When I was an undergraduate English major, some friends and I would play a game to help us recall words to broaden our vocabulary. Exciting, right? Ok, I’ll admit I might have been a bit of a nerd, but I loved words, writing and creating poems & stories. While I’ve never really put much stock into New Year’s resolutions, I do enjoy picking a group of words and … [Read more...] about Create your Path Through Words to Live By
Opinions
A Look at MLK Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day was originally promoted by labor unions and, shortly after the civil rights leader’s death, it was brought to Congress for a vote. President Ronald Reagan signed the ensuing bill and it became law in 1983. Some states, however, refused to recognize the holiday or celebrate it. It was finally acknowledged by all 50 states for the first time in … [Read more...] about A Look at MLK Day
The 2010s: A Decade in Review
If you’re anything like me, it probably seems that the past decade went by fairly quickly. Wasn’t it only yesterday that we were ringing in 2010? (OK, honestly? I don’t remember much about that year at all. The year 2000 definitely made a deeper impression.) In any case, there have been some pretty monumental changes for the LGBT community in the last ten years. Here are just … [Read more...] about The 2010s: A Decade in Review
It’s good to be King
I never much cared for homework when I was a kid. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one. There were so many other things I would have rather been doing. And you might be surprised to find out just how much you can accomplish when you should be doing something else. There are few to choose from, but one of my most memorable homework assignments came from Mrs. Green’s English … [Read more...] about It’s good to be King
HIV 2019 – Good, Bad, & Ugly
As we close another year, let’s reflect on a few things in 2019. Promises were made and some important ideas emerged along with funding, which is always exciting and impactful. The GOOD U=U (Undetectable equals Untransmittable) means that when HIV is no longer detectable in our bodies we CANNOT transmit it to an intimate (sexual) partner. Achieving an undetectable viral … [Read more...] about HIV 2019 – Good, Bad, & Ugly
A Christmas Story – The Big Picture
Dear Friends -- We shall not talk of carnival lamps nor bb guns. Nor will we speak of Red Ryder wagons. Neither shall we talk of Angels getting their wings and bells on Christmas Eve. We will, however, speak of the “Big Picture.” Too often, we wrap ourselves in the non-essential elements of the Nativity. How often do we hear a litany of information and conjecture that, … [Read more...] about A Christmas Story – The Big Picture
2020 Is Here
The other day I mentioned to a friend of mine that while I knew “2020” was the next year chronologically, it had not crossed my mind what this means. We’re getting near the third decade of the third millennium. Twenty years since y2k, that old chestnut best left forgotten if it didn’t seem so quaint in retrospect. If you don’t recall, in 1999, the media hyped up the … [Read more...] about 2020 Is Here
Trump and a Hill to Die On
One of the most significant Supreme Court decisions of 2019 was one that barely received notice in the LGBT+ community—Rucho v. Common. The case had to do with gerrymandering, the act of drawing legislative district maps in such a way that favors one political party. Not a sexy topic, for sure, but a consequential one, nonetheless. Profoundly … [Read more...] about Trump and a Hill to Die On
On Gratitude in the New Decade
Happy 2020! It’s the beginning of a new year, a new decade, and perhaps the best of all days to come. A bit optimistic you might say, and that may be right, however, I really don’t think so. Optimism is often the upshot of a sense of gratitude for life and the many nuances of it that propel us forward day by day, week by week. I spent some time at a holiday gathering a … [Read more...] about On Gratitude in the New Decade
The Incarnation
The doctrine of the Incarnation is a Gift to the World. I say this because it offers a spiritual foundation that becomes inclusive of our human enterprise. This is not to dismiss other religions or faith traditions. Each of the varied faith traditions offers some fundamental basis. Judaism offers a broad perspective including philosophy, deep discussion of scripture … [Read more...] about The Incarnation
