Goodbye July

It's already July 31st? Wow! This summer is just whizzing by!  This is the time of year when many are on vacation and so folks tend to like it when things go more slowly.  I pretty much like the slower pace all the time.  Yes, I know - this is NOT about me, but I was just going to suggest that we all slow down a bit and enjoy our summer!

 

Actually, things do tend to be more enjoyable when we savor the moment.  Slowly let your senses enjoy all that is around you.  Look at the visual and listen to the sounds and breathe in the fragrance that surrounds you.  Touch every single day with all of your senses so that you may enjoy every day to its fullest!

 

Oh and don't despair that July is disappearing.  There will be great opportunities ahead in August too!  August is one of my favorite times of the year.  So, let's fully enjoy this last day of July as we look ahead to the next month with great anticipation of great things yet to come!

Stop banning gay men

As I have written here on a number of occasions, the US Food & Drug Administration bans gay & bisexual men from donating blood. Is this fair? Of course not! The simple fact that the current lifetime deferral focuses on sexual orientation as the ONLY reason to deny should make it painfully obvious that the policy is unfair. Blood donations need to be safe. We don't deny that, but I ask you to join me in calling on the FDA to change its policy so that it focuses on sexual behavior and individual risk instead of denying all gay and bisexual men. The current ban rests on unsound science and perpetuates stigmas.

President Barack Obama has a lot of power and we are now, through a White House petition, urging him to join with us.  The petition begins by saying "We petition the Obama Administration to: Call On HHS & The FDA To End Their Ban Against Gay & Bisexual Male Blood Donors."  If you have not already signed the petition, I urge you to click HERE and sign.  After signing, I urge you to forward this important petition to all of your friends.

Let's not rest there though.  Campbell, CA Mayor Evan Low has been fighting this battle for over a year now and as a result of his good work, more and more people are aware of the discriminatory blood donation policy, but we need everyone to know about this and we need it to end.  Share this blog post on your twitter or facebook accounts.  Write emails to your friends urging their involvement.  Write a letter directly to President Obama and write as well to Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell.  Get on the phone too.  Call the White House switchboard.  Call your other elected officials and urge them to sign the White House petition and to speak up for fair and equal treatment.  Gay and bisexual men should not be treated as second class citizens!

It is high time this ban was ended.  Let's make it happen!  Changing this policy is so overdue.

A picture is worth a thousand words

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and since I don't have time to write a thousand words this morning, I decided to give you a picture. Isn't San Francisco beautiful?

(Oh for you out-of-towners who might not know, the pointed building is the Transamerica Pyramid, the tallest building on our city's skyline at 853 feet, and even though they still use it as their logo, the Transamerica company is no longer housed there).  Beautiful skyline huh?

The Food Volunteers

Every day in San Francisco, thousands of people are touched by the generosity of the programs at Project Open Hand, the Saturday neighborhood food program at All Saints' Episcopal Church, Glide Memorial, Saint Anthony's, The Bethel Food Pantry on Fridays, and so many more.  The need is great in San Francisco, just as it is in so many places, and yet many come forward and donate their time and money.

 

Volunteering at a food program isn't just something for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter.  Often those occasions have more than enough coverage because there is extra publicity.  What about the other 362 days of the year though?  Many programs have a wide range of volunteer opportunities for all levels of ability.  Even the frail and elderly can find volunteering to be a great way to give back to others.

 

There are numerous food banks and meal programs here in the Bay Area - many more than the ones I just mentioned.  Consider regularly donating some of your time to any of there.  The food volunteers do some really incredible work and make a huge impact in the lives of many.  You could be one of them.

Witnessing history

In just a week it will be forty years since the very first eleven women were ordained as priests in The Episcopal Church back in Philadelphia on the Feast of Mary and Martha of Bethany. Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that we have only enjoyed this wonderful ministry of women for such a short time. Anyway, I was thinking about that this morning as I read accounts of an event yesterday at the White House at which this woman, The Reverend Susan Russell was in attendance.

That event yesterday (President Barack Obama signed an executive order protecting LGBT federal workers) was a pretty big deal. It was only a brief East Room ceremony with 300 or so in attendance, but it was likely the biggest thing for equality this entire month. Federal contractors and subcontractors employ some 14 million people, so this truly effects many. It's not the actions of the President though that I want to talk about. I want to say more about Susan Russell.

It was just last week that she was invited to fly across the country from her Southern California home to witness history and be one of those present at the signing. A parish priest with responsibilities within her church each week, how could she miss a Sunday? How could she be in Washington and still do her work at home? Talk about last minute!  It was fun watching her reaction (through social media and her blog) - she was like a kid in a candy store.

Now let me tell you that Susan Russell is one of the greatest leaders I know. She has worked tirelessly for equality for years. You may recall me writing about her in the past here in the past. Because of her powerful witness for justice for all and because of all that she has done for civil and religious liberties, I was so surprised that she had not previously been to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and I was even more surprised at her almost giddy response.

More than likely she will update us all on yesterday's experience - check http://inchatatime.blogspot.com/ for that, and check there often too. She's a much better blogger than I am! I did have to say something though.  I couldn't let this huge event at the White House pass without even a mention, just as I cannot let the anniversary on July 29th pass by without a mention.  Susan Russell has done so much to make these kind of events happen and yet it isn't about her.  She isn't the least bit puffed up or conceited about this.  She is just living her promise to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being." 

It was sure nice watching the live feed yesterday from that signing ceremony though and I am certain I heard her voice loudly and clearly proclaim Amen!

Another walk in the park

Just another walk in the park? Hardly. This is certainly a fun event even on a damp cool morning like yesterday and many of the participants added their own special touches (some teams barbecued after the walk), the big thing though is the awareness and the money that is raised.

 

Since 1987, AIDS Walk San Francisco has raised more than $82 million for lifesaving HIV prevention, testing, and care programs and services, and has grown into the largest AIDS fundraising event in Northern California. I don't know how many times I have written about it here, but every single year I personally come out to the park to walk.  This year I am particularly pleased to have again made it to the Gold Star Walker category again raising $2,702.  (The number could even go higher because donations are still welcome.  Click HERE to give).

 

Like I said, the weather wasn't exactly super, but that didn't hold back the thousands of participants in Golden Gate Park.  It's amazing to see the folks who come out to volunteer and all the many walkers.  It's not just local people who participate either.  I met a number of people who came from southern California to walk and at least a third of my sponsors live outside of California.  This is an event that is all about making a difference and over the years it has done so much.  Again, even though the walk already happened, you can still participate.  Sponsor me or make a general donation to my team or to the event or plan something that will benefit AIDS Walk.  There are also AIDS Walk events in several other cities that you can get involved with too!  Go to http://www.aidswalk.net/ to find out more.

A woman's place

The woman pictured to the left is The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, who in 2006 was elected as the first female Presiding Bishop in the history of the Episcopal Church in the United States and also the first female primate in the Anglican Communion. This morning our sisters and brothers in England have voted to finally allow women to enter its top ranks as bishops there as well.

It was forty years ago this month that eleven women were ordained irregularly in Philadelphia.  A celebration of that historic event and the wonderful ministry of women in the Episcopal Church was just commemorated in a joyous ceremony on Saturday at Grace Cathedral here.  How excellent that there is now one more thing to celebrate.  The Church of England has opened the door wider, although it still might be some time before a woman is actually consecrated as a bishop there.

The battle over whether or not women should be ordained as clergy has been a long one and it is certainly not over.  There are still denominations that bar females.  The Roman Catholic Church is known for its "male-only" rule concerning priests and referred to the ordination of women as a "grave delict."  When the Episcopal Church elected Barbara Harris as its first female bishop back in 1988 there were some who thought the Church was doomed, but only good has come because now the Church truly is inclusive.

There is a old sexist saying that a woman's place is in the house.  Years ago after Bishop Harris was elected, there were signs that read "A woman's place is in the house .   .   . of Bishops."  I have to say that the news just now from England is fantastic and I hope the world someday realizes the true finish for that sentence - A woman's place is wherever she wants to be!