Peterson Toscano's A Musing

Nearly once a month I get e-mails from Robin McHaelen, executive director of True Colors , asking help to house or care for queer youth, many of whom have been rejected by their parents or the social welfare system. People think that Connecticut is a bastion of liberalism with GSAs in every school and lots of support. Yet everyday queer youth experience rejection and oppression from their own familes and peers. Robin writes: Youth looking for homes S* is a 17 year old, transgender (MtF) youth living and going to school in Manchester. She and her younger brother J* are looking for a new home in the area so they can stay in the same school. They are not responsible for the loss of their current foster placement but have been living in a terrible situation for some time. The siblings believe that they will be able to live with their mom come summer and so may be a relatively short placement. DI** is a 16 year old female in Hartford whose current placement is ending and who needs a sa...

Friends have complained that they can't keep up with my blog entries. What are you people doing with your time---going to work or something??? Okay, here are some highlights that you might have missed. Marvin had his first date with Soon only to discover that she is lesbian. He will begin a discipleship course with her. He then makes a passionate response to the comments of Willie Hewes. You can see a listing of the current Marvin posts here . Also, the fine folks at Gendertalk Radio interviewed me. I do an excerpt from Homo No Mo and my idenntity monologue. Go here to download the mp3 of the program. (Robin of True Colors is also interviewed along with other conference attendees) Finally, Not Another Homo No Mo Customer Support Hotline call !

In which Marvin shares his pastor's strong reaction to the possiblity of a fomer gay and a former lesbian marrying in his church.

A Christian group in a rural part of the US recently invited me to present my play Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House . The main organizer e-mailed Sarah, my booking agent today, "We are having real trouble finding a venue-people are afraid of "promoting homosexuality" boy, do we need Peterson in this town!" This is not the first time I've heard the charge that by presenting a queer-affirming play that we are promoting homosexuality. Okay, to present something is to hold something out, to acknowledge its existence. To promote attaches an obligation to the issue--this is good; try it yourself. Now I do promote the idea that we should breakdown barriers, that we should listen to each other's stories, that there is nothing wrong with being a same-gender loving person and that it does more harm than good to force people to change their sexual orientation (in either direction). Lord knows the media and society promote heterosexuality 24/7. The conser...

The insightful cartoon artist Bruce Garrett , posted a hilarious blog entry about a WorldNet news story 'Satanic' art in Catholic Church exposed --Documentary links clergy sex abuse with occult imagery. Just to make that much more fun, Garrett juxtaposes quotes from the article with famous graphic Biblical art. Check it out!

Seems that the Homo No Mo Technical Support Call Center has been getting lots of calls lately. Since his calling to get help about his struggle over Brokeback Mountain, Chad has made several other calls. Now he needs some advice for his job which has been recently infiltrated by one of the gays.

From RTE News , A report on mental health has revealed that a quarter of young gay or bisexual men in Northern Ireland have attempted suicide. Nearly two-thirds considered killing themselves and 30% self harmed, according to the survey, which was carried out over three years by the Rainbow Project in Belfast. The article mentions some of the causes behind high percentage of incidents, Among the key factors which contributed to suicidal thoughts and self harm were negative experiences in school such as bullying.

In which Marvin responds to Willie Hewes' recent comments concerning Marvin and Soon's impending entanglement.

The United Church of Christ launched a clever new 30 second commercial . Very cool and well done. Hat tip to Jerry Maneker at A Christian Voice Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights .

A woman in Arizona abducts her two children in 2003 and was arrested for the crime this week in North Carolina. Simple, right? But what has made this a news story is that Shellie White, the children's mother, looks like a man and has been living as a man with another woman. Accordinng to the AP story , In a statement, the U.S. Marshals Service said White had "radically changed her appearance to that of a man." "She even went so far as to tell her children, aged 3 and 5 at the time, that she was their father," the Marshals Service said. "When she was arrested, the children, now aged 6 and 8, asked why they were arresting their Daddy." Authorities said that White had posed as her husband and had used other male aliases while on the run. She is 5-foot-9 and 280 pounds, wears her hair closely cropped and has a slight mustache and stubble. She blamed the facial hair on a hormone disorder. White said she had considered a sex-change operation, but decided aga...

This weekend at the True Colors Conference , Nancy Nangeroni & Gordene O. MacKenzie of Gender Talk Radio , interviewed a bunch of us including Robin McHaelen the woman who started the conference 13 years ago as a graduate school project. It is now the world's largest LGBTIQ youth conference for youth and their supporters. GenderTalk Radio is "the leading radio program on transgender issues." In the show I was able to talk a little about the "ex-gay" movement, give a sample up the recently updated opening to Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House and perform my Identity Monologue, where through six characters in two minutes I tell my life story. I also spoke briefly about transgender issues and the "ex-gay" movement and how like the gay and lesbian community, the "ex-gay" movement has not known how to accept or even acknowledge transgender individuals. It is a great episode with plenty of youth voices included. Have a listen .

Have you heard the recent news story from Tenneessee about the wife of a Church of Christ minister who gunned him down then fled the state with their three daughters? Yeah it is a made for TV movie sort of news event that gets the media all sexed up. Mary Winkler was captured over the weekend and pled no contest to the crime. The funeral is today. Although no one has yet publically shared a motive for the murder of Matthew Winkler, today reports come out that the parents of the slain pastor assure their forgiveness for their son's kller. According to the Jackson Sun , Though they don't understand what reason Mary Winkler would have had for killing their son, her in-laws have "assured her of their forgiveness," a longtime family friend said Monday. Wow, what a powerful display of Christian love and witness, and so quickly on the heels of the murder. It seems unnatural. I guess God's love is like that, and had we seen a similar expression of Christ's teachings ...

From the Toronto Star, Fears that James Loney's Iraqi captors might harm the peace activist if they knew he was gay forced his partner to remain silent as his loved ones called for an end to the hostage ordeal, Christian Peacemaker Teams co-director Doug Pritchard said Monday. During his four months of captivity, Loney's sexuality was kept out of the media spotlight at the request of his family, said Pritchard. "It's a sad fact that around the world gays and lesbians are more vulnerable to attack than straights," Pritchard said. Family Kept Loney's Homosexuality Secret which makes a lot of sense in light of how Iraqi gays have been fatally attacked since the US invasion. You can hear of some of Loney's experience in his own words . Hat tip to Fraser, Toronto .

georgia10 at Daily Kos picks up on Sen. Hillary Clinton's comdemnation of H.R. 4437, a proposed bill that has brought many thousands out on the street to protest. Senator Hillary Clinton has called H.R. 4437 a "mean-spirited" piece of legislation which "literally criminalizes the Good Samaritan and probably even Jesus himself." The "Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005" (H.R. 4437) is a Republican piece of legislation which would not only makes felons out of the millions of undocumented immigrants already in the United States, but it would also make it a crime to provide any assistance to those immigrants, if you know they are undocumented. "Mean-spirited" doesn't come close to describing this bill. -From Americans Rally In Protest Of Immoral Immigration Bill The plight of immigrants in the U.S. brings together people from different camps, latinos, religious leaders, some progressives. It makes m...

Marvin got cut off and had to add a final word to his tale of romance and woe.

In which Marvin shares the intimate details of his date with Soon (which went from lunch until 10:30 PM last night!)

At the True Colors Conference this weekend, I attended a workshop entitled The Bible: Word of Death or Voice of Hope ? In the packet of materials provided by presenter Rev. Alice O'Donovan , she included the following quote from a Twain Biography : In 1905 the Brooklyn Public Library removed Twain's books, Adventure of Huckleberry Finn , and Tom Sawyer , as bad examples. In response Mark Twain said, "I wrote Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn for adults exclusively, and it always distresses me when I find that boys and girls have been allowed access to them. The mind that becomes soiled in youth can never again be washed clean. I know this by my own experience, and to this day I cherish an unappeasable bitterness against the unfaithful guardians of my young life, who not only permitted but compelled me to read an unexpurgated Bible through before I was 15 years. old. None can do that and ever draw a clean sweet breath again..." (Paine, p. 1281)

Rev. David B. Miller, a Mennonite pastor and a member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams responds to conservative Christian Cal Thomas' recent criticism of Tom Fox, a peacekeeper who stood and died for peace in Iraq. hat tip to Ex-Gay Watch which got it from Jesus Politics .

In which Marvin decides to look into the WORD for models of healthy relationships. It ends up only confusing him.

On the Democracy Now radio program today I learned about the shocking attacks by Shia Death Squads agains Gay Iraqis. Shiite death squads in Iraq have been systematically targeting gay Iraqis for persecution and execution. The attacks follow a death-to-gays fatwa issued by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani last October. In a question and answer section of his website, Sistani says homosexuality is "forbidden" and calls for the killing of gays in the "worst, most severe way." Host Amy Goodman interviewed Ali Hili, a ...gay Muslim Iraqi living in exile in Britain. He fled Iraq two years ago. Five months ago he founded the Abu Nawas Group to support persecuted gay Iraqis. He joins us on the line from London. He does not want to expose his face as he has received several death threats. Hili states, It's a very dark age for gays and lesbians and transsexuals and bisexuals in Iraq right now. And the fact that Iraq has been shifted from a secular state into a religious s...

Free the Captives reports: Multiple reports today detail the rescue of James Loney, Harmeet Sooden, and Norman Kember. Here is one detailed article , more details will be posted as they become available. Thank God they're safe! We're relieved by reports that no shots were fired.

Christine recently updated the look of her blog (and has resumed blogging--thank goddess!). She also changed the name and is now blogging as Raising Up Whole . Candace Chellew-Hodge over at Whosoever.org has begun an excellent podcast . Not only is the content high quality queer Christian material, interviews and news, but the production quality and music is high standard. Another podcast that I've been enjoying is Interfaith Voices Podcast . Great mix of stories and interviews that aims to be inclusive of many different faiths. And yet another podcast that I recently discovered, Vegan Radio talks about veganism while being fun (doesn't always happen). In episode 12 there is a hilarious part of an interview where to vegan activist got into a street brawl in Rome over some fur. Finally an excellent and POWERFUL essay by the progressive historian Howard Zinn. Read America's Blinders (hat tip to Friend Jamie Taylor)

In which Marvin, following a divine doughnut crumb trail makes a bold step in a romantic heterosexual adventure.

On the train back from Montreal (I love taking the train) two college age male hockey players sat in the seats across the aisle next to me. As they settled into their close seats, one turned to the other and announced, “No Homo”. To which his seatmate replied, “Yeah man, I know”. They then stripped down to their tee-shirts, leaned into each other to watch a movie on the tiny screen of a laptop, shared one set of ear buds to listen and then ate a meal together picking at each others food. I only recently heard of this “No Homo” term, which is used by some straight men of high school and college age. I imagine its intent is to clarify their sexual orientation in the midst of a situation that feels more intimate than is usually socially acceptable for straight men—a disclaimer of sorts. This then gives them permission to sit closely to each other while taking the pressure off about intent. Looked at in a generous light, it might be a way of saying, “We are going to experience some intima...

Little known trivia, Ever since I taught the son of UCONN's president, I really enjoy the NCAA March Madness championships (we're talking about U.S college basketball here.) This year is extra special with the amazing fact that the Memphis Tigers' men are in it and doing so well (I attended U of Memphis a few years back and would go to the games when Coach Calipari first took on the team.) Plus the Tennessee Lady Vols team is on fire with Candance Parker dunking twice in Sunday's game! According to Sports Illustrated , "She became the first female player to dunk in an NCAA tournament game, the first to do it twice in any game and only the fourth college woman to do it. Ever." Although I live in UCONN Huskies territory, I am rooting for the Tigers and Vols to take the championship this year. (sorry Sarah :-) To learn a little about queer folks in sport, check out Wayne Besen's recent piece Breaking Out of the Sports Closet . (hat tip to Tiffany at Bla...

Due to health issues currently affecting my mother (cancer), I have decided to cancel my May trip to the UK. I don't want to be that far away for that long during this important time in our lives as a family. Should my mother grow more ill or hopefuly improve in her health, I want to be as close to my folks as possible. My brother will be flying in from Madrid in early May and hopefully my sister from Minnesota can join us along with my sister in NY so that we can all be together as a family during that time. We all appreciate your prayers and positive thoughts, especially for my mother. Hopefully I will be back in the UK later in the year in August or September.

Gays and God: Bridging the Gap is a new documentary film that looks at issues of Christian faith and same-sex attractions. According to the site, God & Gays: Bridging the Gap is a content-driven open and honest reflection of what it’s like to be gay and Christian. We are challenged by the stories of suicide, discrimination and interpretations and uses of the Bible. Taught commonly as separate, Christians who are gay struggle to reconcile spirituality and sexuality. The film includes Mary Lou Wallner , Deborah Johnson , Mel White and others. In addition to the film appearing at festivals, the folks behind it seek to hold Gays and God conferences where they will screen the film and feature folks from it.

This weekend I visited Le Village Gai , a gay commercial zone on rue Sainte-Catherine in downtown Montreal. Touted as the famed gay sector in this queer-friendly French Canadian city, it is the place where gay people are told they must check out when in town. I found Le Village not only boring, but strangely non-affirming. The strip that makes up the four blocks of Le Village consists of mostly male gay bars, sex shops, bath houses, dance clubs and porn video stores with a few restaruants. I found no lesbians or transgender individuals. I saw few people of color, except for a handful of young male hustlers waiting to be hired by older white men with cash. I found no non-porn queer bookstores, cozy cafes with queer poetry readings, places of worship for queer folks or even a shop to buy a decent gift for a queer friend (unless it is a friend who is male porn aficionado.) Basically, even as a white gay man, I felt unrepresented. It’s not that I’m a prude and think that queer zones shoul...

J recently spent time as a particpant at the Love in Action program and has begun to write about his experiences. In his most recent entry he considers the state of people when they enter LIA and the misconceptions that are perpetuated. I think it's fair to say that I was damaged going into LIA, and came out even more so. I was the prey of a predatorial group, seeking weak, wounded individuals who are deeply in need of having a void filled. EVERY person in LIA that I can remember had just recently hit their rock bottom before deciding to attend the program. God, I feel like a fool. So naive and childish. What can I do though. It's in the past, and I have my future ahead of me. Would suing LIA put an end to this, or at least bring about awareness? I wish I knew that they didn't promise "curing" of homosexuality before I went and thrust myself into debt. March 16, 2006 post from Chronicles of an ex-Ex-Gay There is a power in sharing our stories and I hope we can le...

In which Marvin shares the secrets of his prayer closet while offering advice on how to deal with those pesky roving thoughts.

It is a tired old charge by some anti-gay conservative Christian leaders. In light of the current news story about Chad Stoffel, the Love in Action participant recently arrested for having sex with a minor, I thought folks might find Jim Burrow's analysis useful. When men molest little girls, they’re called “pedophiles” or “sexual predators”; heterosexuality is never blamed for the abuse. But when men molest little boys, they’re simply called “homosexuals”, as though sexual orientation were responsible for driving these men to their crimes. Gays are singled out for suspicion of molesting children in numbers far out of proportion to their presence in the general population. Child sexual abuse has a profound impact on victims and their families. Because we want to protect our children, we must ask: Are gays disproportionately abusing children? Are Gays a Threat to our Children?

The 2006 Full Disclosure Tour--Exposing the Inner Bush is in full swing. We've added a bunch of venues in the past few weeks. Not all the details are up, but here is the list as it stands right now for the spring and early summer. More performances will be added soon. March 17, 18, McGill University--Montreal, QC, Canada March 24, 25 True Colors XIII Conference CCS--New Britain, CT April 2, 8:00 PM West Presbyterian Church--Wilmington, DE 19801 April 7, 8 UU Meetinghouse--Bennington, VT April 10, University of Maryland--College Park, MD April 13, Wesleyan University--Middletown, CT April 14, Colgate University--Hamilton April 19, Hartwick College--Oneonta, NY April 22, Cookeville Prepatory Meeting--Cookeville, TN April 29, Mesa State Collage--Grand Junction, CO 81502 May 5-15, UK Spring Tour (London, Oxford and more) May 24-27, Acadia University--Wolfville, Nova Scotia--Canada June 2-4 Space At Fountain's End--Silverlake (Los Angeles), CA June 24, George School--Newtown, PA ...

From the Hartford Friends Listserve, Please hold in the Light the family and friends of Tom Fox, the Quaker Christian Peacemaker from Virginia whose body was just found in Iraq. Tom had been in Iraq since 2002, working on the issue of the abuse of Iraqi detainees by the US and Iraqis. He had been taken hostage in November, with three other Christian Peacemakers, who appear to still be alive. From the Free the Captives site, An American who was among four Christian peace activists kidnapped last year in Iraq has been killed, a State Department spokesman said Friday. [Agence France Press-The body was found in a plastic bag on a garbage dump in west Baghdad, a witness and an interior ministry official said. He had been handcuffed and shot. His tracksuited body had then been wrapped in a blanket and stuffed in a plastic bag. His back showed signs of beatings and he appeared to have been killed recently, the official said. Iraqi police found him in a vacant lot in the upscale Al-Mansur ...

In which Marvin gets up the nerve to ask Soon out for coffee. Now he needs your advice!

Tiffany over at Blackfeminism.org ALWAYS provides useful links and has insightful things to say. She links to piece by tekanji which outlines loads of ways to be a nice guy (in light of the privileges we experience in the world.) The list also outlines beautifully how to be a sensitive ally. Some highlights from How to Be a Real Nice Guy : Accept Your Privilege It all starts with one simple self-realization: you are privileged. Chances are, your reading that has made you feel defensive. While it’s a perfectly natural, and common, reaction, don’t let it get in your way of actually thinking about what the statement means. What you need to realize is that we all have privilege to some degree: white privilege, male privilege, heterosexual privilege, etc. The hardest thing is to do is to get over your instinct to fight and say, “But I’m not like that!” If you can do it, you’ve completed the first step towards being a nice guy in reality rather than words. Criticism is Not Hatred Any time a...

This Gay Christian's Blog offers analysis of what the religious right wants their followers to believe is the gay battle plan to conquer America. Crafting your gay neighbor, and your fellow gay Christian worshipper, as the enemy by misrepresenting decades-old quotes and reinforcing it does nothing to end the war that these Christians seem to hope never ends. They’re trying to paint themselves as the victim and the lone bastion of morality, but their compromising the Great Commandments and Commission in the process by refusing to seek out reconciliation, bridge-building, and understanding – especially with fellow Christians who happen to be gay. Check out all of Of Agendas and Battle Fields .

When I worked as a teacher at the Watkinson School , I also worked as a Critical Friends Group coach and as such assisted other teachers in their professional development. A key part of the process consisted of groups of teachers meeting around one teacher's dilemma or lesson plans in order to ask a series of questions to help the teacher understand her/his issue in a deeper way. Most helpful was the probing question. (Yes, I know it sounds naughty, but that is just your dirty mind at work). The current news story of Love in Action participant Chad Joseph Stoffel's arrest for child molestation while still a teacher at the Summit Christian School, in Florida before he entered the LIA program, raises questions. According to one news report, Stoffel confessed his crime to an LIA counselor who then contacted the police. This may be exactly how it all happened, but I also know some reporters simplify a story and even get details completely wrong. Perhaps it is that simple, but I h...

According to WPTY Memphis A Florida teacher accused of molesting young boys is behind bars after police say he confessed while staying at Love in Action in Memphis 29-year-old Chad Stoffel appeared in a West Palm Beach courtroom on Monday. He's charged with molesting a 16-year-old student. Police say Stoffel was staying at Love in Action when he confessed. Love in Action is the group that claims to turn gay people straight. From a recent discussion I had with a man who attended Love in Action's adult program this summer, he confirmeed that adults and youth sat in sessions together most of the day. He told me of a man (not from Florida) who admitted that he had had sex with a minor boy before entering the program. I asked him if adult participants and teens in the program discussed their specific sexual issues or "just feelings" (like John Smid told me back in June). My source told me that they talked about the issues all the time. They had to stand up and give intro...

Brian Mahieu powerfully shares his "ex-gay" experiences in a recent letter to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I submitted to every tool in the “transformational ministry” arsenal: religious conversion, renunciation of homosexuality and all my social contacts, extensive daily prayer, fasting (up to five days at a time), weekly exorcisms some lasting many hours each, “spiritual warfare including: inner healing, deliverance ministry and the breaking of generational curses (supposedly going back hundreds or thousands of years), 12-step type programs, aversion therapy. Nothing helped. My excruciating journey culminated with christian psychotherapy that prescribed massive doses of four different medications designed to eliminate my sex drive and enable me to live in the state of suicidal depression brought on my nearly two decades of trying to accomplish the impossible. Trying to change one’s sexual orientation is akin to growing a new arm or changing the color of one’s skin. After n...

Christine thoughtfully shares her insights on the Biblical command to honor fathers and mothers. ...for many of us, the verses "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long..." are tattooed on our brains. In Leviticus, I think there are more death penalty warnings for cursing your parents than there are for homosexual sex. Read how Christine begins to unpack this command. Honoring with the Truth .

In which Marvin meets a marvelous woman on his way to church. Will sparks fly? Is she the one???

You will laugh until you cry (at least I did). Jonathan Cole at Integrity Memphis sent me an insanely funny and unbelievable honest Southern Gospel parody. The amazing thing about it is that although they may not put it exactly in the same words, many conservative Christians believe the theology graphically sung in this ditty. You may not want to play it at work or around chilren (or overly sensitive serious sorts of folks). Have a listen to God Will (Oh, we don't know the origins of the, the singer, etc. If you have any info on it, leave a comment. And thanks to Tina for letting me host the song on her site.)

You gotta love a conference with the title Dangerous Desires: Queer Politics in the New Millennium . Nearly as good as the Transgressions and Taboos Conference I attended last year in Puerto Rico. Organized by Tara James, Associate Director, Women’s History Program, Dangerous Desires is a women's history conference held every year at Sarah Lawrence College. I presented Talking Trash in the Homo No Mo Halfway House , a talk/performance about the "ex-gay" movement with a special emphasis on the experience of some lesbians in "ex-gay" programs. (Thanks to all the women who shared their stories with me!) Highlights: Kat Katansis' moving performance, Cracking Composure . I found myself with a broad smile one moment then moved to tears the next. So much emotion with so few words. Karen Williams's POWERFUL paper, Queers in the Criminal Justice System . Shocking the sort of oppression of queer folks, particularly women and people of color, within the criminal i...

I propose in Fuzzy "Ex-Gay" Math that since Exodus gets so many thousands of people contacting them weekly, perhaps they should open up a call center in Bangalore. Listen to how the Homo No Mo technical support specialist carefully assists a troubled "ex-gay" with his pressing burden.

From TheTaskForce.com A report released today by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute reveals the ex-gay movement's new tactic of targeting lesbian, gay and bisexual youth for "conversion-therapy" and "preventive" measures... "It is morally repugnant and downright dangerous the way these extremists demonize young people and prey on the fears of parents through their so-called ex-gay programs," said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "This report exposes the extent to which these zealots will go, including reformulating their ex-gay snake oil at the expense of vulnerable children and young adults." You can download their press statement and the report here . Hat tip to Point Foundation scholar Michelle Marzullo for e-mailing me this story.

Maybe Alan Chambers just isn't a math person, but Ex-Gay Watch's Daniel Gonzales once again calls Chambers to account about Chamber's claims to the ever rising number of people that Exodus purports to have helped. It is up to "hundreds and hundreds of thousands". (When I appeared with Chambers on the Faith Under Fire TV show , he insisted that millions and millions of people have found freedom from homosexuality through Jesus Christ. I questioned him, "Millions and millions?!? Do you have data to back this up." He proceded to tell me about a five-year study they started with 100 people. I asked, "What happened to millions of millions?" Sadly that exchange didn't make it to the final cut.) In his most recent press release , Chambers boasts, Exodus International is a resource and referral organization with over 130 member ministries across North America. The organization has been in existence for 30 years and offers help to the over 400,000 ...

In which Marvin draws on the power of the Holy Spirit to find him a wife.

Well gang it looks like I will return to England for my THIRD mini tour. Yes! The tentative dates are May 3-16, 2006 and I am still working on the schedule. Chances are I will present for Courage , maybe some MCC churches, a youth group and I may meet with some Evangelical Christian leaders (and followers). Also, on this trip I want to do some research into government run schools and the quality of life for LGBT teens in them. After 16 years of Section 28 , which prohibited the promotion of homosexuality in schools. I want to see how free and able teachers and school administrators feel about creating a safe environment for LGBTQ teens. Dates and venues will be listed my performance schedule in the next few weeks as soon as I work out the details. If you have a group in England or know of a group that might be interested in a presentation, let us know . Hey, maybe I'll invite Marvin to come along. :-) Oh, new Marvin audio blog below!

Christine called and told me she witnessed an amazing performance art piece by Ingrid Rivera , who through her one-woman show, Lágrimas de Cocodrilo/Crocodile Tears explores issues of abuse of women by women. Christine spoke with Ingrid after the show and blogged about some of the conversation and the event. (Ingrid) said, "You know, when a straight woman is in therapy because of being abused by a man, they don't question if she's straight because of the abuse, do they?" and of course, the answer is no. I have several male friends who have been abused by men and are straight. Most of the women I know who have been abused in childhood are straight. It infuriates me sometimes that straight people don't have to work through their abuse issues while also having to answer questions about their orientation and if the abuse "caused it." Read all of Christine's insightful account of the event here .

In which Marvin shares the details of a prophetic word from Sister Barbara had for him the other night who said, "Thus sayeth the Lord..." Well, you can hear it for yourself.