In this very binary world, many oWhat was the second anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, was inaugurated as “National Coming Out Day” in 1989 by Robert Eichberg (a psychologist) and Jean O'Leary (a longtime activist and political leader), as a positive response to the anti-LGBT action of the day.
Neither Eichberg nor O'Leary wanted to respond defensively to the hatred that the LGBT siblings were experiencing in the late 80s and as I write this today, I am thinking of the journey we are on- how far we as humans have come and how far we need to go still! Our LGBTQIA+ siblings are not safe by any stretch of our imagination, and there are so many more folk today who experience bigotry, discrimination, and hatred daily, in the world and in our communities.
October is also observed as “Hate Crime Awareness Month” by the Southern Poverty Law Center because of the significant increase in hate crimes around the country. In 2023 FBI identified almost 12,000 incidents of hate crime, the most since the bureau started collecting the data in 1991. I invite you to explore for yourself and see how these numbers translate for us in Illinois, and commit to work towards zero tolerance for discrimination in any form.
We are called not only to end discrimination in our own communities but our baptismal vows remind us to stand against injustice anywhere in any form. In that spirit, and because the United Methodist Church has condemned territorial expansion and aggression, we need to speak against the injustice our Palestinian siblings are experiencing. As of October 2024, Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has killed over 42,000 Palestinians and injured around 100,000, with at least 1,000 Lebanese killed since the beginning of the Israeli bombardment and invasion of Lebanon, but despite this devastation, the United States continues to send more military aid to Israel. I invite us to reach out to our elected officials demanding a stop selling arms to Israel.
Beloveds, let us continue to do all we can to leave a better and peaceful world for our children and the future generations. And, I hope to see you in church soon,
