Author Archives: allydavidstevens

About allydavidstevens

Husband. Father. Son. Brother. Uncle. Nurse. Aspiring Kung Fu Fighter.

All Are Welcome At San Francisco Zen Center! (…to join us in resisting Trump)

Originally posted on No Zen in the West:
The San Francisco Zen Center Abbots and Abbesses – all of whom I know, love, and deeply respect – are in the unenviable position of threading the needle of a public response…

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Academia, Love Me Back

Originally posted on TIFFANY MARTÍNEZ:
My name is Tiffany Martínez. As a McNair Fellow and student scholar, I’ve presented at national conferences in San Francisco, San Diego, and Miami. I have crafted a critical reflection piece that was published…

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An Open Letter to Progressives Who Can’t Bring Themselves to Vote for Hillary

I campaigned for Ralph Nader in 2000. Even in such a close election as that, it is unlikely my efforts turned the tide, plus I lived in a firmly red state at the time. Still, here is what I have … Continue reading

Posted in Prejudice | 3 Comments

Hey My Fellow White People! Stop talking about black-on-black crime

“But what about black-on-black crime?” is a common counter-argument to Black Lives Matter. This argument is simplistic and attempts to cherry-pick a fact. It ignores systemic poverty in the black community, the disproportionate impact of the Vietnam war, and the ongoing legacy … Continue reading

Posted in Prejudice | 8 Comments

A Transcontinental Christmas Quilt

I recently made a friend, Michael, through the internet. He lives on the East Coast, in the “other” Portland. He’s a gay man who reached out after he saw my viral video. I keep noticing these interesting parallels in our … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Defriended Part 2-My Letter to the Pastor

The response to my piece about my brother’s wedding and the subsequent defriending I experienced has been overwhelming. Profoundly touching has been the number of LGBTQ folks who have said things like, “I wish I had a brother like you,” … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 34 Comments

Unwavering

For my sisters and brothers in the LGBTQ Community on National Coming Out Day

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A Straight Man’s Coming Out Story

This story isn’t about me. Except that it is, because it’s all about me. Maybe some of you can relate to that. I’m the black sheep of the family. The traditional path has always been tough for me to follow. … Continue reading

Posted in Civil Rights, Family, Hatred, Prejudice | Tagged , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Nothing Special Rights

I have so often heard arguments against marriage equality claiming that terrible damage will befall “the family” if gays are allowed to marry; implications that gay couples have drastically different ideas about responsibility and stability, and callous indifference to the … Continue reading

Posted in Civil Rights, Family, Living | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

A Straight Man’s Perspective on Why the Homosexual Agenda is Everyone’s Agenda… and is Vital

“The Homosexual Agenda.” For so many years that term has been bandied about. A favorite buzz word of the religious right, a boogeyman to engender fear and hatred and to keep the public from thinking rationally. For a long time … Continue reading

Posted in Civil Rights, Gay Christians, Good Signs, Living, Marriage equality, Mixing religion and politics, Politics, Religion | Tagged , , | 7 Comments