Episode Summary…
Every civil rights movement needs leaders, and the LGBT movement is no exception. This month on IN THE LIFE, we profile LGBT civil rights pioneers making strides towards LGBT equality, from the church pulpit to the halls of congress to the stages of Broadway.
The LGBT movement’s struggle for civil rights is one in contention with an anti-gay rhetoric historically rooted in religious language. “Sinful” is how conservative preachers and politicians describe, demonize, and justify opposition of full equality for LGBT people. Yet, progressive religious leaders are providing a vital counterweight, preaching full LGBT inclusion to their congregations, threatening an establishment that would prefer policy come from the pulpit.
A Call For Inclusion…
In our lead segment, A CALL FOR INCLUSION, we profile two people of faith leading the call for tolerance, inclusiveness and religious freedom. Emily Eastwood, an elder of the LGBT-faith movement who fought discrimination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Interfaith Alliance President, Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy, who put his career on the line to write a paper calling for religious freedom and constitutional rights for all.
In 2008, three young Broadway professionals, cast members of the Tony Award-winning musical, HAIR, decided to take action in response to the passage of Proposition 8, a California state constitutional amendment limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples. Inspiring the Broadway community to raise their voice for equality, actors Gavin Creel, Rory O’Malley, and production and management assistant Jenny Kanelos organized BROADWAY IMPACT. The approach? Keep it simple, fun, and with a singular focus: marriage equality in New York State.
A CONVERSATION WITH… Barney Frank and Andrew Tobias
In A CONVERSATION WITH… Massachusetts Congressman and Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank sits down with friend, author, and treasurer of the Democratic National Committee, Andrew Tobias, to discuss politics, Frank’s “coming-out” as a member of Congress, and what they’ve learned about the future of LGBT leadership?
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Profiles in Leadership will begin airing January 1st and be available for free video streaming and downloadable podcasts from the IN THE LIFE website on January 2nd. To find out when it will air in your local area, to stream or download it, go to www.inthelifetv.org.
Related Links
- Ifelicious Thoughts– archive of previous episodes of “In The Life”
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