“If I Could Straighten Out!”: That’s What He Told Me

Two men standing on top of a mountain at sunset.

My name is Johnie Guerra. I’m straight and happily married with four wonderful boys. I’m the grandson of two pastors and my parents did their best to raise me with a Bible-based upbringing. Recently, I’ve started attending a church with an inclusive ministry for LGBT people, volunteering at a youth group for LGBT kids, and…

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Where Were You? A Call For Accompaniment

A person is standing on top of a mountain at sunset.

This month I released a video of a spoken word poem entitled “Where Were You?” that I wrote and published this past April. I wrote the piece after sitting through a homophobic conference presented by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I wanted to ask those who talk about LGBT folk where they were during different time…

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Methodist Minister On Trial: Rev. Schaefer Responds

Pastor speaking inside an empty church

Rev. Frank Schaefer was found “guilty” of performing his son’s wedding to another man by the United Methodist Church on November 19. He was given a 30-day suspension, at the end of which he was given the choice to either completely renounce his ministry to the LGBT community and pledge to never perform another same-sex…

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Family Conversations: My Mom’s Journey To Advocacy

Two women in sunglasses posing for a photo in a field.

A few years ago when I was new to working as an advocate for inclusion and equality for all in faith communities, Ross Murray from GLAAD taught me that people generally move from active opposition to silence to tolerance to acceptance and then to advocacy. I’ve seen this happen over and over now in my…

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