Debates about same-sex marriage often center on a question of religion. But the rhetoric opposing gay marriage comes from only a handful of religious people and does not represent all religious communities. Christian viewpoints alone run from vehement opposition to activism on behalf of gay couples. But rarely we do hear what other religions say about gay marriage. Let’s take a look at the religious perspectives you may not know. read more

For the first time in its history, Spokane will host a "Conference for Hope" – a gathering of more than 500 GLBTQA youth along with their parents, teachers and other community members.   read more

To read the preceding article from the June, 2009 Q View Northwest Issue, click here

Before this bill was even signed, however, a proposed ballot initiative, called Referendum 71, was filed on May 4 by a group of conservative and faith-based leaders (aka the Faith and Freedom Network headed by Oregon resident Garry Randall, along with the President of the Washington Values Alliance, Larry Stickney)—and it’s deadline day is approaching.   read more

For those of us who work in HIV prevention and LGBTQ advocacy, the story and its subsequent reporting in the news brought up two issues that we face and fight every single day: HIV prevention and the use of negative gay stereotypes that contribute to retaliatory violence and hatred against us queer folks. The inflammatory nature of the reporting, that is, the inflation of the number of participants and their portrayal as "victims" both undermines and inspires our continued work in the community. read more

As more states allow same-sex couples to marry churches find themselves in an awkward position. (Granted, six states hardly counts as a groundswell, but the number has tripled in 2009 alone, and Iowa is so far from either coast that it signals something about a shift even in middle America.) American Christianity as a whole, across denominational lines from conservative to liberal, must increasingly reckon with the fact that it has failed either to prevent this significant social drift into immorality or to lead the way toward greater justice. read more

Anniversaries can get confusing for gay folk. What to celebrate and when? Melynda and I used to celebrate June 5th because that’s when we officially became a couple way back in 1992. We celebrated the traditional way by duly forgetting about it each year and/or having a pointless argument over nothing much. We were very young and very poor. We couldn’t afford fine bottles of champagne, no one had invented Netflix yet, and arguments were both free and thrilling. No one can slam a door like a 25-year-old lesbian. It’s an art form, it really is.   read more