Ok, so I am not surprised but I am once again disappointed in Sojourners and Jim Wallis for their lack of courage and faith. As many of you know Sojourners refused to air an ad depicting lesbian moms and their son entering a new church, supposedly on Mother’s Day. Subsequently a storm of disapproval, disappointment and even outrage has been directed at Jim Wallis, politico at the helm, and the org or Sojo. Jim offers his pasty white response that boils down to “we can’t be distracted by this issue from our real goals of justice” and “not yet”. Wait.
This rings of white, hetero privilege so much that I felt the need to re-read a little letter penned in a Birmingham City Jail.
Now let me first be exceptionally clear – I do not, as a lesbian growing up in the south, for one minute equate my sliver of injustice with the horrendous evil that my African American sisters and brothers lived under for hundreds of years. I do not equate my families rejection nor the church’s continued participation in my oppression to the hoses or dogs or lynchings or beatings or bombings of baby girls at church. Not even close.
But, I do take Dr. King’s words to heart, often. I do listen to his voice and read his words with an ear toward justice for all. And in so doing am reminded both of my own participation in the oppression of others and of my own humanity being squashed at the hands of so called Christians.
Jim Wallis – I am not an “issue” or simply a campaign of controversy. I am a woman, a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend, a writer, a Christian and a child of God. I will not wait any longer for my rights in this country to equal yours. I should not be afraid to hold my partner’s hand in my own city, neighborhood or church. I should not be afraid to tell the doctors caring for our children that I am ALSO their mom – afraid that my daughter will receive less or no care in moments of critical need. I should not have to worry if someone will take my children from me because I am too controversial right now. I REFUSE to keep watching and reading of children taking their own lives because “good Christians” look the other way while their own children bully babies to death.
We are not an issue Jim, we are not a monolithic “lifestyle” or label. We are Children of God, beloved by our creator and ready to take our rightful place in a society that is groaning toward justice.
