October brings many queer reasons to reflect. I'm delighted to announce that my new book on the gay Passion of Christ is out!

Learn more at the book's new website: passionofchristbook.com.  

Meet Jesus as a young gay man of today in a modern city with "The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision," a new book by Kittredge Cherry (author) and Douglas Blanchard (artist).   

 

The book was released today and readers can buy it now.

 

More info
Buy book
See book trailer video

Matthew Shepard brought international attention to anti-gay hate crimes when he died Oct. 12, 1998. He was a 21-year-old gay student at the University of Wyoming at the time. 

 

Shepard has become a cultural icon, inspiring dozens of paintings, films, plays, songs and other artistic works. More info  

    

(Credit: "The Passion of Matthew Shepard" by William Hart McNichols)  

Saints Sergius and Bacchus were third-century Roman soldiers, Christian martyrs and men who loved each other. Their close bond has been emphasized since the earliest accounts, and recent scholarship has revealed their homosexuality. Scholar John Boswell names Sergius and Bacchus as one of the three primary pairs of same-sex lovers in the early church.  More info

(Credit: "Marriage of Saint Sergius and Saint Bacchus" by Tony De Carlo)

Vida Dutton Scudder (1861-1954) was a social reformer, Wellesley professor, prominent lesbian author -- and an official saint in the Episcopal Church.

 

For 35 years until her death, Scudder lived with author Florence Converse in a lesbian relationship. Scudder was active in the Social Gospel movement. Her spirituality went hand in hand with her social conscience and love of learning. More info 

Historical records reveal a queer side to Saint Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved religious figures of all time. The 13th-century friar is celebrated for loving animals, hugging lepers, and praying for peace, but few know about his love for another man and his gender nonconformity. More info

(Left: "St. Francis and the Sultan" by Robert Lentz. Right: "St Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata" by Kevin Raye Larson)

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Hildegard of Bingen was a brilliant medieval German mystic, poet, artist, composer, healer and scientist who wrote with passion about the Virgin Mary. Some say she was a lesbian because of her strong attachment to women, especially her personal assistant Richardis von Stade. More info

(Credit: "St. Hildegard of Bingen and Her Assistant Richardis" by Lewis Williams, TrinityStores.com)

 

Henri Nouwen was a Catholic priest and bestselling author who wrestled with his homosexuality. Nouwen never discussed his gay sexual orientation in his 40 books, but he confided his conflict over it in private journals and conversations. Some say that this personal struggle added depth to his books such as "The Wounded Healer." More info 

 

(Credit: "Henri Nouwen" by Robert Lentz, trinitystores.com)

There's good reason to believe that Good King Wenceslas was gay.  Yes, the king in the Christmas carol.
 
The carol is based on real historical figures, a Bohemian duke and his loyal page.  Author Dennis O'Neill researched the love between the two men.  More info
 
(Credit: "St. Wenceslaus and Podiven, his Assistant" by Lewis Williams, trinitystores.com)

This month the Jesus in Love Newsletter mailing list grew to 1,000 subscribers.

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CAN GAYS AND LESBIANS BE TRUE CHRISTIANS? See the "Gay and Christian" website! It shows that a person can be both a Christian and a loving, sexually-active gay man or lesbian.

Artist Trudie Barreras will do pet portraits in pastel, or watercolor sketches of your home or favorite scenes, for a $25 gift to Kitt for Jesus in Love.  To see samples of Trudie's work, visit her website, schuylerart.com. Contact us for further details.

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Save 10% on products associated with any feast day this month.

 

Santos Queer presenta en las fechas adecuadas durante todo el a�o tanto santas y santos como m�rtires, h�roes, heroinas y personas consagradas de especial inter�s para las personas  lesbianas, gays, bisexuales y transexuales (LGBT) y sus aliados.