May 13, 2008

Last week, the American Family Outing kicked off in Houston, Texas. The American Family Outing is a collaborative project of COLAGE, Soulforce, the National Black Justice Coalition and the United Fellowship of MCC Churches to create dialogue between LGBT families and families at six American mega-churches.

During its first weekend, AFO participants hosted a press conference to share their stories with the media and invite Joel Osteen and Lakewood Church to invite them to a family picnic. Speakers included Jay Baaker, the son of Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, and the co-founder of Revolution Church and Caitlin McIntyre, COLAGE Speak OUT member. Caitlin shared, "It felt so freeing to tell my story and to speak out against the religious oppression I had so long been victim to. We were refusing to be silent and it was a spectacular feeling."

youtube.com/watch?v=PXff4xXbbQA

On Saturday, LGBTQ families and their allies gathered at a community picnic near the Lakewood Church. Members from the LGBT community in Houston and congregants from Lakewood attended the event with the American Family Outing hosts. As a community the group could celebrate the love apparent in all their families and build connections to others who hadn't before had the opportunity to meet lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender families.

On Sunday, American Family Outing families attended Church services at Lakewood, the country's largest congregation. They sat in a reserved area where they could worship as with the community as well as answer questions from many church attendees who were curious about the American Family Outing. After the service, AFO participants met Joel and Victoria Osteen in the first-time visitors' line.

After the weekend of actions, Caitlin shared, "Even if we only changed one mind or touched one heart or made a single soul take pause, we have made an invaluable contribution. It is vital to raise our voices wherever we can to make our families, and families like ours, safe no matter where they are. I encourage you to help by lending your voice and your story to the American Family Outing. There are many more opportunities to speak to religious leaders and their congregations, not to mention meet spectacular people, and our efforts really do matter!"

To get involved in upcoming American Family Outing efforts, visit www.soulforce.org/afo.

Soulforce is a national civil rights and social justice organization. Our vision is freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from religious and political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance.

The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC) is an international fellowship of Christian churches with a special ministry to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

The National Black Justice Coalition(NBJC) is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black same-gender-loving, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people. The Coalition works with our communities and our allies for social justice, equality, and an end to racism and homophobia.

COLAGE is a national movement of children, youth and adults with one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer parents. We build community and work toward social justice through youth empowerment, leadership development, education, and advocacy.