Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature - A Teen Girl's Kindness To A Gay Student Has Her Ostracized by Her Church and Family... And She Has To Decide: What Kind of Person Does She Want To Be

Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande

Your best friend hates you. The guy you liked hates you. Your entire group of friends hates you.
All because you did the right thing. [Apologizing for the role you, your family, and church had in harassing a gay student at your school.]
Welcome to life for Mena, whose year is starting off in the worst way possible. She's been kicked out of her church group and no one will talk to her--not even her own parents. No one except for Casey, her supersmart lab partner in science class, who's pretty funny for the most brilliant guy on earth.
And when Ms. Shepherd begins the unit on evolution, school becomes more dramatic than Mena could ever imagine . . . and her own life is about to evolve in some amazing and unexpected ways.

Add your review of "Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature" in comments!

Quiver - teens from opposite worlds (Zo is gender fluid in a liberal family, Libby's family are evangelical Christians) become neighbors and unlikely friends

Quiver by Julia Watts

Libby is the oldest child of six, going on seven, in a family that adheres to the "quiverfull" lifestyle: strict evangelical Christians who believe that they should have as many children as God allows because children are like arrows in the quiver of "God's righteous warriors." Meanwhile, her new neighbor Zo is a gender fluid teen whose feminist, socialist, vegetarian family recently relocated from the city in search of a less stressful life.

Zo and hir family are as far to the left ideologically as Libby's family is to the right, and yet Libby and Zo, who are the same age, feel a connection that leads them to friendship--a friendship that seems doomed from the start because of their families' differences.

Add your review of "Quiver" in comments!

Autoboyography - Two teen guys from different worlds (one liberal and progressive, one conservative and religious) fall in love in a High School writing class

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

Three years ago, Tanner Scott's family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah.

But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High's prestigious Seminar--where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester--Tanner can't resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity.

It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.

Add your review of "Autoboyography" in comments!

The Boy's Own Manual to Being a Proper Jew - 17-year-old Yossi is coming to terms with being gay and growing up in a Jewish Orthodox community at the same time

The Boy's Own Manual to Being a Proper Jew by Eli Glasman

Yossi, at seventeen, feels as though his homosexuality makes him less of a Jew. Living as he does in Melbourne’s Orthodox Jewish community, he has a lot to hide. When non-religious rebel Josh turns up at school, Yossi is asked to look after him, and while Yossi educates Josh on the ancient traditions of their race, Josh does some educating of his own. Through their relationship, Yossi learns to see the laws of Judaism in a very new light.

But when he and Josh are caught kissing in the bathhouse, Yossi’s life takes on a dramatic new turn, and he can ignore his new reality no longer.

Add your review of "The Boy's Own Manual to Being a Proper Jew" in comments!

Caught In The Crossfire - Two Teen Boys At Bible Camp, and One Forbidden Love (The Crossfire Trilogy)

Caught In The Crossfire by Juliann Rich

16-year-old Jonathan Cooper goes away to Spirit Lake Bible Camp, an oasis for teen believers situated along Minnesota's rugged north shore. He is expecting a summer of mosquito bites, bonfires with S'mores, and photography classes with Simon, his favorite counselor, who always helps Jonathan see his life in perfect focus.

What he isn't expecting is Ian McGuire, a new camper who openly argues against phrases like pray the gay away. Ian is certain of many things, including what could happen between them if only Jonathan could surrender to his feelings. Jonathan, however, tosses in a storm of indecision between his belief in God and his inability to stay away from Ian. When a real storm hits and Ian is lost in it, Jonathan is forced to make a public decision that changes his life.

This is Book One of the author's Crossfire Trilogy. 

Book Two is

Searching For Grace

First it’s a rumor. Then it’s a fact. And then it’s on.

Camp is over and Jonathan Cooper returns home. To life with his mother whose silence is worse than anything she could say…to his varsity soccer teammates at East Bay Christian Academy…to the growing rumors about what he did with a boy last summer at bible camp.

All the important lines blur. Between truth and lies. Between friends and enemies. Between reality and illusion.

Just when Jonathan feels the most alone, help arrives from the unlikeliest of sources: Frances “Sketch” Mallory, the weird girl from his art class, and her equally eccentric friend, Mason. For a short while, thanks to Sketch and Mason, life is almost survivable. Then Ian McGuire comes to town on the night of the homecoming dance and tensions explode. Fists fly, blood flows, and Jonathan—powerless to stop it—does the only thing he believes might save them all: he prays for God’s grace.

Book Three is

Taking The Stand

There’s a time for justice. Then there’s a time for action. And Jonathan Cooper knows exactly what time it is.

It is time to lie. To his parents, who think he’s on a ski trip with Pete Mitchell when he’s really gone to Madison to search for one person willing to testify for his boyfriend, Ian McGuire, who is facing the charge of Assault and Battery. To Ian’s parents, who have erased him from their lives. Even to himself. Because admitting his feelings for Mason Kellerman isn’t an option.

It is also time to face the truth. That Jonathan may have lied for nothing. That he may be powerless to save Ian from a guilty verdict. That whether he likes it or not, it is time for TAKING THE STAND.

Add your review of any or all of the Crossfire Trilogy books in comments!

Religion and LGBTQ Equality - A Panel I'll Be Moderating on Nov 13, 2014

I'm really looking forward to this - working with The Lavender Effect (which aims to teach, celebrate and advance the future of LGBTQ History and Culture), I'll be moderating a fascinating discussion about the tipping points that bring religious communities from scapegoating through tolerance, acceptance, and ultimately to celebrating our LGBTQ lives and relationships.

The idea is to explore open and affirming congregations, who and what work is being done in our community, and how we can use that insight and knowledge to encourage more faith-based communities to affirm LGBTQ people regionally and globally.

Our panelists are pioneers in this space:

Rabbi Denise Eger, Founder of Congregation Kol Ami

Reverend Troy Perry, Founder of Metropolitan Community Churches

Mel White, Founder of Soulforce, American Clergyman and Author

Ani Zonneveld, Founder/President of Muslims for Progressive Values

Here's the flyer:

It's a free event (with a $10 suggested donation to cover costs.) For those of you in the LA area who are interested, I hope you'll join us. Tickets and details here.

And for those of you geographically elsewhere, we'll be working on expanding the conversation online!

As a Jewish spiritual Atheist myself, I'm thrilled that we're diving into this topic in a way that includes many faiths and perspectives on the role religion can have in making our world a better place for LGBTQ people, and everyone else, too.

My thanks to The Lavender Effect team helping me pull this event together: Andy Sacher (The Lavender Effect's Founding Executive and Creative Director), Ken Taylor and John Boswell.

Namaste (the light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you),
Lee

Not All Like That - Christians Proclaim Their Belief in Full LGBTQ Equality

Much attention is given to the religious people who decry us and who fight our equality. It's good to witness the movement of religious LGBTQ Allies stand up and make their voices heard as well.

For those within the Christian community and for those outside it, Not All Like That, inspired by the It Gets Better Project, is a welcome platform for Christians to embrace LGBTQ people and our rights.

Check it out.

Namaste,
Lee

Totally Biased: The God Debate

I thought this video was funny and thought-provoking. Enjoy,



The players: John Fugelsang and Jamie Kilstein, and their debate is hosted by W. Kamau Bell.

Namaste,
Lee

I Heard the Pastor’s Daughter Is Gay - A Teen Girl Struggles With Her Faith And Being Attracted To Other Girls

I Heard the Pastor’s Daughter Is Gay by Luana Reach Torres

Katie North breezes through high school as an undercover nerd helped by the fact that her best friend is the most popular girl in school. Katie has no clue that she's smokin' hot and the object of a few varsity athletes' drool. She's a pastor's daughter--Miss Goodie Two Shoes--and up until now, her number one priority has been graduating with the highest honors. But, everything changes when Katie falls in love for the first time - with a girl named Jay. Katie's world is blown wide open, and everything changes. Will she find her true self at the cost of her father's love?

Add your review of "I Heard The Pastor's Daughter Is Gay" in comments!

"I hugged a man in his underwear" - A Religious Man Attends Gay Pride To Apologize

 

This blog post by Nathan, telling about his experience at a Gay Pride parade where he was part of a group of religious people apologizing to the attendees for the wrongs of the church against gay people, was powerful. 

Read it, and feel proud to be you.  Authentically you, no matter who you are!

Namaste,
Lee

My thanks to Dana for sharing this with me!

The Revelations Of Jude Connor - A Teen's Sexuality and Faith Collide

The Revelations of Jude Connor by Robin Reardon

Jude Connor’s rural Idaho hometown is a place of strong values and high expectations. For those who fit into the local church’s narrow confines, there’s support and fellowship. For those who don’t, there’s ostracism in this life and certain damnation in the next.

Jude wants desperately to be saved. Yet it’s not easy. There are restrictions on behavior and whispers about other congregants. And there’s Jude’s growing need to decide for himself how to live, when to question, and who to love. In the face of his temptations, Jude must confront the truth behind the church’s façade and his willingness to follow his own path — even if it leads him far from everything he’s known…

Add your review of "The Revelations of Jude Connor" in comments!

Collective Brightness: LGBTIQ Poets on Faith, Religion & Spirituality

Collective Brightness: LGBTIQ Poets on Faith, Religion & Spirituality Edited by Kevin Simmonds

Editor Kevin Simmonds has created what Rigoberto González of National Book Critics Circle calls the "sacred text of our queer times;" over 100 LGBTIQ-identified established and emerging poets from around the world writing on faith, religion & spirituality.

Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Two Spirit, Agnosticism, Atheism and many other religions, spiritualities and faiths are represented.

You can see videos of a number of the poets sharing their works from the collection here.

Add your review of "Collective Brightness: LGBTIQ Poets on Faith, Religion & Spirituality" in comments!

Black & Gay: Confronting Homophobia in Black Churches and in the African American Community: GLBTQ & Straight, we're "All God's Children"

Watch this 26 minute documentary. It's worth every minute.

All God's Children from Garrett Lenoir on Vimeo.

For a downloadable discussion guide, check out the Woman Vision website!

My thanks to everyone involved in the film, to the generosity of Woman Vision: Social Change Through Media for having the film available for websites like mine to share, and to Denise for bringing it to my attention.

This film really could change things.

Watch. Share. Discuss.


Namaste,
Lee

Nothing Pink

By Mark Hardy

Vincent is gay. He's also a preacher's son (the kind that preaches that all gay people go to hell). And since an incident when he was little, his mother has made sure there's been "nothing pink" in his life. Now he's a teenager, and he's been hiding being gay for a long time.

But then Vincent meets Robert at Church. They become friends and start spending time together...

Suspicions form, and ultimately, Vincent's secret is discovered.

What is he going to do? How can his parents still love him, if they hate such a significant part of who he is? How is Vincent ever going to reconcile God, his family, and being Gay?


Add your review of "Nothing Pink" in comments!

Gravity

By Leanne Lieberman

Ellie is an orthodox Jewish teenage girl living in Toronto in the 1980s.

When she falls in love with another girl, it's a huge crisis: She can't see how she can be a lesbian AND still be a member of her Jewish community.

Her mother is convinced Ellie has a "messianic" role to play - but Ellie feels forced to figure out which part of her identity to keep: The Queer part, or the Jewish part.


Cool info about this book: Leanne submitted this manuscript to Orca Book Publishers' "So You Think You Can Write?" 2008 contest - and she won! The prize was getting "Gravity" published!

It was also announced today (1/7/09) that "Gravity" is a Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book for Teens.

Add your review of "Gravity" in comments!

Thinking Straight

By Robin Reardon

Taylor's a junior in High School, and he's figured out that since he's Gay, God must have wanted him to be that way. He's crushing on a guy in his school, Will, and the feeling is mutual.

But Taylor's parents have a different view on it, and when they discover that their son is "confused" about his sexuality, they pack him off to a Christian rehab center called "Straight to God."

It's kind of a prison, specializing in ridding teenagers of their sins - drugs, violence, being attracted to other boys...

Taylor is constantly watched and has no privacy, and figures he has to play along with the reprogramming to survive. Or does he?


Add your review of "Thinking Straight" in comments!

The God Box

By Alex Sanchez

Paul's a High School Senior. He knows he's Gay, but being a Bible Belt Christian he prays to Jesus to change him. Enter Manuel, openly Gay AND Christian.

It rocks Paul's world. Maybe he doesn't have to choose between the two most important parts of himself: his sexuality, and his spirituality.

Or, does he?

I got to hear Alex read three different sections from "The God Box" and I was really moved by its honesty and the main character Paul's inner turmoil. Heartfelt. Brave. Passionate.

Read more about Alex Sanchez here. And add your review of this book in "comments!"