My daughter is Director of Outreach Services at Oasis in Nashville. She works daily with LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults who have found themselves homeless. I shared this article with her, and I know it will encourage and inspire her.
I appreciate your willingness to write and speak about important and challenging issues like this.
Thanks Kevin! As an advocate for the unhoused, and the very proud mother to two young queer adults, our family is well aware of the rising rates homelessness amongst LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults. I particularly encounter non-English speaking LGBTQIA+ individuals who experience discrimination in housing. Not too long ago, civil rights protections were extended to the LGBTQIA+ community by our LOCAL government that are more expansive than state or federal civil rights protections. Thus, this important community group is now recognized as a protected class in areas like housing and employment within city limits. To many of us, the words “States Rights” promises restrictive rights. However, state constitutions and local governments can provide excellent opportunities to expand civil rights for marginalized groups.
Thanks for a very thoughtful, well-written missive on a subject that often gets murky and twisted: faith and how to follow it. It is easy to worship and identify oneself as a Christian but often downright hard to follow Christ when the path does not go the way you want it to go. I have seen plenty of homeless LGBTQIA+ youth go down a rabbit hole (drugs, drink, homelessness, hopelessness) that they would never have entered if their parents simply listened to them and loved them in spite of not understanding them. I am not a parent, but your warm-hearted yet clear-headed approach to dealing with religion and relationships with others was some food for thought I needed to be served this morning. Thanks Kevin.
Oh Kevin, I really really needed this letter today. thank you so much for sharing.
you're so welcome!
wrote an open letter of my own half in response to this and half in response to my own father: https://open.substack.com/pub/almostseminarian/p/an-open-letter-to-parents-who-want?r=1gvbqe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
this is beautiful. thank you!!
Thank you Kevin!
My daughter is Director of Outreach Services at Oasis in Nashville. She works daily with LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults who have found themselves homeless. I shared this article with her, and I know it will encourage and inspire her.
I appreciate your willingness to write and speak about important and challenging issues like this.
Sharing this with everyone I know!
Thanks Kevin! As an advocate for the unhoused, and the very proud mother to two young queer adults, our family is well aware of the rising rates homelessness amongst LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults. I particularly encounter non-English speaking LGBTQIA+ individuals who experience discrimination in housing. Not too long ago, civil rights protections were extended to the LGBTQIA+ community by our LOCAL government that are more expansive than state or federal civil rights protections. Thus, this important community group is now recognized as a protected class in areas like housing and employment within city limits. To many of us, the words “States Rights” promises restrictive rights. However, state constitutions and local governments can provide excellent opportunities to expand civil rights for marginalized groups.
Thanks for a very thoughtful, well-written missive on a subject that often gets murky and twisted: faith and how to follow it. It is easy to worship and identify oneself as a Christian but often downright hard to follow Christ when the path does not go the way you want it to go. I have seen plenty of homeless LGBTQIA+ youth go down a rabbit hole (drugs, drink, homelessness, hopelessness) that they would never have entered if their parents simply listened to them and loved them in spite of not understanding them. I am not a parent, but your warm-hearted yet clear-headed approach to dealing with religion and relationships with others was some food for thought I needed to be served this morning. Thanks Kevin.