Voices of Faith at LA Pride

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Voices of Faith

From the LA Times,

Before the parade, a transgender preacher, Dr. H. Adam Ackley, led a morning Holy Eucharist service on the street for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. Ackley, a former theology professor at Azusa Pacific University, was asked to resign from his position after announcing that he was a transgender man, according to the advocacy group GLAAD.

"We praise you for being who we are, who you created us to be — gay, trans, bi, lesbian, gender-queer and in so many other ways — with greater beautiful diversity than we can ever imagine," Ackley said in prayer.

The diocese has been leading a service before the Pride Parade for two decades, said the Rev. Susan Russell, a priest at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena. In the first few years, there was suspicion of the group, she said.

"We're here to undo the damage that the religious right has done to Jesus when they portray him as homophobic," she said. "We're here to undo that damage and tell the good news that God loves everybody."

Voices of Faith Speak Out: Mormons marching

A loosely organized group of Mormons called Mormons Building Bridges are marching in Pride parades this summer, in church clothes, to express their support for LGBT people.

In an interview in Religion Dispatches, Mormon Spencer Clark explains

I’m marching because I want to make a statement to [the] LGBT community and my friends that I support and accept them and I believe they should have the same rights as I do. And I want to demonstrate as well that Mormons are willing to stand up for fairness. We are not foes. And we’re not a monolith. Mormons have all sorts of different views about LGBT issues....

It comes down to the fact that I recognize and appreciate that we live in a pluralistic society. I don’t believe it’s right to legislate our morality based on our beliefs. I wouldn’t want some other religion to do that to me. There is no compelling state interest in denying marriage to gays and lesbians. I know the blessings marriage and family has brought me, and I don’t enjoy knowing that there are many people who don’t have that opportunity.... 

Now, faithful Mormons are banding together to share a powerful message, and we hope that other Mormons who may have been previously afraid to show their support for civil marriage equality will see us and feel emboldened to "come out of the closet". That pioneer spirit is still in our blood, and it's sorely needed here and now on one of the most critical civil rights issues of our time. So like pioneers, we walk. I will be walking with my wife and two kids. In church clothes. I’ll be wearing a white shirt. And a pink tie.

Well done!  There's a coalition called Mormon Pride organizing their participation in multiple events this summer.  I look forward to seeing the Mormon supporters marching in San Diego's gay pride parade on July 21st. ( I'll be there as part of one of the biggest contingents:  Saint Paul's Episcopal Cathedral.   We'll be the one in the purple shirts.)

It's Official: President announces Pride Month

From the White House:

More remains to be done to ensure every single American is treated equally, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Moving forward, my Administration will continue its work to advance the rights of LGBT Americans. This month, as we reflect on how far we have come and how far we have yet to go, let us recall that the progress we have made is built on the words and deeds of ordinary Americans. Let us pay tribute to those who came before us, and those who continue their work today; and let us rededicate ourselves to a task that is unending ‑‑ the pursuit of a Nation where all are equal, and all have the full and unfettered opportunity to pursue happiness and live openly and freely. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2012 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.

Religious supporters are coming out

From San Diego's pride parade last weekend, one of the many, many churches that participated:

(Credit here. My wife and I marched with over 100 other folks from St Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, a few groups back from this one, which I described here )