Gay spirit

Mark Thompson MT : I think that gay spirituality is something that hasn't been explored to its full depth or capacity yet. So when Mark Thompson's book Gay Spirit was published, it seemed natural to turn to this remarkable gay man, this quintessential Californian, almost as a prognosticator — a prophet of what to expect in years to come.

How do we nurture healthy souls as we address terrifying issues of life and death?

What of the deeper ills and issues which seemed to wrack the gay spirit: how did one make sense of them? Register Now! Dear Siblings, Please join me for Gay Spirit Visions’ Spring Retreat gathering, Convergence: The Journey of Love, Sex, and Intimacy, on May, at The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center.

And the goal he argued for by the year [" find a spot where we can go and nourish ourselves, have a safe place in which to dip down into the wells of our own psyche… and then return to the world…" ] seems as valid now as it did in For me, that safe place is Silver Lake, where a brave community of gay men are reinvigorating one of the sturdiest, toughest, most muscular and gentle of gay communities in these United States, a place where gay spirit is no myth, but bears real, deep meaning:.

I wrote for Mark Thompson and the Advocate among many other periodicals for most of the 's: Mark was a marvelous, gifted, meticulous and altogether fabulous editor who allowed me to interview everyone from Gore Vidal to lesbian activist Karla Jay to San Francisco novelist Dan Curzon.

Where are we going?

Q Spirit Queer spirituality :

Are gays just like everyone else except for what we do in bed, or do we indeed enjoy special qualities that set us apart from other groups? What do we believe in? The questions he and his contributors posed in Gay Spirit continue to be relevant: What type of culture are we creating as gay men in the United States?

Could you expand on that concept for readers? If I could pick one year in the 's when it seemed like hell had visited earth, I'd have to pick that was the year Randy Shilts' And the Band Played On hit the book shelves, and death seemed everywhere one turned.

The people one knew who weren't gravely ill were heavily sedated, or both. This now classic volume has been widely hailed by the Lambda Book Report as among the gay books that changed our lives. As we move through life, our bodies, gay, and desires shift, calling us to rediscover the paths to connection, intimacy, and love.

So I want to put you to the test, if you will: What do you mean by that anomalous phrase "the gay spirit"? This feature was originally published in the October 12, issue of the weekly Philadelphia newsmagazine, Au Courant. The questions Thompson asked then are just as relevant to us in this latter day age of protease inhibitor AIDS and crystal meth flavored West Hollywood.

Dateline: Gay America, The dimensions of the moral and spiritual malaise afflicting gay men in the United States cannot be overemphasized. Far too often, our ideologues have either swept these problems under the rug in the name of gay liberation, or they have rationalized their cause and effect, blaming these ills solely on the homophobic society engulfing us.

What special gifts do gay men possess which ultimately yield deeper, searing virtues for our community? We raised these themes in a vigorous discussion: why gays are "different" from other people; how our views of gay identity suffocate any real growth; why culture remains a potent tool to invigorate us; the responsibilities of the gay press; and more.

Is there a spiritual emptiness to gay life which, frankly, threatens our lives in a way that both AIDS and addiction do not? I didn't realize it then, but the journalism I created was helping to spirit the history of our subculture, be it political, literary, or sexual.

SPIRIT JOURNEYS Spiritual Retreats : Q Spirit promotes LGBTQ spirituality with saints, history, art and books for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people and allies

Gay Spirit: Myth and Meaning broke new ground when it first appeared ingiving voice to an entire generation of gay men seeking alternative visions about the fundamental questions facing their lives. There were people at that time who were painting a dark and very foreboding future for gay men in the post-Reaganoid age.

Ahab Spirit Emotional Healings Jezebel Spirit Leviathan Spirit Peaceful Living Physical Healings Repentance Spiritual Growth Saturday, September 27 UNDERSTANDING THE SPIRITUAL ROOTS OF HOMOSEXUALITY () Comment Share. Rich Grzesiak RG : If a wise person is someone who asks the right questions but does not necessarily supply the right answers, then you echo that notion in your introductory comments.