Peterson Toscano's A Musing

I blogged last week about how deeply moved I felt when I heard the recording of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1958 address to the FGC gathering of Quakers. Today over lunch with Lynn , a Friend from Hartford Meeting, I shared my notes from the talk and felt inspired even more. Something else stirred; the reminder that King had as a mentor in his life a man named Bayard Rustin. In fact, Rustin wrote many of King's speeches in the late 1950's. I spent the afternoon in the garden re-reading two books I have about Rustin. Bayard Rustin is one of the most important figures of the 20th century. A Quaker, an African-American and openly gay, he served as an architect and inspiration for the direction of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. In fact, he was already writing about racial equality and non-violence as early as 1942 in his article The Negro and Non-Violence . He stated, Nonviolence as a method has within it the demand for terrible sacrifice and long suffering, b...

Speaking wtih Ally on the phone today, she directed me to a trailer Vince Cervantes put up on his blog (we bloggers are so incestuously connected). The trailer gives a glimpse of a new film about the 2007 Soulforce Equality Rides . Vince and his partner were both riders (and appear in footage in the trailer and I imagine even more in the film). When I met the riders in April to take part in their training, I felt so moved by them, their faith, their commitment and their love. Even in this short trailer it shines through. And speaking of video...if you have not done so yet, please watch my holiday greeting, A Homo No Mo Christmas ! And look out, a video will be released (maybe later today, by a cantankerous friend of this blog (no not Joe Gee--someone sweeter and more Christian)

This morning in Memphis, TN two ex-gay survivors, David Christie and Brandon Tidwell , shared some of their experiences as ex-gays and now as former ex-gays. They then presented collages of their journey to the Love in Action (LIA) staff. The event was organized by Soulforce as part of their Survivor Initiative. (You can view David's collage here . Brandon's is here . See ALL the collages here . Video of their statements and the presentation of the collages is here and here .) Seems LIA staff were confused as to the nature of the event and the organizers . I was not there myself (I'm doin' time in Hartford--aka home), but I heard that right before the press conference began, an LIA staff member came out to group that was gathering and asked repeatedly, "Where is Peterson Toscano?" Here's their official statement: Actually during the press conference in Memphis, I was home in Connecticut on the phone having actual dialog with an ex-gay leader (It was a p...

Next weekend I travel to Minneapolis, MN to take part in the Soulforce Equality Ride training and send-off. I will also do a public presentation at a Quaker meeting house. First here is info about the Equality Ride: Homophobia is globally pervasive, and no community or school escapes its reach. In 2006, during the inaugural Equality Ride, participants traveled to nineteen schools and engaged students, faculty, and administrators in conversation about the damaging effects of homophobic doctrine, the false notion that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender identities are sick and sinful. This year, the journey continues with fifty young adults going to thirty-two Christian colleges and universities. Two buses are taking the group on two distinct routes around the country in creative pursuit of social justice. In doing so, they are empowered to change countless lives. Love liberates the oppressed, redeems the lost, and resurrects the spirit. Saturday, March 3, 2007 7:00 PM (doors open ...