Interview with Ross Murray

Queer PoliFaith

Today's episode is an interview with Ross Murray, a Vice President at the GLAAD Media Institute, which provides activist, spokesperson, and media engagement training and education for LGBTQ and allied community members, the media industry and advocacy organizations desiring to deepen their media impact. Ross uses the best practices perfected by GLAAD to train a new generation of advocates in order to accelerate acceptance for LGBTQ people, as well as other marginalized communities.

Ross is also a founder and director of The Naming Project, a faith-based camp for LGBTQ youth and their allies. The Naming Project has also been the subject of much media, including the award-winning film Camp Out, as well as the controversial episode "Pray the Gay Away?" of Our America with Lisa Ling.

Ross has secured national media interest in stories that bring examples of LGBTQ equality across diverse communities in America. He specializes in the relationship between religion and LGBTQ people. His book, Made, Known, Loved: Developing LGBTQ-Inclusive Youth Ministry is available from Fortress Press. His second book, The Everyday Advocate: Living Out Your Calling to Social Justice is now out. Ross has also contributed to two books focused on LGBTQ Christian youth: Queerfully and Wonderfully Made and Welcoming and Affirming. He has written and appeared on numerous media outlets, including CNN, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, USA Today, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, and Religion News Service.

Ross is a producer for the "Yass, Jesus!" podcast, a faith and sexuality affirming podcast that believes you don't have to pick between gay and God. Hosts, Daniel Franzese (Actor, Mean Girls, Looking) and Azariah Southworth (former host, The Remix on TBN) meet each week in this hilarious take on a Sunday service to explore big questions and find out what it means to be a Christ-loving member of the LGBTQ community during these divided times.

Ross is an ordained Deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, with a specific calling to advocate for LGBTQ people and to bridge the LGBTQ and faith communities. He is a member of the 2021 OUT100 and was named one of Mashable’s “10 LGBT-Rights Activists to Follow on Twitter.”

In this episode, we talk about his new book, the challenges we face given the many attacks on freedoms, how Ross got his start, and much more. His book, The Everyday Advocate is an inspiring book for anyone who wants to get started in the work for justice with lots of practical tips and questions designed to help you figure some stuff out.

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