OPTIMISTIC

This page shows some of the optimistic and positive
aspects of being gay or lesbian.


Quotes

A Star fell from Heaven and showed me the way,
How to be contented and gay.
(From A star fell from heaven, Feiner and May)

Am I ashamed to follow nature's way
Shall I be blamed if God has made me gay
(From Girls were made to love and kiss, Lehár)

The path to God is not always straight.
(Author unknown)


Bible views relating to being gay or lesbian

Article by Paul Halsall on Pro-Gay Texts in the Bible
Some of the arguments seem to be stretched.

The Bible approves and has positive stories of same-sex
attraction involving love and deep friendship. For example,
the stories of David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi, Jesus
and two of his followers (Lazarus and John).


Eunuchs and gay men

It’s possible that Jesus was referring to gay men when he
mentioned born eunuchs – without any condemnation
(Matthew 19:12).  In Bible times, such men were anatomically
whole but were unable or unwilling to have sex with women.  
They were either not interested in sex or were attracted to
other men.  Also, many or most of the 46 other Biblical
references to born or natural eunuchs (sometimes translated
as officer or chamberlain) probably include gay men.

The "Born Eunuchs" site, compiled by Faris Malik, has a very
detailed look at eunuchs in the ancient world (quoting many
sources) and claims that born eunuchs were gay men.


Positive principles in St Paul’s letters relating to
being gay or lesbian:

1 Corinthians 7: 20  Each man must remain in that
condition in which he was called [by God]. (NASB)

1 Corinthians 15:10  But by the grace of God I am what I
am, ... (NIV)

1 Timothy 4:4-5  Everything God created is good, and to
be received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and
thrown out. God's Word and our prayers make every item
in creation holy. (The Message)



Church views on being gay or lesbian

God made all of us, gay or straight, in his own image to
reflect his kind of love. Whenever two people love each
other enough to commit their lives together “till death us do
part” they are expressing the deepest and most godlike
instinct in human nature.
The Dean of St Albans, Dr Jeffrey John  January 2006


I don't believe it is a sin to be homosexual. I believe that
God creates us with different gifts. Some people come into
this world with affections ordered toward other people of the
same gender and some people come into this world with
affections directed at people of the other gender.
Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of US
Episcopal Church June 2006


Loving homosexual expression between responsible adults is
not sinful as such. It is simply the appropriate way for
persons of same-sex orientation to express their need for
intimacy. All of us should be judged by whether we express
our sexuality in ways that are loving, respectful of our
partners' wishes, and contribute to our wholeness as people.
Jack Rogers, former Moderator of US Presbyterian General
Assembly  October 2003


Thank God for making you the way you are.
Robert A Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral. August 2006


Homosexual orientation has nothing to do with morality as
such, any more than left-handedness. It is simply the way
some people's sexuality is configured. Morality enters at the
point of how that predisposition is enacted.
Morton Kelsey, author and Episcopal priest


Nils Riedl states that love has the same quality in a person’s
life, regardless of sexual orientation. The ability to love
someone means being serious about the general ethical
commitment expressed by Løgstrup as “Holding each
other’s lives in our hands”.
When God sees the homosexual person his face shines
with joy and excitement and kindness.
Ragnhild Schanke, pastor of Oslo Baptist Church



Famous gays and lesbians

Some people who are thought to be gay or lesbian:

Musicians (present) – Elton John   Melissa Etheridge   
Johnny Mathis
(past) – Cole Porter   Tchaikovsky   Liberace    Freddie
Mercury

Leaders (present) – Klaus Wowereit (Berlin Mayor)   
Bertrand Delanoe (Paris Mayor)
(past) – Alexander the Great   Edward II   Hadrian

Artists (present) – David Hockney   Jeffrey Smart   
(past) – Michelangelo   Leonardo Da Vinci   Andy Warhol

Actors (present) – Lily Tomlin   Rupert Everett   Ian
McKellen  
(past) – Rock Hudson   Montgomery Clift   Dirk Bogarde

Writers (present) – Edward Albee   Gore Vidal
(past) – Walt Whitman   Oscar Wilde   Gertrude Stein  

Sport (present) – Martina Navratilova   John Amaechi   
(past) – Bill Tilden  Tom Waddell

Religious (present) – Rev Troy Perry   Bishop Gene
Robinson  
(past) – Jonathan   


Some short lists of famous gays and lesbians

About: Gay Life (profiles and illustrations)

Notable Gay, Lesbian, & Bisexual People


Some long lists of famous gays and lesbians

The Great Queers of History (illustrated)

Rob's gay info (illustrated)

List of famous gay, lesbian or bisexual people (profiles)

Wikipedia List of Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual People (illustrated)


Academic and scholarly views on being gay or
lesbian

God so created humans that they develop with a great
variety of both gender identities and sexual-object
choices. …… Always and everywhere a certain percentage
of men and women develop as homosexuals or lesbians.
They should be considered a part of God’s creative plan.
Their sexual orientation has no necessary connection with
sin, sickness, or failure; rather, it is a gift from God to be
accepted and lived out with gratitude.
John J. McNeill, "Homosexuality: Challenging the Church to
Grow," in Homosexuality in the Church: Both Sides of the
Debate, ed. Jeffrey S. Siker: 1994, p. 50.


Five reasons why homosexuality is positively good and
morally beneficial:

First, homosexuality can be a source of pleasure, and
pleasure is a good thing.

Second, homosexuality can be an avenue of interpersonal
communication, and this too is good.

Third, homosexuality can be a source of emotional growth.

Fourth, and related, homosexual relationships [including sex]
promote personal and social stability. … Sex is a powerful
way of building, celebrating, and replenishing intimacy in a
relationship.

A fifth reason: insofar as homosexuality challenges deep-
seated and irrational prejudices, embracing one’s
homosexuality can be a powerful act of moral courage. It
forces one to think for oneself and invites one to transcend
rigid gender expectations.

John Corvino  The Virtue of Homosexuality


All pleasure, including beauty, sexuality, art, and work, are
God's gifts to us, and we look to God's revelation [the
Bible] for the pattern in best ordering our desires so that in
them we may find fulfillment and not bondage.
Philip Yancey, Christian author



Views of individuals on being gay or lesbian

In 1997 Ian Roberts became the first rugby league player to
openly declare his homosexuality.  Roberts told New Idea
magazine being gay gave him a different perspective on the
world. "I honestly believe that being gay is a gift," he said. "It
makes you look at the world through a different light."
Sydney Morning Herald  December 2001


Homosexual relationships and acts are supplemental or
alternatives to heterosexual relationships and acts.  Ray
Collins, activist


Being gay is simply a natural characteristic like having blue
eyes or brown hair.
Paul Varnell, gay columnist and activist


The revolutionary importance of the contemporary gay rights
movement lies in its revolutionary idea of gender [roles]; that
male sexual receptivity is part of the repertoire of a normal,
adult, fully masculine male.
Ron Long, teacher of religion


An old Chinese proverb, "When people come face to face,
their differences vanish".