Exactly five years ago, 49 people — predominantly LBGTQ+ people of color — went to Pulse nightclub, a community fixture in Orlando, Florida – and never came home. We honor them, their families, and the survivors of the massacre in our pursuit of equality and justice for all. This week’s State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, will remember those lost in the deadliest attack against LGBTQ+ people in U.S. history, and look into learning – and teaching – to “outlove hate.”
On June 12, 2016, Barbara Poma was the beloved owner of Pulse Nightclub. Today, Barbara is deeply involved in paying tribute to those who were lost, and building a multi-faceted memorial at the location of the tragedy as CEO of the OnePulse Foundation. Barbara joins Rev. Welton Gaddy, host of State of Belief, on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy.
The coup that never ends: ‘whitemanism’ and the perils of a flimsy liberalism. That’s the headline of a powerful Religion Dispatches article written by the Rev. Peter Laarman, former executive director of Progressive Christians Uniting, who’ll be with us to discuss both the ongoing threats, and the naive complacency of some Americans.
On Wednesday, faith leaders launched a nationwide Faith Fast for Freedom to urge Washington to take action now on the stalemate facing millions of people living in this country. Actions by the previous administration as well as the COVID-19 pandemic have made the situation far more dire, and spearheading the movement are Faith in Action and the We Are Home campaign. Welton will sit down with a leader of the Faith Fast for Freedom campaign, Padre Vidal Rivas, with help from interpreter Carlos Osuna, to discuss details of the event.
State of Belief is made possible in great part by the generous support of our listeners. Please consider making a donation to help keep us on the air at this critical time. Details can be found at our donations page here.
