I get mail

It's been a long, full, challenging day and before I pack it in and head home to get back to my Thursday Evening Gay Agenda -- fold laundry, get the trash cans out to the curb and make a run to the grocery store for cat food and half-and-half -- I thought I'd share this gem that came in today in my email inbox.

Seriously. I couldn't make this stuff up. (And if even if I could, I wouldn't have to!)

-----Original Message-----
From: xxxx@xxx.xxx
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2014 1:18 PM
To: Susan Russell
Subject: my new book about same-sex marriage

Rev. Russell:

I invite you to read my new book. I'm not sure you will like my book, but I thought you might be interested in it, and you might like it. It does not criticize homosexuality but does suggest that people should not make a binding commitment to remain homosexual. Same-sex marriage is a binding (the bonds of marriage) commitment to remain homosexual for life. My position is the same as the Catholic Church’s position (I realize that you are with the Episcopal Church) on same-sex marriage (marriage certificates should be granted only to male-female couples) but my reasons have nothing to do with religion.

My book also tells how one man—me—dealt with his own same-sex tendencies and eventually channeled them into a happy, lasting marriage with a woman. There was no “therapy,” no “cure,” no “conversion.” I don’t use those words. I am a man. No one had to “convert” or “cure” me into being a man. In fact, as I say in the book, I try not to use the words “heterosexual,” “homosexual,” “gay,” “bisexual,” or any other such words. I don’t think people can be labeled like that. There are really only two labels: male and female. People who have same-sex tendencies but want to marry someone of the opposite sex should read my book. I’m not a doctor, psychologist, therapist, or minister. I'm just an ordinary man who can identify with many men who identify as gay.  

I invite you to read it. If you like it, I hope you will tell other people about it.

Thank you.

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Russell
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2014 1:45 PM
To: xxxx@xxx.xxx
Subject: RE: my new book about same-sex marriage

Bless your heart.

I'm actually getting married in June to my fabulous fiancé Lori and so I am quite frankly too busy being a parish priest with a wedding to plan to read your book.

I wish you every best blessing in your marriage and -- with all due respect -- suggest that your energies would be better placed focusing on that than on writing books defending your marriage by critiquing the marriages of other people. Or maybe that's something you want to work on with your therapist.

Blessings,
(The Reverend) Susan Russell