As it's Easter, let's turn to a more upbeat story regarding gays and religion. The Jewish newspaper The Forward reports that traditionally gay synagogues are now so well accepted that they are grappling with the high percentages of heteros and their families who want to join. (hat tip: Rick Sincere). Excerpt:
That difficulty has become particularly acute at Bet Haverim, where more than half the 300 members are straight. After some confusion with Atlanta’s gay newspaper, Bet Haverim’s rabbi, Joshua Lesser, asked that Bet Haverim be described as a "gay-founded" synagogue....
"I think that was a profound transformational moment where most of us realized: 'Oh, this is the value of opening up our synagogue. We have created a community of allies,'" Lesser said.
I also hear that something similar has happened in larger MCC churches as well. And even the gay-focused gun-defending (and training) enthusiasts, the Pink Pistols, recount that straights who are uncomfortable with NRA-type groups are joining.
Other minorities have long confronted issues of assimilation vs. independent institutions, and the need to strike a balance that preserves what's best in minority culture while helping to enrich (and being enriched by) the larger community to which we all belong.