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Mooi Loop, Dries
Why I'm Disclosing My HIV Status Now
This post provides context for my personal disclosure in the Presbyterian Outlook for 'HIV Is Not A Crime Awareness Day.' After eight years of living with HIV in silence, I chose to speak openly—recognizing how silence erodes authentic relationships, honest theological reflection, and our capacity to be the fully inclusive Body of Christ. Through sharing my journey, I hope to contribute to breaking the isolation that kills and building communities where all bodies, including those living with HIV, are honored as bearing the sacred imprint of the divine.
Reclaiming Our Poetic Souls: A Pride Month Reflection on Authenticity and Faith
Have you ever wondered when the creativity and wonder you felt as a child faded away? Through the lens of a child's poetry, a Colonel's posthumous coming out story, and Jesus's bold authenticity in the temple, this Pride Month sermon explores a question that haunts many of us: When did we stop being poets? Drawing from personal experience and theological insight, I examine how societal pressures and religious traditions can silence our authentic voices – and how we might reclaim the divine poetry within.
Originally published on my old website on Jun 27, 2024
Finding Wholeness: A Pastor's Coming Out Story
I can openly say that I am gay. As we begin Pride month, I no longer have to hide who I am. What follows is my letter sent on February 22, 2023, to University Presbyterian Church in San Antonio – a threshold moment marking both an ending and a beginning in my journey toward wholeness.
Originally published on my old website on Jun 1, 2023