Friday, February 12, 2016

In the News: Churches in Arkansas refuse funeral for gay man, Hand out Anti-gay literature to family

Anyone with a heart will be appalled by this story. If you think that gay people are not discriminated against think again. This happens daily in the U.S. - and for any church to be this heartless is beyond belief. (Yes, we realize that not all churches are this way. The purpose of sharing this is to show that this crap is still happening). 


In the News: Churches near Mountain Home, Ark. refuse funeral for gay man
and even WORSE:   Arkansas churches refuse funeral for gay man, hand out anti-gay materials to grieving family: husband


Source: DallasVoice:: Posted on 02 Feb 2015 at 12:06pm
http://www.dallasvoice.com/churches-mountain-home-ark-refuse-funeral-gay-man-10189127.html

Widow Jay Hoskins identified the churches that refused to perform a funeral service as being near Mountain Home in the unincorporated town of Clarkridge. Members from one of those churches called the firehouse to cancel the fellowship after the funeral. More information in Friday’s paper.

ORIGINAL POST:
After a gay man from Mountain Home, Ark. died last week, local churches refused to allow the family to have a funeral in
James Stone passed away.
their churches. The local firehouse, which was built by the man’s father, refused to open its doors for fellowship after the funeral as is the custom in that town, according to Jeremy Liebbe, who officiated at the service.

We’re talking to the family and friends of James Stone, the 32-year-old man who was living with his husband in Conroe, Texas and was originally from Clarkridge, Ark. and died on Jan. 19 of Sjogren’s syndrome, a genetic autoimmune disorder.
He is survived by his husband, Jay Hoskins. They were married six months ago in New Mexico on their 10th anniversary together. More on this story in Friday’s Dallas Voice.

ARTICLE #2:  Arkansas churches refuse funeral for gay man, hand out anti-gay materials to grieving family: husband
 SOURCE: Rawstory
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/02/arkansas-churches-refuse-funeral-for-gay-man-hand-out-anti-gay-materials-to-grieving-family-husband/#.VNGUsDWpQZI.facebook 
 
An Arkansas man’s husband says he was turned away from numerous churches while trying to hold a funeral for his deceased partner. Even the local firehouse, which was built by his father, has closed its doors to the grieving family, refusing to host a reception or memorial for James Stone, who died at the age of 32 in January, the husband said.
But there is conflicting information as to what really happened.

The Dallas Voice reported that Stone’s husband, Jay Hoskins, has been trying to find a place to memorialize his partner since Stone’s death on January 19.
The two men lived in Texas and have been together for 10 years. They were married in New Mexico six months ago on their 10th anniversary.

Stone — who struggled with Sjogren’s syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder — was born in Clarkridge, Arkansas. Hoskins hoped to hold a memorial for Stone in Mountain Home, the closest town, but the town’s churches turned him away, he claimed.

But two Clarkridge churches contacted by The Baxter Bulletin denied being contacted and asked to perform Stone’s graveside service. Family members also told The Baxter Bulletin they canceled the reservation to use the fire station.
In the comments thread at the Voice, Hoskins wrote that the two parishioners at the Clarkridge Church of Christ handed Stone’s grieving family members envelopes stuffed with Bible verses condemning same-sex relationships.
“I have never experienced such hate and bigotry in my life,” said Hoskins.

The Baxter Bulletin confirmed that the family members received anti-gay materials following the graveside service at Thacker Cemetery.

The Dallas Voice claimed that Stone died of Sjogen’s syndrome, but according to Hoskins, Stone took his own life.
“He died a tragic death of suicide where his poor mother and myself found him hanging from a ceiling fan. I tried unsuccessfully to revive him, but it was too late,” he said. In a separate comment, Hoskins said, “I lost the love of my life just over 2 weeks ago, and still don’t know how I am going to carry on, but will have to adapt.”

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I'm a simple guy who enjoys the simple things in life, especially our dogs. I volunteer for dog rescues, enjoy exercising, blogging, politics, helping friends and neighbors, participating in ghost investigations, coffee, weather, superheroes, comic books, mystery novels, traveling, 70s and 80s music, classic country music,writing books on ghosts and spirits, cooking simply and keeping in shape. You'll find tidbits of all of these things on this blog and more. EMAIL me at Rgutro@gmail.com - Rob

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