See us on Top-50 list of “insightful blog posts on GLBTQ spirituality”

“Pray Together, Stay Together” by Joy A’Che

www.sexyblackrainbows.com

We’re at the top of a new list of “50 Very Insightful Blog Posts on GLBTQ Spirituality.”

Our post “Black lesbian prayers and art offered” heads the list, which was compiled by Theology Degrees Online.

“Almost the entirety of the Jesus in Love Blog could fill up this list, but one blog post offering up poetic prayers and art by Joy A’Che at Sexy Black Rainbows Entertainment stands out as a beautiful tribute to lesbian spirituality,” the list says.

The Top 50 list includes many of my favorite queer spirituality blogs as well as some new ones that I look forward to exploring. They cover a wide range of topics, from growing up gay to "the queerr and the Qur’an.”


Click here for the whole list of “50 Very Insightful Blog Posts on GLBTQ Spirituality.”

Click here to view our top-rated post on “Black lesbian prayers and art offered.”

We're one of the “50 Best Spirituality Blogs”

It’s official. I have been named one of the “50 best spirituality bloggers” by Online Christian Colleges.

I feel honored to be listed along with Beliefnet and HuffPost Religion. The Top 50 includes many other cool blogs, too. It looks like only two out of 50 focus on LGBT spirituality: my Jesus in Love Blog and the MyOutSpirit Gay Spirituality Blog, where I am a guest blogger.

They wrote a a nice description of this blog for the Top 50 list: “Aimed at the GLBT community, the Jesus in Love Blog accepts all peoples and brings hope and light to an audience who may feel persecuted by many religious denominations.”

Click here for the whole list of “50 best spirituality bloggers.”

Queer authors do lively video interview

I met a fabulous drag-queen author at the reading for Lambda Literary Awards finalists recently at A Different Light Bookstore in West Hollywood. James St. James read from Freak Show, his novel for teenagers about a teen drag queen who explodes into a conservative high school. I read from Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More. The theme of James’ teenage outcast has spiritual resonance. I enjoyed his entertaining, exuberant writing style and his delivery was phenomenal, so I did a quick video interview with James after the reading. We also made a video of James reading. Hailed by Newsweek Magazine as a celebutante, James makes numerous appearances on TV shows such as America’s Next Top Model and Tyra. He also produces a daily show called the WOW report. Click here for his recent interview with Christopher Rice, who moderated the Lammy finalists’ reading. ________ Kittredge Cherry blogs at the Jesus in Love Blog and edits the Jesus in Love Newsletter on queer spirituality and the arts. She offers GLBT and progressive spiritual resources at JesusInLove.org.

Join Kitt at Lammy finalist reading May 8

Come hear Kittredge Cherry and other Lambda Literary Award finalists read from their books at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8 in West Hollywood, CA.

The reading is hosted by A Different Light Bookstore, 8853 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. Kitt will read from Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More, which is one of five finalists in the LGBT Arts and Culture category.

Christopher Rice, novelist and Lambda Board member, will be doing the introductions. Authors scheduled for the West Hollywood reading are:

•Niagara Falls, Victor Bumbalo (Broadway Play Publishing)
•Art That Dares, Kittredge Cherry(AndroGyne Press)
•Dahlia Season, Myriam Gurba (Manic D Press)
•The Tourists, Jeff Hobbs (Simon & Schuster)
•Right Side of the Wrong Bed, Frederick Smith (Kensington)
•Freak Show, James St. James (Dutton Children's/Penguin)

The Lambda Literary Foundation sponsors readings around the country prior to the Lammy Awards ceremony. This year’s 20th anniversary ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 29 at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. For tickets and more info, visit LambdaLiterary.org.

Other readings are planned for New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Chicago and Seattle.

‘Art That Dares’ named Lammy finalist

My book Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More has been named a finalist for the 20th annual Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the Lammies.

The awards recognize excellence in the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender literature. They are considered to be the highest honor for a book from the GLBT community.

Lammy winners will be announced May 29 at a gala ceremony in West Hollywood, CA. The glamorous event is the queer literary version of the Academy Awards.

More than 80 judges -- writers, journalists, booksellers, librarians, professors -- chose 107 finalists in 21 categories this year. Finalists were chosen from 463 books nominated by 190 publishers.

Art That Dares is one of five finalists in the LGBT Arts and Culture category. It’s up against Harvard University Press among others -- quite an accomplishment for a small start-up queer press.

Three legendary figures of the LGBT literary community will receive Pioneer Awards at this year’s ceremony. They are Ann Bannon, author of the Beebo Brinker lesbian fiction series; Mark Thompson, author of Gay Soul; and Malcolm Boyd, Episcopal priest and author of Are You Running With Me, Jesus?

I will also participate in a reading by Lammy finalists in West Hollywood in early May. Details will be announced later.

Becoming a Lammy finalist makes me feel honored and grateful to the 11 contemporary artists who share their art in my book, which is packed with color illustrations. Art that dares to show Jesus as gay or female has been censored or destroyed. I gathered these beautiful, liberating, sometimes shocking images into a book to ensure that they would be available. In the book, the artists tell the stories behind the images. My introduction puts them into political and historical context, exploring issues of blasphemy and artistic freedom.

I’d love to see some of my supporters at the Lammy ceremony. For tickets and more info, visit LambdaLiterary.org.

________
Kittredge Cherry blogs at the Jesus in Love Blog and edits the Jesus in Love Newsletter on queer spirituality and the arts. She offers GLBT and progressive spiritual resources at JesusInLove.org.