Tag Archives: Sexuality

Aug 03 2012
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of chickens and pickles

I have yet to post anything about the anti-gay Chik-Fil-A controversy. Over the past two weeks, I think we’ve all seen more fast-food fury than we would like. People are up in arms. And while it may seem a little overboard, and I’m getting tired of the FB status updates like anyone else, what can’t be ignored is the anger and fear expressed on both sides. People are making a big stink about this because it is a big issue in our country today. Perhaps the biggest social issue.

I find Chik-Fil-A’s stance on homosexuality to be hateful and biblically misleading. The president of the company certainly has the right to say what he did and to spend the company’s money as he chooses. I make choices with my money too. I choose to buy our produce from a local farmer every Monday because I believe it supports my community. I chose to buy products from environmentally responsible companies because I believe it benefits our planet. And I choose not to buy chicken and pickle sandwiches at Chik-Fil-A because I believe the company’s stance on humanity is detrimental to our society.

It’s not that I think Chik-Fil-A can’t have an opinion, it’s just that I too am entitled to my own opinion. And I can use my purchasing power just like they can (albeit on a much smaller scale).

Am I in favor of vandalizing property in response? No. Do I think they should be outlawed from cities? Not unless they discriminate in their hiring process (which is legal in more than half the US). And I am certainly as disappointed with hate on the left as I am with hate on the right.

Here’s the deal. Marriage equality isn’t going away. We are going to find new ways to debate this topic every day. And each debate can be an opportunity to learn more about each other.

As a liberal follower of Christ and lover of God’s diversity manifested in creation, I pray that we can respond in a way that points to Truth and Light.

I hope more chicken franchises will put pickles on their chicken sandwiches. I’m gonna miss those pickles. And I hope my more conservative friends making biblical arguments will read up on their Source. Mostly I believe Love can win and is winning–despite our hate.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5.

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Jun 23 2012
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pride and pampering

It’s Gay Pride month, and this weekend is the culmination of all things GAY in NYC.  There’s a lot to celebrate in NYC (marriage equality was legalized this past year) and there is need to celebrate too.  I think celebration leads to awareness, learning and togetherness–it’s why we celebrate birthdays every year and Eucharist every week (or every day in some cases)!

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post-race recovery snack with gay sprinkles

In any case, I ran the 5-mile PRIDE race put on by the Front Runners (LGBT running club) and sponsored by Urban Athletics (the store Jay runs for and the team I’ll be joining shortly).  The course is said to be a fast one because the Harlem Hills are in the first mile so you get the worst out of the way early on.  Yesterday our friend/teammate Tanya offered to run with me.  Tanya is way faster than I am, but she was scheduled to do 50 minutes “easy” so it was a perfect match.  I took her up on her offer.

Before the start I told Tanya I was shooting for 8:05 to 8:10 pace.  I had run a 4-mile race with Tanya, her boyfriend Josh and Jay at 8:03 pace 2 weeks prior.  While I had two more weeks of training under my belt, this course was 1 mile longer.  8:05 seemed reasonable.

Just as we were about to cross the start mats, I looked at my Garmin to press start, but my screen changed at that very moment–I’d have to reconnect to satellites, etc.  Shoot.  Tanya said we’d just go by her watch instead, and she had set her “virtual partner” to 8:00 pace.  This was actually a God-send as I couldn’t keep checking my pace and instead had to go by feel and trust Tanya’s coaching.

Let me just say, Tanya is a rock star.  I learned so much running with her today.  In the first few minutes, she told me not to waste my energy weaving through runners trying to get ahead.  “You’ll make up time when it thins out and you’re running faster than you realize anyway.”  When it was time to weave some, she’d run ahead of me to clear the way.  She set goals for me, “See that rock?  That’s half way up the hill.”  She coached me on breathing, telling me not to work so hard on the down hills, but to let gravity do its job while I just concentrated on slower breathing to bring my heart-rate down.  She ran ahead of me at water stops to bring me water.  I was totally spoiled.  Add to that encouraging remarks along the way, as well as when to slow up a bit so I’d have gas in the tank for the end, when to pick it up in the last half mile, and when to go all out.  The end result was a perfect race at 7:54 pace and a sub-40 minute finish.  We were both pretty pumped.

Sadly, Jay missed my finish.  We were just too fast.

After the race, Jay and I discussed my ongoing training as we walked to the West side of Central Park.  My next race is a 5k at Sodus Point on July 4th.  It’s a Holder family tradition.  I confessed it would be hard to push myself on my own after being pampered with coaching and pacing help the past two races.  It’s a hot and hilly course.  But obviously Jay’s coaching (with help from friends) is paying off, so I’ll just keep rolling with it.  This is the most fun stage of training because you can see the results from week to week.  Soon I’ll plateau on speed and the excitement will be about reaching new mileage goals instead.  At least I hope that stage will be an exciting one!

For now, I’m a proud LGBT advocate and a pampered runner.

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