of the next generation. And it is harmful to the future of the republic."
Brownback then went on to give figures for how various states have shown their hatred of gay people with their own prohibitions on same-sex marriage and used that as his rationale for a similar amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
But Brownback really hit his stride when he described a paper called "Ten Principles on Marriage and the Public Good," published by a fairly new and extremely conservative group at Princeton University. According to Brownback, the paper is an "important statement of principles from top American scholars [to] be considered carefully by my colleagues." He then added that the sentiments expressed in the nonscientific treatise were so vital to our national dialog that they should "… help guide our debate on this issue."
The paper, sponsored by the Witherspoon Institute at Princeton, makes a case for banning same-sex marriage altogether. What's extraordinary is the idea of a United States senator attempting to sway opinion on an amendment that would have altered our Constitution (had it not been defeated last Wednesday) by using a paper from an organization linked to Opus Dei, a strict religious group that some former members have described as a cult.
Brownback spent a good part of his lengthy Senate speech last week citing the study and attributing it to "this Princeton group of scholars," while never mentioning that all of the findings were based on the ultraconservative Witherspoon Institute bolstered by the involvement -- directly or indirectly -- of a nonprofit, tax-exempt religious organization in Opus Dei.
So what exactly is the Witherspoon Institute, whose paper formed the foundation of Brownback's anti-gay argument?
The institute, which has only been around since 2003, has close ties to Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council, but is also tightly aligned with Opus Dei. Indeed, Luis Tellez, the president of the Witherspoon Institute is also the director and lead cleric of Opus Dei in Princeton.
Since its founding in 1928, Opus Dei has been known for its traditionalist values and right-wing political stances. And critics in academia -- which include former members who sometimes go through "deprogramming" upon exiting Opus Dei -- charge that organizations like the Witherspoon Institute are just veiled attempts by Opus Dei to spread its influence in top-tier academic circles.
So why then, is a U.S. senator offering to Congress "research" linked to Opus Dei on something as vital as amending the Constitution? It turns out that Brownback, who was formerly an evangelical Protestant, converted to Catholicism by way of Opus Dei in 2002 and was sponsored in that conversion by Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Penn., a vocal Opus Dei advocate.
Tellez, the leader of Opus Dei in Princeton, is a "numerary," considered the most conservative of the sect's members -- they are unmarried, celibate, devote every aspect of their lives to their spiritual beliefs and turn over their salaries from secular jobs to Opus Dei.
Again, it bears repeating that Tellez is also the head of the Witherspoon Institute, the group Brownback cited at great length as his primary argument against gay marriage.
And remember, it is Brownback, as an Opus Dei convert, who also leads the charge on Capitol Hill against abortion and stem cell research and who, along with Santorum, is seen by the Religious Right as a point man on "culture war" issues.
The other central figure in the Witherspoon orbit is Dr. Robert George, a Princeton professor and a board member in the institute who, not coincidentally, helped draft the federal gay-marriage ban that was just defeated in the Senate. George chaired a meeting of religious leaders in late 2005 that included Dr. James Dobson and other members of the extreme Religious Right. In fact, in addition to his pivotal role in the Witherspoon Institute, George is also a board member at Perkins' Family Research Council, a group known for its bigoted positions on the gay community.
And, via Brownback, all of this is ultimately finding its way into the halls of Congress.
While it may not be technically illegal for Brownback to be so clearly mixing hard-right religious ideology -- and faux-academic papers promoted by religious organizations like Opus Dei -- with debate on the Senate floor, it should certainly raise some eyebrows. In a country where strict separation of church and state is mandated, it seems Brownback is freely blending the two, attempting to use religious dogma to influence public policy -- all the while not disclosing to his Senate colleagues the background sources of the research he is citing.
But this should not be surprising coming from Brownback.
In a January 2006 Rolling Stone article, "God's Senator," Brownback is described as a religious zealot with a view for America's future that could almost be described as medieval.
"In his dream, America, the one he believes both the Bible and the Constitution promise, the state will simply wither away. In its place will be a country so suffused with God and the free market that the social fabric of the last hundred years -- schools, Social Security, welfare -- will be privatized or simply done away with," reads the article. "There will be no abortions; sex will be confined to heterosexual marriage. Men will lead families, mothers will tend children, and big business and the church will take care of all."
After all, it was Brownback, who came to Congress in 1994 and refused to sign Newt Gingrich's "Contract With America" because he felt it wasn't conservative enough. Even then, as a newcomer to the House of Representatives, Brownback believed that the vast majority of what he saw as Big Government should simply be eliminated, including the departments of education, energy and commerce.
And, yes, it was also Brownback who was so outraged at the split-second glimpse of Janet Jackson's nipple during the 2004 Super Bowl, that he introduced the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act, which substantially raised fines for such simple on-air displays of nudity.
Finally, in addition to being brought into Catholicism by the likes of Opus Dei and using laundered research by an affiliated group on the Senate floor, Brownback chairs a meeting every Tuesday night with the "Values Action Team," consisting of religious leaders like Dobson who help the senator formulate his thoughts on public policy issues.
According to Time magazine, Opus Dei has assets in the neighborhood of $2.8 billion and, with John McCain unlikely to significantly rouse the Religious Right in 2008, look for Brownback to be the guy that Opus Dei, Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council turn to as their presidential candidate.
And make no mistake about it: Brownback wants to run. So if you think his views for a new America, as viewed from the Senate floor, are scary, think of what he'll be like sitting at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
In his mind, it may already be ordained.