Out in the Mountains DESKTOP PUBLISHING GRAPHIC DESIGN TRA|N|NG&SUPPORT I fill! service I selfse/vice I mac‘-pc file conversions I image and text scanning I laser printing I qualify photocopies I fax services I great looking resimzes I c0/or slide presentations I mac training workshops I professional,_/iiendiv se/vice 187 St. Paul St. Burlington VT 882.863.1884 Questions? Confessions of a Born Again Dylie Miki Thomas It is getting harder and harder at times to proclaim that I am a Christian. Indeed, it’s easier to tell people that I am a lesbian be- cause unlike being a Christian, coming out as gay does not automatically make people assume I am a card carrying mem- ber of the John Birch Society. And with such assumptions, it is hard to garner much sympathy on my behalf. Of course, Christians these days are not a sympathetic bunch for the most part. Ho- mophobic tirades of recent note have all had their start from Christians who haven’t gotten past page one of their bibles. Jerry Falwell has recently threat- ened to resurrect the Moral Majority in re- sponse to his fear of America becoming a “simmering quagrriire of immorality.” Rev John Hague, pastor of Cornerstone Fellowship in San Antonio, Texas is push- ing a new tape series that promises ways of bringing the country back to old fash- ioned values from the devious likes of “gay rights activists, radical feminists, the liberal media,” and other “un—American” types. Among the old fashioned values Rev. Hague espouses is “neighbors loving their neighbors.” That is, of course, if those neighbors are not “gay rights ac- tivists, radical feminists, and the liberal media.” I could certainly go on and on with ex- amples of such “Christian good-will.” We are certain to hear more as the controversy over gays in the military heats up How- ever, despite the venom displayed by such Christian leaders, I still believe. My faith coming to question their homophobia, re alizing that by harboring such hate they-, break a few of the Ten Commandments} such as thou shalt not lie, thou shalt not‘ kill, and my favorite, thou shall not false witness against thy neighbor. Withjfi‘ the past few years, pastors around the: country such as Benny Hinn, another of those tele-evangelists, have suddenly said that God told them that the next big re vival will include gays, whether the pas tors like it or not. On a personal level,l subscribe to a Christian alternative music magazine that has ben very open in deal- ing with gay and AIDS issues. I con- gratulated the editor on taking such cou- rageous stands. He wrote back, saying that as a minister in the United Church of Christ (one of the more “gay—friendly” de- nominations) he has dealt with such issues in the past. Even without such support in areas where one would least expect it, there is the huge network of gay and lesbian Christians across the country. Within the past two and a half years I’ve been able to tap into this network, to worship God with my fel- low gays and lesbians openly and proudly just as we are. Believe me, no one has really lived till one is in a room full of gays and lesbians hooting and hollering for Jesus. One of the most affirming events for me occurred in the last year ata conference for Christian gays and lesbians in Phoenix, Arizona. In the afternoona bunch of us decided to go to a Christian bookstore not to protest but to buy Chris- tian goodies. No one gave us any prob- lems because we were probably the best customers they had all day and even if they did they would have felt the wrath of 30 butch lesbians. Just like the storiesl could tell about Christian homoph0bia,l could tell many more about “little mir- acles” of Christians, both gay and non- gay, coming together as children of God. the way it ought to be in the first place. V Counseling in a Social and Compassionate Context JAl‘l PASSION is the most important part of my life. No Call the t th l'k f J F 1 ll Gay/Lesbian/BiS_eXual $V!i1eO vfiillirrlig teo 1c:()eridg.mnenrr3i,e IE(l)“ii3ell Y011th Inf0'Ll11e without consulting God first, could take 1 800-GLB-CHAT that faith away from me. Outright VT _ All .is'not bleak though on the non-gay Yousth (group I:/Ieétlng Christian front. There are people who are un ay - pni Seth Ian Modclson The Red Cortggé 518 523-9758 260 Averyvill' c a ( ) Lake Placid, NY 12946 licensed Massage Therapy -:<:>:— ‘ Energy Balancing / /}\ i\ Offices in Burlington and St. George Specializing in ACOA and Survivor Recovery. Ciender/Men's Issues and Personal Transfonnation. 482-2022 Sliding Fee Scale (4