Resources
the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia
The United Nations has issued a statement on the IDAHtB. They have also put out a video about this recognition day that can be viewed here.
A Prayer for IDAHtB
Creator, we come to you with both the joys and the sorrows of our hearts.
We are grateful for the gift of life and the joy that it can bring.
For families and friends who love us.
For allies who stick up for us,
even when we cannot risk sticking up for ourselves.
For the great diversity you have created in our world.
We pray for those who suffer from discrimination
because of their gender identity or sexual orientation.
Who worry about their employment or who cannot find a job.
For those who must hide who they are to find housing.
For those who are not safe on our streets.
For those who do not feel safe in their place of worship.
Help us to end homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia,
and all forms of discrimination and hate.
Show us the way to make this world a better place for all.
By Ruth Wood
A Reading for IDAHtB
Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
I come to the end—I am still with you.
Believe Out Loud is an online community that empowers Christians to work for justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) people. Reaching a monthly average of more than 3 million people per month, we are the leading platform in Christian faith and LGBTQIA advocacy. Members of Believe Out Loud hold many distinct identities, and together we are creating a world where all Christian churches welcome and affirm LGBTQIA people. On our daily blog and social networks, we offer a community where friends and allies can access resources for their journeys and share their own stories of Christian faith and LGBTQIA advocacy. Rooted in a framework of justice, Believe Out Loud affirms our members in their identities and challenges LGBTQIA Christians to “go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37).
Work with Parents: We walk with Christian parents on the journey to help them fully understand their child, reconcile faith issues, and keep their child safe and their family together.
Work with LGBTQI: We free hearts of LGBTQI to heal shame from family, religious and community wounds, as well as internalized homophobia.
What happens when the most important parts of your life come into conflict? When Evangelical Christian mom Susan Cottrell’s daughter came out, she faced an impossible choice: her LGBTQ child or her non-affirming church. In this heartwarming talk, Susan explains why she chose her LGBTQ child and how she fights for progress inside the Christian Church. Susan Cottrell is a prominent voice for faith parents of LGBTQI children. She is an international speaker, acclaimed author, and public theologian with a Masters in Theological Studies. After spending 25 years in the Evangelical church, she founded FreedHearts to champion the LGBTQI community and their families. She served as the Vice-President of PFLAG Austin (Texas) and was endorsed by The Human Rights Campaign and The Gay Christian Network. She has five children, two of whom are in the LGBTQI community, with her husband of 30 years, Rob. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.