Catching My Breath in PDX
Phew. I have been on the road for two weeks and touched down (or blew through) Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virgina, North Carolina, Texas (8 hour unexpected layover in Houston) and now Oregon. It has been GREAT but exhausting.Right now I am in the home of Doug and Bruce--so relaxing here, like a mini-retreat (I know Doug I need a longer retreat :-)
I have SO MUCH to blog about!
- There is Eugene's exceptional article at Ex-Gay Watch--What is a Gay Christian? A MUST READ for those who are interested in the Bible and Homosexuality.
- There is the recent Tyra Banks show that touched on the ex-gay movement, what they left out, what I think and what you think.
- There is the LONG car ride with my wonderful dad and our discussion about the two times he and my mom came to the Love in Action program for the Family and Friends Weekend.
- There is all the new music I have recently purchased. (Bright Eyes, I'm From Barcelona, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Kate Havenik)
- There is the story of the Really Pissed-Off Grannies and their successful infiltration and protest of a Karl Rove appearance here in Portland. My buddy Bonnie Tinker was involved in that action. (They got in because as grandmothers dressed for a birthday party, no suspected that in their wrapped presents they had the props for their mock citizens' arrest of Kark Rove right outside the ballroom where he spoke)
In response to Noël's request, you can see my full schedule for Portland here.
posted by Peterson Toscano @ 4:45 PM
10 Comments:
Heh heh. Hey, that kinda looks like home! :)
OH...these pictures!! Just incredible...the beauty of God's creation...color, shape, texture...and these are just the PICTURES. Thanks for sharing Peterson...and I love it that you linked to Eugene's great article. :)
pam
hey there,
so glad to hear you made it to the tulip fields. they are so awesome!!
what is the rest of your schedule in pdx? some friends from west hills made to the show last saturday and loved it...
you rock...!
noel
I was beginning to think something was wrong with my computer! Thanks for posting the gorgeous tulips.
these pictures made my morning. :)
Es
What/where is PDX?
Love the photos. I so long for spring and tulips. Today I saw some narcissus at a protected south wall and that was very inspiring. Not inspiring enough because I failed at a test minutes later. (Maybe that was more my fault than the narcissuses).
Amazing pics, Peterson. And, you HAVE been busy.
I can't believe you were in Houston. That's my neck of the woods. Next time you should stay and do a performance, or at least visit ;-)
I am sorry Peterson. I do not want to be disrespectful towards your believes, but perhaps being disrespectful is not saying what you do believe.
I cannot understand this obcession on what stands in the bible or not. Why pay tribute to gods word in that manner, wich isn't even his but a bunch of people?
I understand many people do find comfort in god. But, as I written to you before. Lets just stop at this commandment:
"You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name."
Who are all priests and all people out there to say they could interped god? With what right do they control how other people should and should not live?
Yes, perhaps I do not believe in god, or rather: his existense is in no concern of mine. I rather work with people, and I have a hard time to argue and talk with something that is beyond reasoning. Religion for me is only authority. It's having a guy in the end saying what is right and not. Like there is a paper that tell you how to live.
But sorry.. I just don't buy it. I do not understand why the bible have to be discussed on how to interpet or not interpet things there.
Perhaps it's a good story, perhaps it's not. But I like to believe that the real story of our lives we write ourselves.
I am sorry if people find this offensive, or if I in anyway offended anyone.
But I just don't get it. And perhaps, sometimes when you don't get it, you do not get it.
alex, PDX stands for Portland. It is the airport code for the city but seems to be used widely by some folks for other reasons. Sorry about that.
daniel c, no offense taken. I know that you and I are wired differently. I can't help it that I am drawn to spiritual things. It is part of my nature. Some of us our existential that way.
The Bible in the US is a powerful book that has been used to both inspire and oppress people. Through television, radio and Sunday morning sermons, some people in the US have heard thousands of hours of Bible and Bible talk.
Many LGBT people I meet NEED to sort out what the Bible says and does not say about queer folks. If not they stay stuck in the Biblically Induced Coma that I have written about before.
Religion has been used over and over again to silence, coerce and oppress people. You and I have no argument there. But humans have almost always sought out ways to connect with the divine. That story is an old story.
It may sound insane to some people, but some of us still choose to identify as Christian. That does not mean we take on every belief, every action, every practice of what is known by the general public as the Christian Church.
Daniel, you don't need to "get it". I realize that on the God-thing, you and I are wired differently. That's cool. We are wired similarly with plenty of other things.
What is unbelievably difficult for many people coming out of deeply Christian backgrounds and entering into community with LGBT people is when a major part of our lives--our faith--gets invalidated and we feel compelled to put that part of ourselves in the closet. The message I get often from both the church and the gay community is that I cannot be a gay Christian.
This is one of the reasons why so many men and women have sought refuge in ex-gay programs. For many of us, it was the only place we could find where we felt free to express that we both have same-sex attractions and a love for Jesus.
Well! I take your word for it.
I do believe you could be gay christian.
Christianity (and most religions) are such a vast way of saying what you are.
I truly met christians in all it's colors. As I met gays in all its colors.
As I said.. I just do not get it. From my gender studies in Sweden, we had a small course of feminist theology. It was so far away from my usual way of aproach texts, as I do as a historian.
They discussed texts in the bible (how to interpet) and what Paulus did or did not write.
And I just didn't understand what that had to do with anything? Why must there be a pure christianity from the beginning corrupted by whom ever you find guilty?
What if they found the "original" not to be of their liking? Is hope out?
This is a way of religion I have a hard time to grasp. And I have the same problem with most of western capitalist society.
Where they try to be anti racisist by discussing the economical benefits of immmigration. Or discuss the great thing about "pink money".
So what happen if they with their small calculator find out that immigration or gays are not god for the economy? Is all humanitarian concerns over?
I do not say that god does not exist. And I do not say money does not exist. I just say I will not bend. I believe that liberty, equality and humanity could exist beyond the borders of what the authority says. I must believe that is possible.
Perhaps that is a religious statement
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