ATTENTION Dr Nazir-Ali: "stop talking rubbish"

John Barrowman:¨Dr Michael Nazir-Ali teaches bigotry.¨

Dr Who actor John Barrowman has said that the Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, who called on gay people to "repent and be changed" will actually drive even more people away from churches.

Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the former Bishop of Rochester

The bishop's views, published in the Sunday Telegraph, sparked outrage from gay campaigners. Peter Tatchell called on him to "repent his homophobia".

Barrowman, who has also starred in Torchwood, said Dr Nazir-Ali should "stop talking rubbish."

He said: "From a gay man, weren't the actions of Jesus Christ supposed to be about compassion and love and understanding? And here you have a man who is supposed to be teaching that and he is teaching bigotry.¨

"I think more gay men would go to church if the teachers weren't as bigoted as they are.¨ read it all, click HERE

The Torchwood star, John Barrowman, had a civil ceremony with his partner of 16 years Scott Gill in Cardiff in September, 2006. read it all, click HERE

·Thanks to Pink News at the right side bar
·Thanks to The Sunday Telegraph U.K.
·Thanks to Peter Tatchell
·Thanks to Flickr Photosharing

JAMAICAN HOLY/SAFE HOUSE: The Sunshine Cathedral, Jamaica's only gay church!

Perhaps a enchanted rain forest, a secret meeting room, a private hide-a-way, a basement bodega, a closet, ALL suddenly transformed into the Kingston, Jamaica branch of the Sunshine Cathedral

Archbishop Drexel Gomez, retired, of The Anglican Church of Jamaica/West Indies Province. Countries that make up the ¨West Indies¨ Anglican Province are the ONLY Nations in Latin America/Western Hemisphere where it is against the law to be a LGBT citizen. Currently Bishop Gomez is chairperson of ´The Anglican Covenant´ design group which he viciously helped author in order to castigate individual, self-governing, Anglican Provinces that allow LGBT Anglicans/Christians to participate at all levels of Churchlife...Gomez and his accomplices display ¨ignorance and mendacity¨ and cause ¨untold suffering.¨ Religiously irresponsible comes to mind.

JAMAICA'S GAYS WORSHIP IN THE CLOSET

¨Most of the institutionalized Church in the world has done inestimable harm to LGBT people. In Jamaica, it's unbelievable how the ignorance and mendacity of most of the clergy and their followers in the institutional Church has caused untold suffering, including murders, of LGBT people.

Where are the voices of the clergy against this horror? Where are the voices of the sanitized professing Christians in the U.S. and elsewhere against the venomous rhetoric of the clergy in Jamaica and in all other places where homophobia is equated with "spirituality" in the minds of demented and warped individuals who have the temerity to sing such hymns in church as "Amazing Grace"?

A Christian Voice For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights, HERE

KINGSTON, Jamaica — It takes just 15 minutes to set up an underground church.

Two boxes and a white sheet make up the pulpit. The altar is a card table. Folding chairs constitute the pews. The Rev. Robert Griffin, a solidly built gay American minister in his mid-40s, unpacks a battered cardboard box; inside is a wooden chalice, two candle holders, a communion plate and a dog-eared copy of the King James Bible. Add a pianist warming up on an electric keyboard and suddenly an empty meeting room is transformed into the Kingston branch of the Sunshine Cathedral, Jamaica’s only gay church.

“We call it church in a box,” said Griffin, who travels to Jamaica once a month from Florida to hold services for Jamaica’s gay community. He helped found this congregation five years ago after reading a Human Rights Watch report about institutionalized anti-gay violence in Jamaica....

Ministers here regularly condemn homosexuality as a mortal sin, citing the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and God’s destruction of these cities because of the immoral behavior of their gay inhabitants. They also frequently quote verse 20:13 of Leviticus, which declares: "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death.”

“Ministers here are endorsing violent acts, calls for murder, to incite riots,” Griffin said. “I hear it being done here, I read it in the papers here, I have even heard it myself. They tell me: ‘We don’t believe in homosexuality and homosexuals should be killed because that’s what the scripture says.’” These beliefs also feed another equally pernicious notion about homosexuality. Since gayness is seen as an ungodly and unnatural act it is widely believed that the only way a young person becomes gay is by being coerced or raped by a gay man.

“That’s a misuse of the pulpit to me,” he said, with a look of outrage on his face. “In this culture, sex and homosexuality seems to pack the churches on Sunday morning. And if a minister is perceived to have not preached against homosexuality on Sunday morning, then that minister has not actually preached, if you will.”

“But we know that scripture says a lot of things,” he said. “My pushback is to ask why is that one particular verse up higher than other verses in that particular section of the Bible? There is another passage that says, 'Slaves, obey your masters.' Well, that particular part of the Bible hasn’t changed. But our attitudes certainly have changed about how we look at slavery. Global Post, click HERE

RECENT HOMOPHOBIC INCIDENTS in Jamaica

¨Jamaica may be one of the most violently homophobic societies in the world. This piece explores the dark side of Jamaica's culture of anti-gay violence and attitudes and explores the ideological beliefs that perpetuate it.¨

Homophobic Violence: Ernie Smith & Venom, click HERE

UPDATE:Man Held In Connection With Murder of Jamaican Envoy John Terry, click HERE

FURTHER UPDATE: Jamaica, a GRIM place to be Gay, read it all, click HERE

·Thanks to The Reverend Jerry Maneker
·Thanks to GLBTQ Jamaica Blogspot
·Thanks to Flickr Photosharing
·Thanks to The Reverend Robert Griffin
·Thanks to Micah Fink - Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
·Thanks to Gays Without Borders/Boycott Jamaica

Prayers ascending on a rainy afternoon:

For all the victims of war, greed and hate. Prayers for the innocent, the lonely, the unhealthy and those lost to addiction and to emotional, spiritual illness and to those warped by innermost terror, self-deceit, self-loathing, fear and hate.

Lord hear my prayer

A NIGHT FILLED WITH STARS (of the twinkling Earthly variety)!

Our friend Jennifer from San Francisco and Central America is modeling one of the two evening dresses from the Pistachio Holiday Collection she ¨collected¨ last night. This one a black on black embroidery covered strapless top with a full length double skirt...one layer transparent flowing chiffon, the underlayer soft black opaque blend (an enthusiastic and loving knock-your-socks-off giftie from husband John)

Dear Friends of The Open Window Foundation of San Miguel, Sacatapequez, Guatemala, Central America,

Last evening in my Sala/Gallery we celebrated The Open Windows Foundation HERE library and learning centers great growth and success these past years with a
special tribute and exciting dinner party!

Among those present were Director, Teresa Quinoñez, members of the Guatemalan Board of Directors and volunteers who welcomed many patrons, library supporters and old/new friends to the festivities.

Ken Wood, of Washington D.C. and Santiago, Atitlan, introduced the Holiday Line of ¨Pistachio¨ apparel and it was a huge success.


As many know, Ken and his talented design partner Orlando, have created a high quality line of wearable exotic fashions which combine ¨handwoven¨ and ¨mill¨ fabrics in coordination with indigenous weavers and regional embroidery expertise...truly a updated and glamorous styling extravaganza engineered from first quality materials into Jackets, Vests, Blazers, Eveningwear, Patiowear and ¨At Home¨ casualwear. 25% of all sales were donated directly to the Open Windows Foundation...dozens of original pieces of inspired wearable art were sold and ordered for custom fit and later delivery.


It was a great evening, thanks to all!