Volume 1: Issue 1
July/August 1996

Cover Story

Features

Same Sex Marriage -- The Unholy Battle Over Matrimony
By: Candace L. Chellew

There are names synonymous with the struggle for gay and lesbian civil rights: Stonewall, Bowers v. Hardwick, Baehr vs. Lewin.

Marriage: For Love or Money?
By: Rev. Paul Turner

We live in a world where marriage vows are usually not worth the paper they are written on. Yet, the idea of a covenant is the total investment of those involved. I wonder if God is more concerned about broken promises or covenants that call on people to go deeper in their relationship than simple vows.

Blessing Same-Sex Marriage For The "Right" Reasons
A Baptist Minister Ponders The Question of Same-Sex Marriage
By: Rev. Timothy Shirley

The battle for gay and lesbian rights to marry, will be waged in the court house, not the church house, understanding that unfortunately the two often are found in compromising relationships.

Same-Sex Marriage: A Return To Tradition
By: Candace L. Chellew

Everywhere you look you'll find evidence of how straight America has desecrated the once sacred tradition of tying the knot. These days more than half of straight marriages end in divorce. I, myself, am the product of a broken home, even though my father, as a Southern Baptist minister, should have been well versed on the whole sanctity of marriage thing.

A Change of Heart on Tying The Knot
By: R.G. Wade, PhD.

In the end he was not allowed to say goodbye to his dying partner. He would not have even been told that his lover had died, except that a nurse broke policy and called him on the sly. He was not even told by his lover's mother what funeral arrangements there would be or where his lover's final resting place would be. Not one chance to say goodbye - even after he died.

Marriage: The Ultimate Perk
By: Patricia Nell Warren

For 16 years I tried to be the perfect straight wife...gave it the old college try. But I never felt sacred -- just felt more and more stifled and dishonest. When my homophobic spouse finally found out, he told me I was "sick." My first and only visit to a shrink revealed that he shared my spouse's opinion. So I ran for my life -- divorce and coming out.

Get The Word Out! Books Worth Reading
By Florine DeVeer

For anyone who ever considered a Holy Union, a Commitment Ceremony, or any other formalized relationship agreement, this book holds all the answers.

The Atlanta Interfaith AIDS Network
Addressing AIDS From a Faith Perspective
By: Rev. Bob Hudack

The Atlanta Interfaith AIDS Network, Inc. (AIAN) was formed in 1989 to address the AIDS crisis from a faith perspective. AIAN motivates and empowers faith communities to serve people infected with HIV/AIDS by providing direct services to them through members of the faith community.