LOVEboldly Monthly Newsletter - May 2024
A Note from the Executive Director
Dear Friends,
With only one month left until PRIDE, LOVEboldly’s work is at full speed! We have a webinar coming up next week, we’re planning the PRIDE Interfaith Prayer Service in collaboration with Stonewall Columbus, we’re gearing up for our second annual Share the Love, Share the Pride, and we’re getting ready for Columbus and Westerville Prides and the Columbus Natural Wine Festival (which will again be donating a portion of their proceeds to LOVEboldly).
Entering its third month, the LOVEboldly Fellows Program is creating a great community of allied religious leaders who continue to grow in their knowledge of and experience with the LGBTQIA+ community. This month, the Fellows will hear from a panel of LGBTQIA+ clergy and ministry leaders. If you visit our booth at Columbus Pride, you might have a chance to meet some of the Fellows!
Among our excitement, LOVEboldly remains vigilant in tracking and responding to the anti-LGBTQIA+ and specifically anti-Trans legislation and rules coming from both the Ohio Statehouse and the governor’s office. We are committed to taking direct action and supporting our strategic partners in making Ohio a safe and affirming place for all our LGBTQIA+ families and siblings.
Finally, LOVEboldly stands at its strongest financial position going into PRIDE, which we’ve achieved in at least three years. While we still need your investment in our mission and ministry and your continued financial and talented support, we are thrilled that in two-and-a-half years, we have gone from the brink of closing to a point where we can breathe a bit easier. That transformation would never have been possible without the sacrifice and commitment of so many people donating at all levels, praying, volunteering, and urging us on. Thank you for your support of LOVEboldly!
Faithfully,
(Rev. Dr.) Ben Huelskamp
LOVEboldly at Pride 2024
LOVEboldly will be attending Columbus Pride, Westerville Pride, and will be tabling at the Columbus Natural Wine Festival (which supports LOVEboldly) during June (Pride Month).
Excited to volunteer with LOVEboldly this year? PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM (click here).
PRIDE Interfaith Prayer Service
Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 7pm at Stonewall Columbus
The PRIDE Interfaith Prayer Service is a collaboration between LOVEboldly and Stonewall Columbus. If you would like to participate in the service or if your congregation would like to co-sponsor, please click the button below and add your name/congregation on the second page.
Upcoming Programs
Join LOVEboldly and special guest, the Rev. Benjamin Perry, on Wednesday, May 15, at 6:30pm for a conversation about the importance of crying and tears. Perry is the author of Cry, Baby: Why Our Tears Matter and serves as a consulting minister at Middle Collegiate Church. Click here to register for the webinar.
The Gift of Queerness and Faith: A Beloved Arise Virtual Community Event
Thursday, May 16, 5:30pm (Pacific; 8:30pm, Eastern)
Join Jun Love Young, PH.D (he/him), the founder and director of Beloved Arise, for an empowering session titled 'The Gift of Queerness and Faith.' Drawing from his personal journey as a gay Christian and father, Jun challenges traditional views of queerness, framing it as a valuable asset rather than a liability. He advocates for an affirming approach to parenting and youth support, emphasizing the celebration of both queerness and faith as enriching gifts. Whether you're a parent, a faith leader, or involved with youth, this session aims to equip and inspire you to champion the well-being and spiritual growth of queer youth.
Beloved Arise is a movement dedicated to LGBTQIA+ youth of all faiths, fostering relationships, providing support, and encouraging youth to embrace life fully.
Note: This is not a LOVEboldly-sponsored program, but we are happy to support our friends and colleagues at Beloved Arise.
Ongoing Program - Rebels and Reconnection: Healing from Purity Culture Together
This drop-in peer support group (for those over 18 years old) is a safe, authentic environment where we process the trauma of purity culture, connect with our own amazing bodies, and formulate our own sexual ethics. We will dive into a variety of themes, including God and gender, purity culture history, and sex education. We will meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month, from 7 to 8:30 pm (Donnenwirth Lounge, 2nd floor at King Avenue UMC). Check out the Facebook group for more information.
Note: This is not a LOVEboldly-sponsored program, but we are so happy to support our friends at King Avenue UMC, particularly Gewn DeRosa, who serves as one of the group leaders.
Seven Ways You Can Support LOVEboldly
Whenever someone asks me (Ben) how they can get involved in LOVEboldly’s work, I usually talk about donating, fundraising, and Pride. Having time to think about it, here are seven ways you can be involved in LOVEboldly’s work.
Would you like to represent LOVEboldly at your church, congregation, a community event, or another gathering? We can train you and send you materials.
Looking to be right in the action? We want to have a greater presence at demonstrations, protests, and in the statehouse. You can attend as part of the LOVEboldly contingent, write and deliver testimony at the statehouse, or speak at demonstrations.
Do you live to plan parties and dinners? Hold a fundraiser for LOVEboldly. We’ve seen small fundraisers with 20-40 of your friends (particularly friends who will donate because you’re holding the event) bring in more than $2,500 during one event!
Are you an LGBTQIA+ Christian and interested in a leadership role? We hope to add two or three new members to the LOVEboldly board during 2024. (Note: Consistent with LOVEboldly’s strategic priority to be a Queer-led organization, we are continuing to only onboard board members who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community and as Christians/Christ-followers.)
Want something more low-key? We have a few pretty basic but nevertheless important tasks that need to get done. Some can be done anywhere, while others need to be onsite (Columbus/Westerville area).
Examples include data entry and putting stickers on materials.
Do you know people who would be interested and passionate about supporting LOVEboldly? We are particularly interested in engaging new donors who can give one-time gifts of $500 or more and/or monthly gifts of $50 or more.
Would you like to support LOVEboldly directly as one of our investors and donors? We have said, do say, and will keep saying that any gift is a blessing as is the person who gives it. Whether you can give $5 a month or write a $5,000 check, we appreciate the support you offer to our work. You can give now at https://www.loveboldly.net/donate.
If any of these ways of being involved interest or excite you, contact Ben at bhuelskamp@loveboldly.net.
Thank you so much for reading the whole newsletter! Remember, there is a standing invitation to all LOVEboldly-related people for phone/Zoom calls or to get coffee/tea or lunch with our ED, Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp. Go ahead! Put time on his calendar https://calendly.com/benhuelskamp.