Pride month is a celebration that has its roots in the Stonewall Uprising, a series of demonstrations by members of the LGBT+ community in protest of their treatment by law enforcement. Though many things have changed since the Stonewall Uprising, from shifts in how the US military handles service members’ sexual orientation and gender identity to the legalization of same-sex marriage, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. Acceptance of LGBTQ+ persons is far from universal; while many churches are becoming more affirming, there is still backlash. In fact, just a few days ago, a pride flag at Trinity Cathedral in Sacramento was burned in an apparent hate crime.
Jesus said to his disciples, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” In Jesus’ words we are called to love all our neighbors as God’s children and at St. Martins we affirm our commitment to this most sacred commandment.
Several years ago we received a certification from Integrity of Northern California identifying St. Martin’s as “A Welcoming Parish,” and that “all people of faith regardless of sexual orientation are welcomed to fully participate in the life of the congregation.”
In 2017, St. Martin’s drafted the Statement of Action and Commitment, which you can read in full here. In it we state, “We at St. Martin’s…respect the dignity and worth of every human being. Whatever your gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, abilities, tradition, or language spoken: You are welcome here.”
We stand by this statement and offer our support to the LGBTQ+ community. But support doesn’t just mean words. We encourage you to ask how can you make a difference to a member of the LGBTQ+ community? What does that look like? There are many things we can do, from educating ourselves on LGBTQ+ issues to reaching out with love to our friends and family members who are in the LGBTQ+ community. We can also support organizations, local, national, and international, that carry on the work begun so many years ago.
Davis Pride’s celebration takes place this Sunday in Central Park; you can learn more at their website. They are also planning a Rainbow Run in the fall; maybe we can have a team from St. Martin’s participate!
Below are links to a few organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community (though there are MANY others):
Davis Phoenix Coalition (Davis’ local LGBT+ organization)
The Lavender Library (Sacramento’s LGBT+ library, learning, and connection hub)
The Trevor Project (a lifeline for LGBT+ youth)
GLADD (works with media to share LGBT stories)
-by Gabe Avila and Pamela Dolan+