The Spirituality of the LGBT Movement: A Weekend with Jay Michaelson | Boulder

at First United Methodist Church of Boulder
1421 Spruce Street
Boulder, CO

Celebrating the 17th anniversary of the First United Methodist Church becoming a Reconciling Congregation, scholar in residence Jay Michaelson will be offering a weekend of workshops and learning opportunities.

Saturday, March 9
10 am — 3 pm
This day of learning will include two workshops with Jay, as well as small group work, discussions, and lunch!

1. Yes We can! How to Have Productive Conversations about Marriage Equality… even with mean people.
Often, many of us find ourselves as “involuntary activists” on issues of LGBT rights and inclusion — especially this year in Colorado. And often, many of us become dispirited at the challenges of having conversations with people with whom we disagree. Can we do better? You bet we can! In this empowering workshop, longtime LGBT religious activist Jay Michaelson will share seven proven ways to have better conversations about religion and sexuality. By identifying where change can (and cannot) happen, we can make measurable progress — even with people who seem dead set in their ways.

2. What Sexual Diversity Teaches Us About Spirituality
Does it matter, religiously and spiritually, that people have different sexual orientations and gender identity? If so, what do we learn from sexual diversity? This workshop will explore nine spiritual values that all of us — straight, gay, or anywhere in between — learn from sexual diversity.

Sunday, March 10
10:30 am

The Spirituality of the LGBT Movement: Why “Gay Rights” is a Spiritual Opportunity for Straight People, Gay People, and Everyone in Between
The last few years have seen rapid progress toward equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in all aspects of American society. Often, though, this change has been seen in negative terms, pitting religion against civil rights, or God versus Gay. In his bestselling book “God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality?” however, writer & activist Jay Michaelson has argued that not only should religious people support LGBT equality because of religion and not despite it, but that this public debate is an opportunity for spiritual growth for all of us, regardless of our sexual identity, gender identity, or religious (or not!) identity.