”Other Sheep” Global LGBT Ministry

Reverend Steve Parelli, Executive Director of Other Sheep, a multicultural ecumenical Christian ministry working worldwide for the full inclusion of LGBT people of faith within their respective faith traditions talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. This past summer Parelli and his spouse Jose Ortiz traveled to India & China for Other Sheep. Steve shares his experience about meeting with our LGBT community in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Sanya, Hainan and Beijing China; then with LGBT religious groups in Bangalore, Trivandrum, Alleppey, Cochin, India. He also provides an update about the status of the bill that could impose the death penalty and imprisonment on our LGBT community in Uganda. Since Parelli is based in the Bronx, New York we asked what his reaction was to the recent horrific gay bashing in his city. Parelli stated, “I feel those who bash gay people have a sense of insecurity. They lack any kind of identity about their own sexual orientation or who they are to have to bash anyone indicates that the person is troubled somehow. Definitely the gay basher needs help, he needs some kind of reform, education and I think society needs to address that.” Steve and his partner Jose were legally married in Sacramento, California, August 25, 2008. Section 3 of DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, was found unconstitutional by a Federal Judge in Boston. The Obama Administration is appealing this decision. When asked what his thoughts are about this development Parelli stated, “Marriage is marriage; whether it’s with same gender couples or opposite gender people. Marriage is still marriage and DOMA itself was an unjust political move to garnish conservative votes. DOMA is just unjust and it really does not stand today among the decisions we are seeing regarding what is just for same gender couples to marry.” For More Info: othersheep.org

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