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February 2013
Jesus in Love Newsletter
LGBT spirituality and the arts
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In This Issue
Top 10 stories
Inauguration
St. Sebastian
Lesbian Virgin Mary
Beloved Disciple
St. Brigid
Jonathan & David
Gay Holocaust
Ugandan martyr
Thanks


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Vision statement

Jesus in Love supports lesbian, gay, bi trans and queer  (LGBTQ) spirituality, with an emphasis on art and literature. It promotes artistic and religious freedom and teaches love for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. It is based on these beliefs: God loves all people, including sexual minorities. The creative process is sacred. The queer visions, especially the gay Jesus and LGBT saints, will free people to experience the divine in new ways and lead to a more just world.

 

Jesus in Love was founded by lesbian Christian author Kittredge Cherry as her personal gift to the world.  

 

Greetings!
Today I am announcing the top 10 stories of 2012 at Jesus in Love. The gay Passion of Christ series leads the list, but religious cartoons, queer historical research and LGBT saints were also big.
Top 10 LGBT spiritual arts stories of
2012

 
Passion of Christ - A Gay Vision by Douglas Blanchard
A gay vision of Christ's Passion was the top LGBT spiritual arts story for 2012, the Jesus in Love Blog announced today.

In second place was a cartoon for marriage equality showing Jesus in bed with rock star Freddie Mercury.

Marriage Made in Heaven by Mr. Fish Others in the top 10 are: gay saints Sergius and Bacchus, Jesus heals gay Centurion's boyfriend, queer preacher Jemima Wilkinson reborn in 1776 as "Publick Universal Friend," gay Jesus kiss from "Corpus Christi" play, artist Tony De Carlo, remembering all queers executed for sodomy, cross-dressing saint Joan of Arc, and Francis of Assisi's queer side revealed. More info

(Credits: "The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision" by Douglas Blanchard and "Marriage Made in Heaven" by Mr. Fish)
First openly LGBT clergy reads at Inauguration Nancy Wilson at Inaugural Prayer

 

A lesbian minister, Nancy Wilson of Metropolitan Community Churches, became the first openly gay or lesbian clergy member in history to participate as a worship leader at a US Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service.  She read the scripture there. More info and video  

Saint Sebastian: History's first gay icon  Homage to Sebastian by Tony De Carlo

 

St. Sebastian has been called history's first gay icon and the patron saint of homosexuals. He was an early Christian martyr killed in 288 . He is the subject of countless artworks that show him as a near-naked young man being shot with arrows.  Little is known about his love life, so his popularity with gay men is mostly based on how he looks. More info 

 

(Credit: "Homage to Sebastian" by Tony De Carlo

Lesbian Virgin Mary protested in Croatia
Poster for Fine Dead Girls

 

 A poster with a lesbian Virgin Mary was withdrawn in Croatia in January after religious and political pressure. It advertised the play "Fine Dead Girls."

 

The mayor of Zagreb ordered the theater to remove the poster from all public areas after an unprecedented campaign against it by Catholic and other religious groups. Now the theater is being criticized for cowardice by some LGBT Croatians. More info 

Beloved Disciple: The man Jesus loved

Jesus and Beloved Disciple by Laurie Gudim

Love between Jesus and his Beloved Disciple has been celebrated by artists since medieval times. And the idea that they were homosexual lovers has  caused controversy since the 16th century. John the Evangelist is usually considered to be the unnamed "disciple whom Jesus loved" from the gospel of John. More info 

 

(Credit: "Jesus and the Beloved Disciple" by Laurie Gudim

St. Brigid loved her female soulmate

Sts. Brigid and Darlughdach by Robert Lentz
St. Brigid and her soulmate Darlughdach were 6th-century nuns who brought art, education and spirituality to early medieval Ireland. 

They were so close that they slept in the same bed. Brigid shares her name and feast day with a Celtic goddess.  More info

(Credit: Saints Brigid and Darlughdach of Kildare by Robert Lentz, trinitystores.com)
Jonathan & David: Love between men in the Bible
David and Jonathan window from Scotland
Jonathan fell in love with David in Biblical times.  Intense love between the two men is portrayed by artists old and new. The same-sex couple's powerful love story shows that gay relationships are affirmed and blessed by God.   More info    

 

(Credit: David and Jonathan window, St. Mark's Portobello, Edinburgh, Scotland)    

Pink triangle recalls Holocaust
Pink Triangle by John Bittinger Klomp

International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan. 27) honors the victims of the Nazi era, including the estimated 5,000 to 60,000 sent to concentration camps for homosexuality. "The Pink Triangle was part of the system of triangles used by the Nazis during World War II to denote various peoples they deemed undesirable," said gay artist John Bittinger Klomp. He uses the symbol in his "Gay Dictionary" paintings.  More info 

 

(Credit: "Pink Triangle" by John Bittinger Klomp)

David Kato: Ugandan LGBT rights martyr
David Kato by Rod Byatt

David Kato, Ugandan LGBT rights activist, is considered a father of Uganda's gay rights movement. He was beaten to death two years ago in a case that some blame on anti-gay religious rhetoric. More info

(Credit: "David Kato" by Rod Byatt)  

Many thanks for gifts to Jesus in Love
Thank you

 

Thanks to everyone whose gifts and prayers made my Christmas / Year-End Offering a success!  Click here to see donors' names and comments.  

You can also give now for 2013.

 

Click to see past highlights from the Jesus in Love Blog:

   

Saint Valentine: Marriage equality role model

 

In memory of PFLAG founder Jeanne Manford who loved her gay son

 

Aelred: Gay saint of friendship

 

The thoughtful season of Lent begins soon with Ash Wednesday on Feb. 13. The next day brings a celebration of romantic love and marriage equality on Valentines' Day, Feb. 14. Enjoy this time of love and reflection!

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