The Priceless Podcast

This is the second part of the interview with James Alison. It starts with  talking about pope Francis and the impression that he stands up for   LGBT people and then it just seems like he changed his mind. There is a   lot of work to do, but change won't come from the top but from the people. LINKS: The Priceless Podcast Support the podcast The European Forum of LGBT Chri...

Being an openly gay priest wasn't always a challenge like it became in the 80ies. The Church had changed as did the attitude towards the whole topic of LGBT people. But James didn't back out. James talks about his journey to becoming a priest and what is happening within the church.  This episode gives some insights into what happened, what is happening,  an interesting story of an encou...

Being an openly gay priest wasn't always a challenge like it became in the 80ies. The Church had changed as did the attitude towards the whole topic of LGBT people. But James didn't back out. James talks about his journey to becoming a priest and what is happening within the church.  This episode gives some insights into what happened, what is happening,  an interesting story of an encou...

HIV has been around for a while. Though we came a long way in fighting this virus and having it is not a "death sentence" anymore, we still live with the images of suffering and people dying of AIDS. The stigma and judgement of people who are HIV positive remains. My guest dealt with the topic of HIV for 15 years. When he contracted HIV, he knew he wanted to live what he preached. LINKS: The Price...

Some excerpts from the interview:  I was diagnosed with HIV 5 years ago, which has been an interesting journey. I teach at the university here in Leeds. I teach issues in relation to gender and sexuality. The part of the Netherlands where I grew up was basically defined by conservative forms of Dutch Protestantism, Calvinism, the Dutch Reformed church. That defined my youth, my upbringing. LI...

Though there is still a lot of work to do, there has been progress in a  big part of the world. These changes happened because of the effort of many people in our history and today. My guest is talking about how he became an activist and why he does it. He is talking about the challenges, but also about the progress he can see today.    Quotes from the interview: „I wondered myself...

The only LGBT organisation is giving its best to not only step up for  LGBT+ rights, but also for other vulnerable groups. Armenia has been and remained a country deeply rooted in religion and influenced by the words of its leaders. In the midst of these challenges, New Generation  is trying to break the taboos, educate the police, and informing the  public about HIV, HIV prevention...

In a second interview with Ade Adeniji, we talk about his personal story. Living in London-Nigeria-London being gay and the challenge of  growing up in a cultural and religious surrounding that says "Being gay  is a white thing."     When this gets to a point where you are even blamed for the death of a  family member, how do you cope? How do you shake off the shame t...

It has been an effort with many people involved. Still, the end product wouldn't come to life without experts who know how to look at those numbers and make sense out of them for all of us. The first Rainbow  Index of Churches is out with a Webpage to further explore and even add information. This is a major step to have a better insight into what is happening in European Churches when it com...

RICE 2020 Research has come to life. A lot of effort was put in. Among all the people that participated, Wielie Elhorst and Misza Czerniak were involved right from the beginning. We are taking a look at the process,  but also at the impact this research could have on advocacy work in  Europe. Though the research was published, it is not the end. The work has only begun and you can be par...

We are celebrating the "finished" product of RICE 2020 - The Rainbow  Index of Churches in Europe. For this occasion, the researchers and  Forum representatives who were working on this research were interviewed. The whole interviews (there are two) will be published on  Monday, May 10th. For now, you can see this overview. Join the live  presentation on Saturday, May 8th from...

Shanon is a life-long activist and advocate for LGBT rights. They share their process of discovering who they are in a time where Trans* wasn't a  known identity, let alone being nonbinary. They talk of their experience, blessing, and challenges of going into transition, the challenges for friends and family, but also of having fun while people try to put them into a binary context.  &nb...

Many of us living in Europe fight for the rights of LGBT+ people and we see the problems and discrimination, but we don't really think about being prosecuted. Poland wasn't a leading country in LGBT+ rights, but it wasn't this bad either. A populist government made it possible to scapegoat a minority that managed to make progress. For many of them, it seems like it was for nothing. What does one d...

Gender is a hot topic in many countries, especially the Eastern European ones. We live in a binary world and many are trying to keep the divide clearly defined. Fear is being spread of what would happen if we lose this "set" distinction. But what about those people who don't fit this binary image? How is it being in the middle, not identifying with the one or the other gender? LINKS: The Priceless...

Whenever we talk about different sexualities, we use the abbreviation  LGBT+. Yet we barely mention or talk about B, maybe a little bit more about T. Carol shepherd talks about her experience as a Bisexual person,  how she started her journey of writing books on Bisexuality, and gives an interesting insight on misconceptions and prejudices about Bisexual people.   LINKS: The Pricele...

Talking about mental health is still a challenge. The 'hush-hush'  strategy is  still prevalent when it comes to this topic. But mental health is not just about getting help when we do not feel well. It is about caring for ourselves. It is about regular check-ups and keeping our minds healthy,  and of course, it is also about healing. Taking some simple steps can help us maintain ou...

There are still too many countries in the world where being LGBT is illegal. At least being caught in a same-sex relationship. This often leads to greater discrimination within their own communities and families with horrible consequences.  Monika tells her story of running for her life in the hope of a better future. Arriving in a new country she faces old and new challenges that go on for y...

Last week we had the opportunity to listen more about the Theory of  Queer Theology. Kerstin Soelderblom told us about her view on what it means and how it can be used to reinterpret some texts as an encouragement for the LGBT+ community. Many of us experienced how the  Bible can be used against us. This has caused a lot of pain and suffering. Not only to the LGBT+ but also other groups...

The Bible was and is still used to hurt LGBTQ+ people amongst others.  What we need is a new look at the Bible and find out how it can be an encouragement instead of a judgment. Kerstin Soelderblom is giving her perspective on Queer Theology and how we can take a Queer look at the familiar.    LINKS: The Priceless Podcast Support the podcast   The European Forum of LGBT Christi...

Ex-gay ministries were the hope for many Christians to change their sexual orientation. Although it never changed anyone's SO, it is still supported by some churches. But what are the consequences of attempting to change one's SO? What happens when LGBTQ+ people realise it doesn't work? How do founders cope with all the pain it caused people? Jeremy  Marks talks about how he became the founde...

What can a decision to live a celibate life do to a person and how does coming out affect one's faith?! Miroslav Matavka shares his journey of wanting to become a monk and how this journey helped him to accept himself as a gay man as well as grow in faith.    Links:  The Priceless podcast page     The European Forum   Donate to the EU Forum     SIG...

Community of Christ has changed its attitude towards same-sex marriages and ordination. Joey Williamson talks about the decision, the process and journey of change.    Support this podcast LINKS:  Podcast Website   Community of Christ Europe Website     Common Consent Report and a good overview of the Common Consent process    Discovering God’s Will &nb...

Meet Judit Gyarfas from Hungary. Find out about how she struggles with the identity of a pastor and why, why she left the church and came back, how even non-religious parents can use the Bible and the possibility of starting an LGBTQI+ folk dance group. If you would like to donate: EUROPE: Account Holder: INTERO CENTAR Address: M. S. TVRDOG 2A, 51000 RIJEKA, CROATIA Bank name: RAIFFEISENBANK AUSTR...

I'm talking to Judit Gyarfas who is talking about the situation in Hungary with a new restrictive law. This law changed the everyday lives of LGBTIQ+ people in Hungary and made a hard situation even harder.

Dr Arno Steen Andreasen talks about how he became a Christian in the time of HIV/AIDS, his life in a mixed-orientation marriage, his attempts to change his sexual orientation through taking part in reparative therapy, his divorce and decision to come out as a gay man.   LINKS: Priceless podcast on the web HIS UPCOMING WEBSITE: https://soma.ws Europian Forum of LGBT Christian Groups Website SU...