Controversial film sparks discussion

A daughter came out as a lesbian to her conservative Christian mother who refused to accept her. Filled with guilt, the daughter committed suicide. Now the mother is an advocate for gays and lesbians, particularly those excluded from their religious congregations. \nThe mother is one of eight people who speak in a documentary called "Fish Can't Fly: Conversations about God and Struggling to be Gay," showing at 7 p.m. tonight in the Monroe County Public Library auditorium. \n"The goal is for the audience to listen to lesbian and gay people's candid descriptions of reconciling their spirituality with their sexuality," said event coordinator John Clower, board member of Bloomington Beacon Center. \nThe Rev. Lynnette Carlson from Unity of Bloomington Church will join Judy Schroeder, a Bloomington Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays board member, and Eric Rensberger, a local counselor, on a discussion panel after the film. \nSchroeder said she thinks some religious denominations are not welcoming for the GLBT community because they don't feel the need to change. \n"Instead of evolving in their faith in a theological issue for God's love for all human kind, they feel the change needs to come from gay people," Schroeder said. \nSome feel similarly about pressures from pews on other side of the aisle. Sophomore Tim Roy said many local ministers and parishioners likely feel silenced from speaking out against homosexuality in churches. \n"Homosexuality has become so accepted in mainstream culture that people who think it's a sin don't speak up about their views," Roy said.\nClower said the film discusses the damage caused by "ex-gay ministries," programs among conservative Christian congregations to "cure" gay people of homosexuality. \nDoug Bauder, coordinator of GLBT Student Support Services, said it's important to learn from people who have been through such programs. \n"The reason they're giving their testimony is because they're saying their orientation didn't change," he said. \nRensberger said people might change their sexual practices, but no legitimate research has shown that someone can change their orientation. \nCarlson said the word "homosexuality" doesn't exist in the Bible. She explained she feels passages that might be interpreted as condemning homosexuality are "culturally limited and don't apply to us today. The Bible says to love the Lord your God and to love your neighbor as yourself. It doesn't say anything about hating homosexuals." \nSchroeder has a gay son who had difficulty coming to terms with his sexuality, she said. He was hospitalized for severe depression while in college and wouldn't talk to her about it. \nSchroeder said she had to unlearn prejudices she had about gay people and talk to religious people who understood her situation. At first she thought he was going through a questioning phase. She blamed herself. \n"I got over the fact that it was not about me," she said. "I accepted that he did not choose his sexual orientation any more than I chose mine. I'm very out about having a gay son, and I'm very proud"