Risks and rights

Posted at 10:58 AM on May 31, 2012 by Bob Collins (9 Comments)

Two stories in the news bracket the spectrum of gay rights in America and the risks people take when taking a stand.

On Saint Paul's East Side, Rev Oliver White, 69, is in danger of losing his church, the Pioneer Press reported this week, after taking a stand in favor of gay rights.

White needs to raise $200,000 by the end of June to pay off an April 2007 loan needed to stay open. But the paper reports two-thirds of his parishioners left the predominantly African-American church. The Star Tribune says the financial problems started when he voted at a national UCC convention in favor of a resolution supporting same-sex marriage.

"The membership evaporated right before my eyes," he told the Strib. "Their fundamental belief was it's wrong for a man and a man to marry or a woman and a woman to marry. A lot of them said if I change, they'd come back. But I told them, it is what it is. I am who I am. And this is what I fight for."

Grace Community Church is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Ironically, the United Church of Christ has been one of the most visible churches when it comes to embracing gay rights. You may recall this ad, which it couldn't get placed on national TV networks. Too controversial.

Meanwhile, JC Penney has also been an outlier in the skittish world of retail when it comes to gay rights. You may recall last February it rejected calls from a conservative group to drop Ellen Degeneres as a spokesperson because she's a lesbian.

Now, weeks before Father's Day, a JC Penney ad features two dads...

Earlier this month, JC Penney reported its first quarter sales fell 20 percent from a year ago.

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Comments (9)

If my kids need new clothing, I'll be going to Penny's BEFORE I hit up Target from now on.

Posted by Christin | May 31, 2012 11:42 AM

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Oh, "Christian Churches in the media".

How is it that Judaism (you know the people who wrote the old testament of the bible that is so oft quoted by "Christians" in the media) comes off as being so much more Homosexual friendly then the people who have a hole other testament based around the life of some one who was all about forgiveness and acceptance?

Posted by jon | May 31, 2012 11:50 AM

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Orthodox Jews are very much against homosexuality and Conservative Jews are mixed. You just don't see it because you are in Minnesota where we don't have a lot of Jews and the religious leaders here tend to not get involved publicly in political areas.

And many, many, many churches are "homosexual friendly." The ELCA has 2.5 million members, 50% of which are in the midwest. They are generally friendly to LGBT people, including allowing for ordination. The United Methodists, the UCC, the Unitarians, the Quakers and many other churches are also LGBT friendly. I was a member of an American Baptist church that was very LGBT friendly.

Posted by Kassie | May 31, 2012 12:40 PM

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Target is donating proceeds from this line of t-shirts to the Family Equality Council. I learned about it from the opposition!

I wish Rev Oliver White the best of luck. He did the right thing.

Posted by Jim!!! | May 31, 2012 1:57 PM

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JC Penny's sales problems may not be entirely related to their spokesperson or to gay friendly advertising.

Posted by tboom | May 31, 2012 4:26 PM

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Kassie,

My point isn't about Christians it is about "Christians in the media" (Which is a totally different animals)
"Jews in the media" vs. "Christians in the media" leads me to the conclusion that Jews less critical of homosexuality then the Christians... The reality I'm sure is different.

Posted by Jon | May 31, 2012 5:58 PM

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Jews like homosexuals; just as long as they're not Palestinian homosexuals.

Posted by John | May 31, 2012 9:59 PM

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Target likes homosexuals as long as they are ok with working on Thanksgiving.

Posted by john | May 31, 2012 10:18 PM

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jon, john, John - :-)

Posted by Jim Shapiro | May 31, 2012 10:44 PM

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