Whosoever You Love

A number of religious traditions are struggling with issues of inclusivity and respect for LGBTQ+ people. It’s a struggle that is particularly challenging within the Muslim community, in which there are only a handful of openly gay Imams. This week, Welton will sit down with one of those imams – Imam Daayiee Abdullah – to …

Last month, Welton was in Washington, D.C. and had the opportunity to sit down with Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. Sister Simone is best known for being the leader of the Nuns on the Bus, an effort to call attention to critical issues facing the country. This week, …

While public acceptance of transgender individuals may be growing, the Vatican recently issued a document denying the existence of transgender identity. The document, entitled Male and Female He Created Them: Towards a Path of Dialogue on the Question of Gender Theory in Education, informs Catholic education and emphasizes the existence of a gender binary, essentially …

Happy Pride Month! In June, communities around the world recognize, salute, observe and/or celebrate their LGBTQ friends, family and neighbors. More and more, religious communities are joining in this tradition as well. On this week’s State of Belief, the weekly radio program and podcast from Interfaith Alliance, host Rev. Welton Gaddy will spend the full …

Remarkably productive, relentlessly inspiring, Brandan Robertson is a young evangelical LGBTQ activist, author, and the pastor of Missiongathering Christian Church in San Diego, California. This week, Rev. Welton C. Gaddy, host of State of Belief, will sit down with Brandan to discuss his newly released book released, entitled, The Gospel of Inclusion: A Christian Case …

Not unlike the historical “Southern Strategy” in which Republicans sought to drive a wedge between voters of different races in the 1960s to win elections, many on the right have led intentional efforts pushing for continued fear and loathing of LGBTQ Americans, particularly in the South. Yet, when you look more closely, there’s plenty of …

Throughout Black History Month, we usually look back to remember the leaders of the past. On questions of civil and minority rights, we are likely living in historic times in our own right. And so we want to also focus on today’s leaders who are amplifying a prophetic message that inclusion, celebration of diversity and …

Millions of LGBTQ Americans grow up in families that are openly hostile to their identities. The pain and alienation that this can cause is not something that should be inflicted upon anyone. Amber Cantorna experienced a particularly extreme case of growing up in an unaccepting family: her father is an executive with the conservative, anti-LGBTQ …

As 2018 comes to a close, two themes that brightened what has been a  dark year for many are the advances women made in electoral politics and other leadership roles, and the growing influence of progressive faith movements – often referred to as the “religious left” – in public rhetoric and activism. This week on …

Happy holidays from all of us at State of Belief Radio and Interfaith Alliance! For many, especially LGBTQ individuals, living as their authentic selves can be daunting, particularly during the holidays. This week on State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, we’ll take an in-depth look at one person’s struggle to live …

In 1989, Lesléa Newman first released her book Heather Has Two Mommies. The children’s book about a little girl and her two mothers simultaneously helped give birth to a new literary genre and caused an uproar among the political religious right. The American Library Association ranked it as the 11th most challenged book in the …

Transgender Americans are a frequent target of the Trump administration, including an abrupt presidential Tweet announcing an imminent ban on Transgender servicemembers in our military. This week, a leaked memo from the Department of Health and Human Services outlined a proposed plan to re-define gender as “a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth,” …

 Mitchell Gold, co-founder and CEO of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, is on a mission. He’s seeking to end discrimination and bullying of LGBTQ youth across the country. Having grown up under the weight of harassment for his own sexual orientation, Mitchell now travels the country, speaking on how we, as a country, can …

Last week, the Trump State Department announced that it will no longer issue visas to the same-sex partners of United Nations employees and other foreign diplomats unless they’re married – despite the fact that many of their home countries do not allow same-sex marriage and some even criminalize same-sex relationships. Discriminatory policies like this are …

Far too many people, especially LGBTQ people of faith, find it difficult to discern what a given church might really teach about inclusivity when they first step in the door. One organization is working to change that by advocating faith communities make their position clear so that people know what they’re walking into. Sarah Ngu, …

Welton will speak with Dr. Jacqueline Bussie about her new book, Love Without Limits: Jesus’s Radical Vision for Love with No Exceptions. The book investigates how what she identifies as the genuine following of Jesus’ teachings requires inclusivity of everyone and how it could lead to a more peaceful and loving world. Dr. Bussie is …

The fight for LGBTQ rights in the United States has progressed at an incredible rate in less than twenty years – one of the fastest changes in public opinion ever. Sizeable majorities of Americans now support same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples. Despite – or because of – this progress, the political religious right …

In the inaugural installment of our new Whosoever You Love interview series, Welton will speak with the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, who was the first openly gay man consecrated as a bishop within the Episcopal Church and led the diocese of New Hampshire until his retirement in 2013. A gentle but fearless warrior and inspiring voice …

Last week, we promised a follow-up with author, activist and attorney Rabbi Jay Michaelson once the Masterpiece Cake Shop decision was handed down by the Supreme Court. Jay is a member of the Supreme Court bar, and will join State of Belief host Rev. Welton Gaddy again this week to discuss the ruling and what …

With only four weeks left in this year’s Supreme Court session, some of the most high-profile and consequential cases have yet to be decided, including a ruling that will determine whether businesses have the right to discriminate against LGBTQ people based on religious beliefs. Rabbi Jay Michaelson, author, activist and attorney, will join State of …

LGBTQ rights, religious freedom, prison reform – over the years, if there was an issue that was hurting people, it was impossible to keep activist and organizer Donna Red Wing from getting involved. This past Monday Donna left us, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was an unwavering supporter of Interfaith Alliance and a …

Activist, author and pastor Brandan Robertson argues that no stories are untold, but, rather, they are unheard. An advocate for the faithful inclusion of LGBTQ persons in religious life, he told his own story in the 2016 book, Nomad: A Spirituality for Traveling Light. Now he’s helping make sure the stories of others are heard in …

Earlier this year, the Rev. Elder Pat Bumgardner was with us to talk about how the shifting in policies and priorities here in the United States is impacting the women and LGBTQ people of faith that she works with around the world. She will join us again on State of Belief this week to catch …

At the start of each year, Welton sits down with the Rev. Elder Pat Bumgardner, senior pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of New York, where she ministers to LGBTQ and other marginalized communities of faith. In the face of overwhelming odds facing the LGBTQ community around the world – and growing threats here at …

 Having spent much of his life in the crosshairs of anti-gay hate, both inside and beyond the Episcopal Church, the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, retired Bishop of New Hampshire, shares his moving thoughts on the lessons of the mass shooting at Latin Night at The Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Scroll down to …