Amanda Udis-Kessler, CC’s director of institutional research, has become a regular LGBT spirituality blogger for the interfaith Tikkun Daily, which aims to provide “a spiritual progressive perspective on politics, art, religion, and activism.” Tikkun Daily is the multimedia blog site of Tikkun, the bimonthly Jewish and interfaith magazine associated with the Network of Spiritual Progressives.
Udis-Kessler’s first blog post was on the spirituality of same-sex marriage. More recently, she wrote about Colorado Springs’ 20th annual LGBT PrideFest and Pride Parade.
She and her partner, Associate Professor of Biology Phoebe Lostroh, co-wrote a piece, “The Hands of the Holy: Re-Envisioning LGBT Welcome in Faith Communities,” in the July-August issue of Tikkun Magazine.
Udis-Kessler has published widely on issues of sexuality, religion and social justice, including her 2008 book, “Queer Inclusion in the United Methodist Church.” At CC, she chairs the Institutional Review Board, recently co-chaired the Diversity Task Force, and serves on a number of other committees.
Gay spirituality can mean simply the truth that gay people have interior lives and spiritual interests, that they, despite having been so long rejected and vilified by the religions, can be good people, want to live full and moral lives and are “God’s children, too.”
Gay spirituality, though, can also mean a certain esoteric wisdom and secret knowledge about the meaning of life and the nature of God that the experience of homosexuality itself can be understood to bestow.
Great blog, Amanda. Thanks for it and for turning me on to Tikkun Daily. I look forward to being a part of the conversation.
Just wanted to compliment you on your beautiful letter published in the NY Times today (8/16/10). I easily found you on the internet!
I am a straight, 59 year old male. In this time when we have so many serious problems, why do some choose to wage a cultural war with zero empirical consequences? Keep up the good fight Amanda!
Ted Salins
Richmond, Va.
PS – Thought you might like this You Tube one minute PSA I made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tu9Qqeqaf4&feature=channel
Thanks, all of you, for the kind and thoughtful comments. I am just trying to do good work in the world, that’s all. Ted, I totally dig your PSA. Maybe the next one should be blood pressure or…hmmm…Peace, Amanda
Back at you Amanda! Feel free to “distribute”.
Here’s the “next one”: (80 secs) Not directly about intolerance, but you’ll get the drift:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0kzw6EI9xc