美国国家公共电台 NPR--Why you might notice more religious groups at Pride celebrations this year

Why you might notice more religious groups at Pride celebrations this year

Transcript¹

At the Pride Fest in Santa Monica, Calif., six houses of worship — five churches and a synagogue — had booths lined up all in a row.

The Episcopalians offered table bowling². The Lutherans offered temporary rainbow tattoos³. A nondenominational church let anyone feeling lucky spin a wheel for prizes — ranging from coffee mugs featuring the Lamb of God holding a rainbow flag to a T-shirt emblazoned with Jesus wearing a rainbow crown of thorns.

The swag at Beth Chayim Chadashim's booth was pink plastic pens and stickers that read "Happy Pride!" above a rainbow Star of David.

Rabbi Jillian Cameron handed out those stickers and answered questions about service times and whether interfaith couples are welcome.

"I think it's really important," she said, "for us to be just as visible so that people know out in the world that loud voices saying horrible thing to our community are not the only religious voices out there."

Because those voices take their emotional toll⁴, according to Cameron, even in a place as progressive as California. She remembers a trans person once coming to her nervously⁵, wanting to talk about converting to Judaism.

"They were so convinced and sure that I was going to say no," Cameron recalled. "And when I said 'Of course, please come learn with me. Come be part of our community. Come figure it out with us.' They burst into tears because that was the first time someone said 'You can have both of these things.'

She added that an important message for her synagogue is, "You don't have to suppress a piece of you to exist."

It's no longer unusual to find a welcoming synagogue in many places around the U.S., but the same can't be said of every religious group.

Finding and making a spiritual home in the Black Pentecostal tradition

In South Los Angeles, Sammie Haynes arranges chairs and tables for Sunday services at Vision Church — a storefront Black Pentecostal congregation. For him, a relationship with God seemed impossible a few years ago, after he came out as gay.

"I wanted to be authentically⁶ myself," he said, "and when that happened I lost all of my friends and connections because, of course, the church frowned upon that."

For Haynes, it was a low time but he knew he wasn't alone.

"Most of our queer siblings⁷ have had challenges when it comes to the Black church and their faith experience," he said. "They have been vilified⁸ from the pulpit or ostracized⁹ or put out. Even some people put their children out of the house."

A few years after coming out, Haynes was visiting friends in Atlanta. They invited him to a church that specifically celebrated¹⁰ LGBTQ people.

"I was so amazed," he said, "to see pastors¹² and trans people and gay people who were obviously gay and queer people all together worshiping and praising God."

It certainly wasn't the Black Pentecostal tradition in which he was raised.

"I just didn't' know a place like that existed," Haynes said, "and from there, I connected."

It was a connection that led to a change in vocation¹³, from working in education to working for the church.

"I heard clear from God," he said. "I needed to create a space to encounter God no matter how you show up."

Now, Pastor¹¹ Haynes is showing up for his community in South LA During this Pride Month, Haynes' calendar is full, from leading interfaith queer-friendly worship services to marching with his parishioners in Pride parades to hosting an LGBTQ block party in the parking lot next to his church.

For Haynes, the Biblical story that resonates most deeply with him right now is Moses leading the Hebrew people out of slavery.

"I'm excited for this month," he said, "to help somebody move from their Egypt to their Exodus¹⁴. Because liberation is not only in the air for us at Vision Los Angeles. Liberation is in the air for the entire community."

More pro-gay God-talk at Pride this year is no accident. It's a national initiative of the progressive Interfaith Alliance, involving Christians¹⁵, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and others. It's called Faith for Pride, and it's meant, in part, to counter the message of anti-LGBTQ rights legislation in statehouses around the U.S.

"We are not going to let this happen to our LGBTQ siblings," said Interfaith Alliance president Paul Raushenbush, who is also a Baptist minister. "Not on our watch."

Beyond passing out swag and having fun at Pride events, he says it's a time to educate people about the laws being passed in states such as Florida, Texas, Idaho and elsewhere.

"We need to organize," he said. "We need to specifically fight back against these bills. And we need to rally religious communities and a religious voice to say 'no.'"

According to Raushenbush, the group's agenda is political, but it's also a personal message queer people need to hear.

"Don't feel like you have this choice between your sexuality or your gender¹⁶ and your religious tradition," he said. "There are people out there who love you who respect you who will welcome you and will help you thrive."

LGBTQ rights: Part of a larger human rights agenda

Muslims for Progressive Values is one of more than 100 religious organizations across the country that have signed on as co-sponsors of Faith for Pride.

The organization has chapters in Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Each chapter is hosting its own activities, including sending contingents¹⁷ to Pride marches, throwing henna parties for same-sex couples, and leading education sessions for local Muslim communities.

Ani Zonneveld is founder¹⁸ and president of Muslims for Progressive Values.

"Nothing is going to change within the Islam," she said, "and also outside Muslim society until we really provide the educational content, the alternative interpretation¹⁹ of Islam."

She knows some people will hear the word "Islam" and immediately think of conservative, anti-LGBTQ rhetoric²⁰, such as the recent position statement signed by more than 150 prominent imams and religious scholars.

That statement reads, in part, "By a decree from God, sexual relations are permitted within the bounds of marriage, and marriage can only occur between a man and a woman."

To Zonneveld, those sorts of messages contravene²¹ the spirit of Islam. "One that really goes back to the Koran," she said, "and how it really advocates for those who are oppressed."

Zonneveld had long been an advocate for human rights in Muslims countries, but she did not start to take on LGBTQ rights until 2008.

Although the California Supreme²² Court ruled early that year that same-sex marriage was a right guaranteed by the state constitution, voters later passed Proposition 8. That ballot²³ measure amended²⁴ the state constitution and eliminated the right for same-sex couples to marry.

It was a watershed²⁵ moment for Zonneveld. "As a human rights defender," she said, "I felt if I was going to talk about human rights, I should not be selective about whose human rights."

So she added work for LGBTQ rights to the agenda of Muslims for Progressive Values.

"What I really just hope, simply, is for people to become more inclusive and loving and compassionate," Zonneveld said. "It's really that simple."

Progressive people of faith are organizing "for such a time as this"

One of the groups heavily involved in Faith for Pride is the Los Angeles Queer Interfaith Clergy²⁶ Council, which serves as an umbrella organization for LGBTQ-affirming congregations in the region.

One of the group's organizers is Rev²⁷. Pat Langlois, pastor of the North Hollywood congregation MCC United Church of Christ in the Valley.

She views people of faith advocating for LGBTQ rights as existential, both for queer people in general and for her understanding of Christianity specifically.

"It amplifies²⁹ the voices of faith that are so vital right now," Langlois said, "because faith has been hijacked³⁰."

Hijacked, she believes, by those using the Bible and what she describes as misguided understandings of religious liberty to roll back decades of progress for LGBTQ rights.

Langlois is especially concerned about the many states passing or considering bills that criminalize gender affirming care for transgender children. Those who believe such medical care should be illegal often interpret the Bible's creations stories as affirming that God created two immutable³¹ sexes, male and female.

Langlois is heartened, though, by religious activists³² on the other side of the debate. She's also inspired by a moment in the book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible, when Queen Esther is asked not to remain silent about deadly, oppressive laws but rather advocate for the lives of the Jews: "You have come to your royal position for such a time as this." (Esther 4:14)

Langlois says now is the moment for people of faith who favor LBGTQ rights to stand up and speak out. "You know," Langlois says, "We have come to a point where truly for such a time as this, and nobody can sit on the sideline."

It's a message present among the houses of worship represented at Santa Monica Pride and a message that Pride attendee Rin Kahla said she heard as she visited booths and picked up swag.

She's come and gone from congregations over the years, sometimes because they were less welcoming of LGBTQ people than they claimed to be. But she found herself enormously encouraged as she saw so many people of faith standing²⁸ beneath signs that read "Happy Pride!"

"Whether it's being Jewish or Protestant or Pentecostal or Catholic, to believe in something greater than ourselves seems to me to be important," Kahla said as she gestured to the six booths representing local houses of worship. "This is the representation that says we have to stop being afraid."

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 bowling   

n.保龄球运动

参考例句：

• Bowling is a popular sport with young and old.保龄球是老少都爱的运动。
• Which sport do you 1ike most,golf or bowling?你最喜欢什么运动，高尔夫还是保龄球？

3 tattoos   

n.文身( tattoo的名词复数 )；归营鼓；军队夜间表演操；连续有节奏的敲击声v.刺青，文身( tattoo的第三人称单数 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击

参考例句：

• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的胳膊上刺满了花纹。
• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的双臂刺满了纹身。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

5 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

6 authentically   

ad.sincerely真诚地

参考例句：

• Gina: And we should give him something 2 authentically Taiwanese. 吉娜：而且我们应该送他有纯正台湾味的东西。
• A loser is one who fails to correspond authentically. 失败者则指那些未能做到诚实可靠的人。

7 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

8 vilified   

v.中伤，诽谤( vilify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was vilified in newspapers. 他在报纸上受到了诽谤。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She was vilified by the press for her controversial views. 因她持有异议，新闻界对她横加挞伐。 来自互联网

9 ostracized   

v.放逐( ostracize的过去式和过去分词 )；流放；摈弃；排斥

参考例句：

• He was ostracized by his colleagues for refusing to support the strike. 他因拒绝支持罢工而受到同事的排斥。
• The family were ostracized by the neighborhood. 邻居们都不理睬那一家人。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

11 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

12 pastors   

n.（基督教的）牧师( pastor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Do we show respect to our pastors, missionaries, Sunday school teachers? 我们有没有尊敬牧师、宣教士，以及主日学的老师？ 来自互联网
• Should pastors or elders be paid, or serve as a volunteer? 牧师或长老需要付给酬劳，还是志愿的事奉呢？ 来自互联网

13 vocation   

n.职业，行业

参考例句：

• She struggled for years to find her true vocation.她多年来苦苦寻找真正适合自己的职业。
• She felt it was her vocation to minister to the sick.她觉得照料病人是她的天职。

14 exodus   

v.大批离去，成群外出

参考例句：

• The medical system is facing collapse because of an exodus of doctors.由于医生大批离去，医疗系统面临崩溃。
• Man's great challenge at this moment is to prevent his exodus from this planet.人在当前所遇到的最大挑战，就是要防止人从这个星球上消失。

15 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

16 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

17 contingents   

（志趣相投、尤指来自同一地方的）一组与会者( contingent的名词复数 )； 代表团； （军队的）分遣队； 小分队

参考例句：

• We were forced to rely on French contingents. 我们势必被迫依恃法国驻军。
• The internal security forces are composed of contingents and mobile divisions. 内卫部队由各总队和机动师组成。

18 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

19 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

20 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

21 contravene   

v.违反，违背，反驳，反对

参考例句：

• The moves contravene the peace plan agreed by both sides.这些举措违反了双方同意的和平方案。
• He said the article did not contravene the industry's code of conduct.他说这一条款并未违反行业的行为准则。

22 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

23 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

24 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

25 watershed   

n.转折点，分水岭，分界线

参考例句：

• Our marriage was at a watershed.我们的婚姻到了一个转折关头。
• It forms the watershed between the two rivers.它成了两条河流的分水岭。

26 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

27 rev   

v.发动机旋转，加快速度

参考例句：

• It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
• Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

28 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

29 amplifies   

放大，扩大( amplify的第三人称单数 )； 增强； 详述

参考例句：

• Gain is the number of times the amplifier amplifies a signal. 增益就是放大器放大信号的倍数。
• Such panicky behaviour amplifies the impact of the Russian export ban. 这样的恐慌行为放大了俄罗斯小麦出口禁令的影响效应。

30 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

31 immutable   

adj.不可改变的，永恒的

参考例句：

• Nothing in the world is immutable.世界没有一成不变的东西。
• They free our minds from considering our world as fixed and immutable.它们改变着人们将世界看作是永恒不变的观点。

32 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》