Monique Ruffin

President Obama's recent announcement that he believes gay couples should have the right to marry has touched the hearts of millions of Americans, gay and straight. It's likely we all have gay friends and family members who have suffered due to discrimination, exclusion, and shaming. Personally, I have seen tremendous...

For the past several months, the political conversation has focused on a war on women's reproductive rights. The tenor of these recent debates, in large, has been downright regressive -- we've even seen state legislation holding that conception occurs two weeks before pregnancy. From the very beginning of...

While the GOP is declaring a war on women, women are waging a quiet inward revolution all across America. It's as if they are coming out of a deep sleep, awakening to a new truth about being mothers, wives, and workers. Over the past decade, I have met women from...

Last week Senator Olympia Snowe, Republican from Maine, announced that she would not be seeking re-election, stating that she was frustrated with the "my way or the highway," polarization that is currently taking place in the Senate.

What is occurring in legislatures all over our nation is absolutely...

Rick Santorum's recent comments make my head spin:

We're talking about specifically prenatal testing, and specifically amniocentesis, which is a procedure that actually creates a risk of having a miscarriage when you have it, and is done for the purposes of identifying maladies of a child in the...

Many may be baffled by the current political debate about contraception, but for many women like me, these bishops and politicians may as well be sitting in my living room having a cup of coffee. This debate is personal and will impact the lives of real women and girls. Several...

Five years ago, I started my journey to very poor. I was pregnant, and while expecting, my son was diagnosed with Down syndrome. My relationship with his father ended after our son's birth, when I decided to be a stay-at-home mom. With the end of my paychecks, the pressing need...

It seems Newt Gingrich may have upset the Republican presidential primary season with his recent win in South Carolina. If we are not thoughtful and responsible, he just may take us all by surprise in the days and months to come. Many Democrats and Republicans seem...

I ended my last blog about the oppression of gays by some black Christian churches by asking, "How did Jesus transcend all manner of hate?" This question has lived inside my heart and life for many years. It was the question that led me away from Christianity, as...

The other day I was at a volunteer meeting where we were each asked to introduce ourselves. There were about twelve of us in the group and I was the only person of color, or so I thought. The young man just two seats away said "Hi, my name is...

I sat down to pen the first post on the black church's oppression of gay people after an episode of The Rosie Show. Ms. O'Donnell had looked into the camera to tell Rick Perry that his anti-gay campaign commercial was hurting people.

Initially, I intended...

The civil rights issue of our time is gay marriage, and the key players in our country's most significant civil rights movement are on the wrong side of it. The black church has taken on a new role: oppressor.

As a black person born in the late '60s, I missed...

Everyone wants change, but no one wants to do anything different.

I have supported our president from the beginning of his campaign, and throughout his term, I have been disappointed on many occasions. I have also been pleased with his choices and performance. If there is one overriding belief...

The current front runner in the Republican race for the presidency is none other than Newt Gingrich. That is surprising considering his political career has been plagued by what might be considered dubios behavior. While Mr. Gingrich's behavior as a politician has been controversial, it was Mr. Gingrich's...

In the last couple of months the Occupy movement has successfully gained our attention, as protests have sprung up in many of the major cities across our nation. We have come out to stand for corporate regulation and social justice for all Americans. I'm grateful that...

I called my uncle Michael the other day, just to say hello. He often complains that I only call him when I need money or something. He's right, and I was quickly reminded of why I don't call. My uncle Michael is one of my personal heroes. For 30 years...

I started this morning talking life, spirituality, and politics with my brother (and favorite person), Darryl. He lives in Virginia and I live in California, so most of our time together is spent on the phone. Four years ago my brother was working as a vice president for a major...

I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend the final episode of Oprah's Lifeclass, which was recorded on Friday. In the audience were fifty-two people gathered to talk about the lessons and ahas they'd experienced during the five weeks of the show's duration. The Lifeclass had provided...