After months of planning our Shelter of Peace Clergy Briefing on LGBT Homeless Youth, we are onto the ‘next steps’ phase in the Koleinu LGBT Rights Action Team meetings.  But not without a nice long discussion about our success.  You can tell from the following thoughts shared by Koleinu members who were there at CBST on November 8th, what a resounding success it was.

“The faces on the attendees expressed interest and eagerness to hear more.” 

“People not only showed up, but they stayed and continued to mingle and have more personal discussions after the close.” 

 “You could tell from the questions ...

As the CBST community assembled for Tikkun Leyl Shavuot and prepared to receive Torah, we examined the epidemic of queer youth homelessness through a Jewish lens.  For me, the tikkun was inspiring as it created a space in which our religious practice and social justice work could come together, each informing the other.

Members of our Koleinu Marriage Equality & LGBT Rights Action Team led the first session.  Our text study, based on excerpts from the Book of Ruth, focused on the complex experience of journeying to or from a home -- what does it mean to have or not have ...

Tonight I had a wonderful, exhilarating and inspiring experience, I was phone banking!  Surprised? Well, let me explain.

It starts with the joining of the young and energetic forces of several important organizations, including Empire State Pride Agenda, Freedom to Marry, Human Rights Campaign. Log Cabin Republicans and Marriage Equality New York, as well as the support and generosity of 1199 SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East.  They have been running these evenings, Monday -Thursday, 5-8:30, for many weeks now.  I walked into the huge space, full of computer stations, almost all of them already occupied with people from every walk of ...