MCC of the Lehigh Valley | MCC: A Gay Church, LGBTQ Church, Human Rights Church & More

Contents:

• THE METRO AREAS WH THE LARGT, AND SMALLT, GAY POPULATNS
• THE MET OPERA HAS A GAY CONDUCTOR. Y, THAT MATTERS.
• THE MET’S NEW MIC DIRECTOR IS THE FIRST TO BE OPENLY GAY
• WELE TO THE GAY IENDLY PHOENIX METROPOLAN AREA
• INSI THE METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH, WHICH HAS BEEN TELLG LGBTQ PEOPLE GOD LOV THEM FOR 50 YEARSPRAY TELLGETTYTHE METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH HAS FACED PREJUDICE OM OTHER CHRISTIANS AND RISN OM SOME LGBTQ PEOPLE. BUT S MSAGE OF BELONGG HAS STAYED NSTANT FOR 50 YEARS.ROBERT W. FIELERPUBLISHED SEP. 01, 2019 5:33AM EDT THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STONEWALL RTS WAS THE RIGHTFUL HEART OF THIS SUMMER'S WORLD PRI CELEBRATNS. BUT A LSER-KNOWN 50TH ANNIVERSARY PREDATG STONEWALL, A GOLN JUBILEE YEAR FOR A GAY GROUP THAT WENT ALL BUT UNMENTNED AT WORLD PRI, HAD ARGUABLY AS GREAT A FOUNDATNAL IMPACT ON NATNAL AND GLOBAL QUEER POLICS: THE OCTOBER 6, 1968 FOUNDG OF THE METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH (MCC, FOR SHORT) LOS ANGEL BY AN ACTIVIST MISTER NAMED TROY PERRY. ON THAT DAY, RPONDG TO AN AD A SOMEWHAT RAGTAG NEWSLETTER FOR WT COAST HOMOSEXUALS LLED THE ADVOTE—WHICH WOULD GO ON TO BEE THE FLUENTIAL MAGAZE IS TODAY—A DOZEN PEOPLE GATHERED REVEREND TROY PERRY’S LIVG ROOM TO OBSERVE THE OCKED MISTER, A MAN EXPELLED OM HIS FLORIDA CHURCH FOR HOMOSEXUAL TENNCI, PREACH A GAY-AFFIRMG SERMON AND ADMISTER MUNN. “IT WAS A MASS AND A MS,” PERRY RELLED, LATER ON. “EVERYBODY WAS SRED TO ATH,” PERRY NTUED, RELLG THE TERROR THAT POLICE WOULD RAID THE SERVICE AS AN UNLAWFUL GATHERG AND ARRT THE PARISHNERS AS SEX CRIMALS. ALTHOUGH THAT FIRST SERVICE WOULD BE SPARED, POLICE TIMIDATN OF MCC NGREGATNS BEME CTOMARY AS THEIR CHURCH SPREAD S WGS. “WE ALWAYS GOT BOMB THREATS. THE POLICE WOULD E WH THE DOGS, AND THEY’D SAY, ‘GET OUT!’” “WE ALWAYS GOT BOMB THREATS,” PERRY RELLED A RECENT SERMON. “THE POLICE WOULD E WH THE DOGS, AND THEY’D SAY, ‘GET OUT!’” IN OCTOBER 1973, THE INDIANAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT RAID AN MCC PRAYER MEETG AND NDUCTED A MASS ARRT OF PARISHNERS FOR “EQUENTG A DIVE.” BEG GAY AND CHRISTIAN, FOR MANY THE LATE 1960S AND EARLY 1970S, SEEMED AN ABOMABLE, AND AT TIM UNLAWFUL, NTRADICTN. PRENTLY, ALTHOUGH THE MASS OF ANIZED RELIGN IS ANTI-LGBTQ, A MAJORY OF QUEER AMERINS ARE NOT FACT ANTI-RELIGN. A 2014 RELIG LANDSPE STUDY BY PEW SURVEYED 35,000 LGB RPONNTS: 59 PERCENT SAID THEY WERE RELIGLY AFFILIATED, AND ABOUT 50 PERCENT INTIFIED AS CHRISTIAN. A 2016 PRRI STUDY PUT THE NUMBERS AT 54 PERCENT RELIG AND 44 PERCENT CHRISTIAN, BUT THE DATA IS STRIKG. FLIP A A RANDOM GAY SETTG, AND YOU’RE JT AS LIKELY TO FD A BELIEVER THAN NOT. SUCH A PARADOX N SEEM UNBEARABLE FOR BOTH QUEER ATHEISTS, WHO WISH THEIR MUNY WOULD REJECT THE “TRADNAL VALU” OF MASTREAM RELIGNS, AND FOR RIGHT-WG CHRISTIANS SEEKG TO PURGE SEXUAL AND GENR MORI OM THEIR RANKS AND THEN DISCRED THEIR REPUTATNS. AS A STANDOUT EXAMPLE, DEMOCRATIC PRINTIAL NDIDATE PETE BUTTIGIEG’S FAH AFFIRMATNS AND RPECTABILY POLICS, PECIALLY RELATN TO HIS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, HAS MET WH ANIM OM EVANGELIL LEARS SUCH AS FRANKL GRAHAM, WHO STATED THAT BEG A GAY CHRISTIAN WAS “SOMETHG TO BE REPENTANT OF, NOT TO BE FLNTED,” AND OM GAY NEW REPUBLIC WRER DALE PECK, WHO LLED BUTTIGIEG “A GAY PARODY OF HETERONORMATIVE BOURGEOIS DOMTICY.” ADVERTISEMENT AS THE DAILY BEAST'S TIM TEEMAN REVEALED, NSERVATIVE MENTATOR ERICK ERICKSON HAS BEEN ORDATELY FOCED BOTH ON BUTTIGIEG'S GAY SEX LIFE, AND HIS CRICISM OF EVANGELILS WHO SUPPORTED PRINT TMP. PERRY’S METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH GREW EXPONENTIALLY S FIRST YEAR, EXPANDG TO MORE THAN 200 MEMBERS AND MOVG TO A HOLLYWOOD THEATER. AS NOTED MY BOOK TRBOX: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE FIRE AND THE RISE OF GAY LIBERATN, PERRY’S PASTORAL WORK PROVED REVOLUTNARY THAT HE APPEND FORMAL SPIRUALY TO A NASCENT SOCIAL MOVEMENT—GAY LIBERATN—THAT PREVLY LACKED A RELIG CENTER. ALTHOUGH GAY-IENDLY CHURCH HAD EXISTED THE U.S. SCE AT LEAST 1946, WH THE FOUNDG OF THE EUCHARISTIC CATHOLIC CHURCH ATLANTA, THE MCC REPRENTED THE FIRST GAY RELIG WORK THAT MERGED A SPIRUAL FUNCTN WH A PLATFORM FOR SOCIAL ACTN. FOR EXAMPLE, APRIL 1969, PERRY LED HIS CHURCH PROTT OF STATE STEAMSHIP L WHEN THE PANY FIRED AN EMPLOYEE FOR PUBLICLY CLARG HIS HOMOSEXUALY. PERRY FOUND HIS CHURCH, SHOULD BE NOTED, AN ERA WHEN HOMOSEXUALY REMAED CRIMALIZED EVERY STATE EXCEPT ILLOIS AND VASTLY UNPOPULAR TO MOST CIZENS, ABOUT SEVENTY PERCENT OF WHOM EMED HOMOSEXUALY TO BE “ANTI-AMERIN” OR “ALWAYS WRONG” WHEN POLLED. ADVERTISEMENT NO EMPLOYMENT OR HOG PROTECTNS EXISTED TO PROTECT SEXUAL MORI, AND THOSE ARRTED FOR “CRIM AGAST NATURE” ULD FACE IMMEDIATE TERMATN AND THEN PROSECUTN FOR FELONY CHARG WH MANDATORY PRISON SENTENC. BY EARLY 1970, WH REVERBERATNS OF STONEWALL SPIRG A WELLSPRG OF NATNAL ACTIVISM, THE MCC FELLOWSHIP BOASTED EIGHT NGREGATNS ACROSS SEVEN AMERIN CI. ITS SURGE, FACT, MIMICKED THE SPREAD OF AFFY CELLS FOR POLIL ANIZATNS SUCH AS THE GAY LIBERATN FRONT (GLF) AND, LATER, THE GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE (GAA). “WHAT OF THE HOMOSEXUAL? DID YOU WEEP WHEN ONE OF WAS BEATEN TO ATH BY THE POLICE LOS ANGEL?... DO UPSET YOU THAT THERE ARE RTS NEW YORK?” ADDRSG HIS FLOCK THE FIRST MCC NEWSLETTER THAT APRIL, PERRY ASKED OF CHRISTENDOM, “WHAT OF THE HOMOSEXUAL? DID YOU WEEP WHEN ONE OF WAS BEATEN TO ATH BY THE POLICE LOS ANGEL?... DO UPSET YOU THAT THERE ARE RTS NEW YORK?” NOT ALL GAY GROUPS, HOWEVER, WELED THE NOTN OF A GAY-IENDLY J. GAY ACTIVIST AND PUBLISHER CHARLEY SHIVELY, WHO FAMOLY BURNED A BIBLE AT THE 1977 BOSTON PRI EVENTS, WROTE, “CHRISTIANY IS THE ENEMY,” AND AN EDORIAL WRER ARGUED, WHEN THE MCC EXPAND TO TORONTO, THAT “CHRISTIAN BELIEF AND GAY LIBERATN ARE NTRADICTORY.” THE “JUNE 28TH CELL” OF THE GAY LIBERATN FRONT REMAED OUTSPOKENLY ANTI-RELIG EVEN THOUGH, IRONILLY, THEY MET ON SUNDAY NIGHTS THE MANHATTAN BASEMENT OF CHURCH OF THE HOLY APOSTL. ADVERTISEMENT NOTWHSTANDG THE RANR OM WH AND WHOUT THE MOVEMENT, JUNE OF 1970, PERRY -FOUND A LOS ANGEL PARA TO ADVANCE THE STONEWALL LEGACY. CALLED CHRISTOPHER STREET WT, HONOR OF WHAT HAPPENED ON CHRISTOPHER STREET GREENWICH VILLAGE THAT PREV JUNE, WAS THE FIRST “PRI PARA,” WH STREET CLOSUR AND A CY-SANCTNED ROUTE, AMERIN HISTORY.AN TIMATED 2,000 PEOPLE, ACRDG TO PERRY, DROVE THEIR FLOATS AND WALKED THEIR PETS DOWN HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD. THAT SAME WEEKEND, SEVERAL THOAND HOMOSEXUALS MARCHED TO CENTRAL PARK TO CELEBRATE “CHRISTOPHER STREET LIBERATN DAY”; ONE ACTIVIST ATTTED TO THE NEW YORK TIM THAT GAYS HAVE “GAED A NEW PRI.” GAY GROUPS CHIGO AND SAN FRANCIS, WHERE MCC MISSNS HAD TAKEN HOLD, ALSO HELD PUBLIC MONSTRATNS. IT WAS A MOMENT OF UNN FOR A NASCENT MOVEMENT, WHICH THE RELIG AND IRRELIG TOOK PART. CONTENTLY, PECIALLY FOR GAY LIBERATNISTS OPPOSED TO BOTH MATRIMONY AND MONOGAMY, TROY PERRY PERFORMED WHAT TIME MAGAZE SCRIBED AS THE FIRST PUBLIC SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CEREMONY—LLED A “HOLY UNN”— THE UNED STAT MERE MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST MCC SERVICE. BY 1969, AN MCC HOLY UNN WOULD BEE THE BASIS OF OUR NATN’S FIRST LAWSU SEEKG LEGAL REGNN OF A SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, AND 1971 LIFE MAGAZE VOTED AN ARTICLE TO HOMOSEXUAL RELIGN THAT CLARED, “PERRY IS WILLG TO ‘MARRY’ HOMOSEXUAL UPL, THOUGH THE MARRIAG ARE NOT REGNIZED AS LEGAL BY EXISTG LAWS ANY STATE.” BY 1972, THE MCC HAD BLOSSOMED TO 24 NGREGATNS AND MISSNS, CLUDG ONE LONDON, AND TROY PERRY, WH HIS TRAMARK SIBURNS AND PK CLERIL LLAR, HAD BEE A REGULAR MEDIA PRENCE—PERHAPS THE MOST REGNIZABLE GAY FACE THE WORLD. SUCH ATTENTN, OF URSE, PROVOKED BACKLASH. 1973 WOULD BE A YEAR OF FIRE FOR THE MCC FAHFUL. ADVERTISEMENT “WE WERE SORELY TRIED BY THE TORCH,” PERRY OBSERVED HIS ANNUAL STATE OF THE CHURCH REPORT. FIRST LATE JANUARY, AN “TENTNAL FIRE OF SPIC ORIG” STROYED THE MCC MOTHER CHURCH LOS ANGEL. IN MARCH, THE MCC OF NASHVILLE WENT UP FLAM, AGA WH ARSON SPECTED. (MCC CHURCH ARE STILL TARGETS; AS THE DURANGO HERALD REPORTED, EARLIER AUGT THE ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXI, MCC WAS VANDALIZED, LEADG TO HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS REPAIRS.) “DEVASTATGLY, THE BLAZE ALSO GUTTED THE RANKS OF LOL MCC LEARSHIP, CLUDG A AN NAMED MCH MCHELL AND A PASTOR NAMED BILL LARSON, WHOSE CHARRED BODY WAS LEFT ON DISPLAY A STREET-FACG WDOW FOR AT LEAST FOUR HOURS” THEN ON JUNE 24, 1973, FIRE EVISCERATED THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE, A SEND-STORY GAY BAR NEW ORLEANS WH CLOSE TI TO THE LOL MCC NGREGATN. THIS TENTNALLY SET BLAZE CLAIMED THE LIV OF 32 PATRONS, CLUDG ONE THIRD OF THE MCC OF NEW ORLEANS MEMBERSHIP. IT WAS THE ADLIT FIRE ON RERD NEW ORLEANS HISTORY AND THE LARGT MASS KILLG OF HOMOSEXUALS U.S. HISTORY—A RERD THAT WOULD STAND FOR 43 YEARS. DEVASTATGLY, THE BLAZE ALSO GUTTED THE RANKS OF LOL MCC LEARSHIP, CLUDG A AN NAMED MCH MCHELL AND A PASTOR NAMED BILL LARSON, WHOSE CHARRED BODY WAS LEFT ON DISPLAY A STREET-FACG WDOW FOR AT LEAST FOUR HOURS. LARSON HAD BEEN NEW ORLEANS’ ONLY “OUT” GAY PUBLIC FIGURE AT THE TIME OF THE FERNO, A CY WHERE GAY LEARS STILL ED NICKNAM OR PSDONYMS TO AVOID LEGAL AND PROFSNAL BLOWBACK FOR THEIR PRIVATE LIFTYL. SOME LOL GAYS TOOK THE TREATMENT OF LARSON’S CHARRED RPSE TO BE A WARNG OM THORI: STAY HIDN. TROY PERRY, LEADG LOS ANGEL PRI CELEBRATNS ON SANTA MONI STATE BEACH, WAS ALERTED TO THE CRISIS NEW ORLEANS WH MUT BY A NATNAL TELEPHONE WORK. ADVERTISEMENT PERRY SENSED WHAT HE LATER SCRIBED AS A “VACUUM OF GAY LEARSHIP THAT NEED TO BE FILLED.” PERRY RALLIED A BIASTAL LEGATN OF MCC MISTERS AND GAY LIBERATN LEARS, CLUDG GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE (GAA) AFFILIATE MORTY MANFORD AND GAY COMMUNY SERVIC CENTER OF LOS ANGEL PRINT MORRIS KIGHT. THEY FLEW TO NEW ORLEANS THE FOLLOWG MORNG TO MANAGE THE EMERGENCY. THE EFFORTS WOULD REPRENT GAY LIBERATN’S FIRST NATNALLY ORDATED RPONSE TO A TASTROPHE. THE NEW ORLEANS EMERGENCY TASK FORCE, AS MORRIS KIGHT DUBBED THEIR LEGATN, ALSO ANIZED GAY LIBERATN’S FIRST NATNAL FUNDRAISG DRIVE TO HELP THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE VICTIMS.ADMISTERED BY THE ADVOTE, THIS FUND RAISED SOME $17,000 (OR ABOUT $100,000, MORN SPENDG PACY) TO HELP PAY FOR FUNERALS AND SURGERI. MANFORD TOURED THE UNTRY SPREADG WORD OF THE ARSON TO GAY MUNI DENVER, CHIGO, PHILALPHIA AND WASHGTON, D.C.ADDNALLY, THE TASK FORCE ORDATED WH THE AMERIN RED CROSS TO SPEARHEAD WHAT WAS THEN MOST SUCCSFUL BLOOD DRIVE THE HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT (PRR TO AIDS, BLOOD DRIV WERE A MON RPONSE TO QUEER CRIS); GAY MUNI DONATED ENOUGH BLOOD TO THE “NEW ORLEANS CATASTROPHE” ACUNT TO PROVI A “BLOOD BANK CRED” FOR SEVERAL YEARS. STUNNED BY THE LACK OF CROSS-GENR SOLIDARY BETWEEN GAYS AND LBIANS FOLLOWG THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE TASTROPHE (FOR EXAMPLE, NO DGHTERS OF BILIS GROUPS SENT CHECKS TO THE MEMORIAL FUND), TROY PERRY SENSED A LGERG DIVISN BETWEEN THE SEX. ADVERTISEMENT “THERE IS SEXISM AMONG GAY MAL AND LBIANS JT AS THERE IS SEXISM THE NON-GAY POPULATN,” PERRY LATER WROTE HIS TOBGRAPHY DON’T BE AAID ANYMORE. “GAY MALE SEXISM, AN OMNIPRENT ISSUE OM THE EARLIT DAYS OF THE GLF, CREASGLY BEME THE E OF BTER ACCATN,” AGREED HISTORIAN MART DUBERMAN.SEIZG UPON THE LSONS AND FAILUR OF THE NEW ORLEANS EMERGENCY TASK FORCE, PERRY ENACTED FOUNDATNAL CHANG TO HIS MCC FELLOWSHIP THAT SEPTEMBER. “WOMEN CLERGY WERE NOT ONLY A RARY THE GENERAL POPULATN, THEY WERE NONEXISTENT OUR NOMATN,” PERRY NTUED. CHURCH BYLAWS WERE REWRTEN FOR GENR-CLIVE LANGUAGE, AND REVEREND FREDA SMH, WHO 1972 BEME FIRST FEMALE MISTER MCC HISTORY, WAS ELECTED TO SERVE ON THE MCC BOARD OF ELRS—THE FIRST WOMAN THAT CHURCH BODY. MANY HISTORIANS TAKE THE PRENCE OF LBIAN SPEAKERS LIKE AUDRE LOR ALONGSI GAY SPEAKERS LIKE TROY PERRY AT 1979’S NATNAL MARCH ON WASHGTON FOR LBIAN AND GAY RIGHTS TO BE A NATURAL EXPRSN OF THE GAY MOVEMENT, FETTG THAT GAY AND LBIAN MUNI WERE ISOLATED A EARLIER. “THE ACUNTS OF GAY WRERS, HISTORIANS, AND SCHOLARS HAVE EMPHASIZED THE SWEATY POLIL STGGL THE STREETS THE 1970S, RATHER THAN THE RADIL PH BY GAY PEOPLE OF FAH” THE TWO GROUPS ONLY UNED THROUGH NCERTED ACTS OF OUTREACH LIKE TROY PERRY’S REFORMS WH THE MCC OR LAMBDA LEGAL’S PROTRACTED SEARCH FOR LBIAN LAWYERS WILLG TO ASSOCIATE WH A GAY ANIZATN THAT SAME YEAR. ADVERTISEMENT YET, AS HISTORIAN JIM DOWNS WR, “THE ACUNTS OF GAY WRERS, HISTORIANS, AND SCHOLARS HAVE EMPHASIZED THE SWEATY POLIL STGGL THE STREETS THE 1970S, RATHER THAN THE RADIL PH BY GAY PEOPLE OF FAH.” HOW IS THAT A FOUNR OF THE FIRST PRI PARA, A RGLEAR OF GAY LIBERATN’S FIRST EMERGENCY TASK FORCE, A SPEAKER AT THE FIRST LGBT+ MARCH ON WASHGTON AND THE OFFICIANT OF THE FIRST PUBLIC SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CEREMONI THE U.S. IS LARGELY UNKNOWN TO LGBT+ AMERINS?FURTHERMORE, A RADIL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP THAT PLAYED A LEADG ROLE TABLISHG WHAT MANY NOW LL “PRI” THROUGH MARRIAGE CEREMONI, PUBLIC PROTTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS RALLI—WHICH RULTED AT LEAST 26 DOCUMENTED STANC OF ARSON OR FIRE-BOMBG BETWEEN 1973 AND 1997 AFFECTG NEARLY ONE TEN MCC NGREGATNS—HAS GONE UNR-CREDED.“FALLY, THE GLBT MUNY IS WAKG UP AND REALIZG HOW WE IMPORTANT WE ARE TO THE HISTORY OF THIS MOVEMENT,” PERRY SISTED A RECENT SERMON. “WE WERE PREGNANT WH STONEWALL!” TODAY, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE MCC AND S LEGACY REMAS UNR-APPRECIATED, EVEN TO AFICNADOS OF LGBT+ CULTURE, SPEAKS TO THE GREE TO WHICH AN STUTN THAT ONCE STOOD THE VANGUARD OF EARLY GAY LIBERATN HAS BEEN SILED AND LEFT OUT OF HISTORY BOOKS. “IF GLF OR GAA DID HARBOR A FEW MEMBERS ATTRACTED TO A RELIG FAH, THEY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO ANNOUNCE THE FACT” ADVERTISEMENT “MANY OF THE EARLY CHRONICLERS OF GAY LIBERATN ME OM THE POLIL LEFT AND NSIRED RELIGN PATRIARCHAL, HIERARCHIL, AND THE ROOT OF GAY OPPRSN,” ARGUED HISTORIAN JIM DOWNS STAND BY ME: THE FOTTEN HISTORY OF GAY LIBERATN. “GLF AND GAA WERE THE ‘LIBERATN STGGLE,’” UNTERED HISTORIAN MART DUBERMAN HAS THE GAY MOVEMENT FAILED?, DRAWG AN EXCLNARY LE THAT PLAC NTEMPORANEO RELIG GROUPS OUTSI THE FOLD.“IF GLF OR GAA DID HARBOR A FEW MEMBERS ATTRACTED TO A RELIG FAH,” DUBERMAN NTUED, “THEY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO ANNOUNCE THE FACT.” THE ANTI-RELIGN BIAS PERSISTED FOR S. AN MCC OF NEW ORLEANS MISTER NAMED DEXTER BRECHT CRICIZED THE ADVOTE 1994 FOR WHAT HE LLED “CHRISTOPHOBIA” THEIR LACK OF VERAGE OF THE MCC’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY. “GET WH THE TE SPIR OF PRI AND CELEBRATE WHO WE ARE,” BRECHT BEECHED. AT WORLDPRI 2019 NEW YORK CY, AN TIMATED 150,000 PEOPLE MARCHED A PARA ROUTE THAT STREAMED PAST THE SE OF THE HISTORIC STONEWALL INN ON CHRISTOPHER STREET—GENUFLECTG AT WHAT IS NOW REGARD AS AN DISPUTABLE TURNG POT MORN HISTORY. BY NTRAST, THE UNIVERSAL FELLOWSHIP OF METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH OBSERVED S 50TH YEAR OF MISTRY THIS JULY NOT WH THE FANFARE OF WORLDPRI/STONEWALL 50 BUT WH A PRIVATE NCLAVE OF ABOUT 900 MISTERS AND SUPPORTERS ORLANDO. (ALTHOUGH THE MCC 50TH ANNIVERSARY FORMALLY TOOK PLACE OCTOBER 2018, GLOBAL CELEBRATNS WERE LAYED UNTIL THE CHURCH BODY MET GENERAL CONFERENCE, WHICH OCCURS EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS.) ADVERTISEMENT TODAY, THE MCC BOASTS 172 AFFILIATED CHURCH AND 46 EMERGG MISTRI ACROSS 33 UNTRI. MORE THAN HALF OF MCC CLERGY ARE WOMEN, AND ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF MCC NGREGATNS RI OUTSI THE UNED STAT.RETURNG TO HIS HOME STATE OF FLORIDA, A STATE OM WHICH HE ONCE FLED AFTER BEG EXPELLED BY HIS LOL MISTRY FOR HIS HOMOSEXUAL “SS,” TROY PERRY GAVE AN OPENG ADDRS THAT REGNIZED HIS TWO BROTHERS THE DIENCE. “WHEN GOD SPEAKS THROUGH YOU FOR 50 YEARS,” PERRY PREACHED, “ ONT OF TELEVISN MERAS, MAGAZE ARTICL, BOOKS, EVERYWHERE FOR 50 YEARS, I HAVE NOT CHANGED MY TTIMONY.”  FROM JULY 1 THROUGH 5, MERE OM THE SE OF THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTG, THE MCC FAHFUL MET TO ELECT NEW LEARSHIP AND NDUCT THE 27TH GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE WORLD’S LARGT QUEER-FOUND, QUEER-LED CHRISTIAN NOMATN. “THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MCC AND ANY OTHER CHURCH IS, FIRSTLY, WAS BUILT BY FOR ,” TONED MCC REVEREND ELR CECILIA EGGLTON, WHO BEME ELEVATED ORLANDO TO THE ROLE OF MORATOR, OR CHIEF MISTER OF THE GLOBAL NGREGATN—A ROLE FED AND HELD BY TROY PERRY UNTIL HE RETIRED 2005. EGGLTON REPRENTS THE SEND FEMALE MORATOR MCC HISTORY AND THE FIRST MORATOR TO HAIL OM OUTSI THE UNED STAT, REFLECTG THE CHURCH’S EXPANDG MISSN. PRENTLY, THE LARGT MCC NGREGATN THE WORLD IS THE METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH OF TORONTO, WHICH OM 2001 TO 2003 WAS A LIGANT THE URT BATTLE THAT ULTIMATELY BROUGHT ABOUT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CANADA. ADVERTISEMENT SIARLY, THROUGHOUT THE 2000S, TROY PERRY SUED THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO REGNIZE HIS OWN SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND, TEMPORARILY, WON THAT REGNN MAY 2008, ONLY TO HAVE HIS VICTORY STCK DOWN BY THE FAMO PROPOSN 8 BALLOT IATIVE. “THERE ARE SOME FOLK WHO SAY THE MCC HAS DONE S WORK WELL AND FAHFULLY, AND MAYBE ’S TIME FOR TO GO GENTLY TO THE BACKGROUND. THAT’S JT NOT GOG TO HAPPEN” THE MCC HAD, FACT, TIED SELF SO CLOSELY TO THE ISSUE OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, SCE THE FIRST HOLY UNN 1968, THAT WHEN SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BEME REGNIZED FERALLY 2015 BY THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, SOME WH THE RANKS WONRED IF THEIR CHURCH HAD SERVED S PURPOSE. “THERE ARE SOME FOLK WHO SAY THE MCC HAS DONE S WORK WELL AND FAHFULLY, AND MAYBE ’S TIME FOR TO GO GENTLY TO THE BACKGROUND,” REFLECTED EGGLTON. “THAT’S JT NOT GOG TO HAPPEN,” SHE NTUED. “YOU’VE GOT THIS GIGANTIC PHBACK OM ALL SORTS OF CHURCH WANTG TO CSH ANY POSSIBILY OF SOMEONE THE QUEER MUNY BEG SEEN AS SOMEONE WH A SPIRUAL LIFE, SOMEONE WHO POSSIBLY ULD BE OF TERT TO GOD.” IN 2019, FOR EXAMPLE, THE UNED METHODIST CHURCH, THE THIRD LARGT CHRISTIAN NOMATN THE WORLD, VOTED TO PROHIB THE ORDATN OF LGBT+ CLERGY AND THE OFFICIATN OF SAME-SEX MARRIAG. SIARLY, THE EVANGELIL COVENANT CHURCH EXPELLED THE FIRST COVENANT CHURCH OF MNEAPOLIS OM THEIR NOMATN FOR SUPPORTG THE LGBT+ MUNY, AND A CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL INDIANAPOLIS WAS FORCED TO FIRE A GAY TEACHER TO REMA S LOL ARCHDCE. ADVERTISEMENT GLOBALLY, EGGLTON NOT WH IRONY, “RELIG LIBERTY” MOVEMENTS ARE ON THE RISE TO RE-LEGIMIZE DISCRIMATN THROUGH THE IMPOSN OF CERTA KDS OF RELIGN OVER OTHERS, IGNORG THE NTRARY GOSPEL OF CHURCH LIKE THE MCC OR THE BELIEFS OF THE IRRELIG. SHE FEELS THAT THE IATIV N ONLY BE FEATED OM WH AND WHOUT CHRISTIANY, THROUGH ORDATED OPPOSN. “SOME AREN’T OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER,” SHE SAYS, “BUT WHEN THE BERL WALL ME DOWN, WAS TORN DOWN OM BOTH SIS.”  EGGLTON STAT THAT HER CHURCH TENDS TO FIGHT ONGOG PERSECUTN AND EXPAND TO REGNS OF GREATT NEED, WHERE QUEER PEOPLE ARE MOST IMPERILLED. SHE C A SISTERHOOD OF TRANSGENR WOMEN WHO RECENTLY JOED THE GOOD HOPE MCC AFTER YEARS OF LIVG BENEATH A BRIDGE CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AI, AS AN EXEMPLAR OF THE NEW MCC MISTRY. “WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE DOG THE NEXT 50 YEARS?” SHE REPEATEDLY ASKS HER FLOCK. INUNDATED WH FUTURE PLANS, MCC LEARS STILL FOUND TIME AT THEIR 27TH GENERAL CONFERENCE FOR A B RI TO THE SE OF THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTG NEARBY ON S. ORANGE AVENUE. THERE, THEY BOWED THEIR HEADS AND WEPT. “OUR PEOPLE ARE STILL BEG KILLED,” EGGLTON SISTS. “AND THEY’RE BEG KILLED BEE OF WHO THEY ARE AND HOW GOD MA THEM… IF SOMEONE IS BEG TOLD THEY ARE A MISTAKE GOD’S EY, THEN WE MATTER.”  ROBERT W. FIELER
• GAY MUNICH

THE METRO AREAS WH THE LARGT, AND SMALLT, GAY POPULATNS

A new analysis of Gallup survey data offers the most tailed timat yet about where people who intify as gay, lbian, bisexual or transgenr Gallup analysis fds the largt ncentratns the Wt — and not jt the expected plac like San Francis and Portland, Ore. It seems to be a kd of regnal pal of gay life, attractg people om other parts of Utah and the Mormon the other hand, some of the East Coast plac wh famo gay neighborhoods, cludg New York, Miami and Washgton, have a smaller percentage of their populatn who intify as gay — roughly average for a big metropolan area. And even the parts of the untry outsi the 50 biggt metropolan areas have a gay populatn (about 3 percent) not so different om some big metropolan areas.

” Wilson/The New York TimSan FrancisHistorians often trace San Francis’s role as a gay refuge part to World War II, when the Navy discharged gay sailors, bee of their sexualy, at Treasure Island San Francis Bay. Other gay people, search of a safe place, Francis was promently featured when Life magaze published a 1964 article tled “Homosexualy Ameri. He is creded wh turng the Castro district of the 1970s to perhaps the untry’s most visible gay neighborhood, a muny and tourist statn that still hums unr a rabow San Francis has ls of a pull, as other parts of the untry have bee ls hostile, the cy is still a statn, cludg for transgenr people.

People the ral, nservative part of the state and neighborg stat have flocked to Portland, as have people priced out of the Wt Coast’s other big, gay-iendly ci. Many of them have fought for some of the untry’s fartht-reachg gay rights polici, cludg the recent expansn of Mediid verage for treatment like hormone therapy and unselg for transgenr people.

THE MET OPERA HAS A GAY CONDUCTOR. Y, THAT MATTERS.

Still, Jeana Frazzi, executive director of Basic Rights Oregon, says Portland has work to do before n feel like a haven for many transgenr people and gay people of factor behd the data — Portland and elsewhere — may be people’s willgns to tell a pollster that they’re gay, lbian or bisexual. In addn to havg a larger gay populatn, plac like Portland may also have a larger share of their gay populatn who publicly intify as such. Kathere Taylor for The New York TimBoston and AtIt’s no accint that some of the untry’s most ted metro areas have some of the largt gay populatns.

Gay and lbian Amerins are not substantially more ted than the rt of the populatn, acrdg to Gary Gat, a -thor of “The Gay and Lbian Atlas, ” who has studied the Gallup data. 7 another aspect of the Mormon culture — the importance of muny and fay — go a long way toward explag the pattern, people Salt Lake Cy many gay people who were raised Mormon (or L. “If wasn’t an accint of birth that you were born San Francis and happened to be queer, I don’t thk there’s the immediate pull that you mt move there anymore, ” said Douglas Ray, who teach queer lerature Birmgham and eded “The Queer South, ” an other large metro areas wh relatively small gay populatns clu Hoton, Memphis, Nashville and Raleigh, N.

THE MET’S NEW MIC DIRECTOR IS THE FIRST TO BE OPENLY GAY

)Before this Gallup analysis, the most tailed portra of gay mography was the Cens Bure timat of same-sex upl, cludg an analysis by the Williams Instute at U. Manhattan most likely has a larger percentage of gay and lbian rints than the New York regn as a the data is affected by the feral ernment’s fn of metropolan areas.

Yannick Nézet-Ségu, the new mic director of the Metropolan Opera, left, and his partner, the vlist Pierre Tourville, at the gay bar Juli’ Moon for The New York TimJan. ” Moon for The New York TimIt’s not unual to share meet-cute stori over cheap cktails at Juli’, one of the olst and zit gay bars the cy.

But was an extraordary nversatn to be havg wh the mic director of the natn’s largt performg arts culture — particularly high culture — is libly associated wh gay tastemakers, dienc and creators, ’s a sign of how outmod our nceptn of thory is that remarkably few major performg arts lears have been openly gay.

WELE TO THE GAY IENDLY PHOENIX METROPOLAN AREA

In classil mic and opera, even New York, the cy that gave rise to the morn gay rights movement wh the Stonewall rts 50 years ago this June, has been domated sce then by two nductors: Leonard Bernste and Jam Leve, who both kept sexual relatnships wh men chattg sually about g out, bullyg and Cele Dn wh Mr. Dpe gay pneers like Michael Tilson Thomas (at the San Francis Symphony) and Mar Alsop ( Baltimore), nductg remas an overwhelmgly straight (and male, and whe) profsn. Nézet-Ségu — who has been openly gay for his entire profsnal reer and nonchalant enough about to post a sg partners’ beach selfie on Instagram — is impossible to miss.

Well, acrdg to the Tim’ Zachary Woolfe (who, full disclosure, I have wrten for the past), the abily to fiercely work a baton wh queer pri has, until only recently, been an elive pipe dream for those gay men helmg the world’s top-tier orchtras. The classil mic world may be crawlg wh queens, Woolfe explas, but “’s a sign of how outmod our nceptn of thory is that remarkably few major performg arts lears have been openly gay. Woolfe’s terview, which took place at an inic Wt Village gay bar, do a fe job of prentg the bourgeois and aggrsively normal ntours of a succsful gay partnership.

INSI THE METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH, WHICH HAS BEEN TELLG LGBTQ PEOPLE GOD LOV THEM FOR 50 YEARSPRAY TELLGETTYTHE METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH HAS FACED PREJUDICE OM OTHER CHRISTIANS AND RISN OM SOME LGBTQ PEOPLE. BUT S MSAGE OF BELONGG HAS STAYED NSTANT FOR 50 YEARS.ROBERT W. FIELERPUBLISHED SEP. 01, 2019 5:33AM EDT THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STONEWALL RTS WAS THE RIGHTFUL HEART OF THIS SUMMER'S WORLD PRI CELEBRATNS. BUT A LSER-KNOWN 50TH ANNIVERSARY PREDATG STONEWALL, A GOLN JUBILEE YEAR FOR A GAY GROUP THAT WENT ALL BUT UNMENTNED AT WORLD PRI, HAD ARGUABLY AS GREAT A FOUNDATNAL IMPACT ON NATNAL AND GLOBAL QUEER POLICS: THE OCTOBER 6, 1968 FOUNDG OF THE METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH (MCC, FOR SHORT) LOS ANGEL BY AN ACTIVIST MISTER NAMED TROY PERRY. ON THAT DAY, RPONDG TO AN AD A SOMEWHAT RAGTAG NEWSLETTER FOR WT COAST HOMOSEXUALS LLED THE ADVOTE—WHICH WOULD GO ON TO BEE THE FLUENTIAL MAGAZE IS TODAY—A DOZEN PEOPLE GATHERED REVEREND TROY PERRY’S LIVG ROOM TO OBSERVE THE OCKED MISTER, A MAN EXPELLED OM HIS FLORIDA CHURCH FOR HOMOSEXUAL TENNCI, PREACH A GAY-AFFIRMG SERMON AND ADMISTER MUNN. “IT WAS A MASS AND A MS,” PERRY RELLED, LATER ON. “EVERYBODY WAS SRED TO ATH,” PERRY NTUED, RELLG THE TERROR THAT POLICE WOULD RAID THE SERVICE AS AN UNLAWFUL GATHERG AND ARRT THE PARISHNERS AS SEX CRIMALS. ALTHOUGH THAT FIRST SERVICE WOULD BE SPARED, POLICE TIMIDATN OF MCC NGREGATNS BEME CTOMARY AS THEIR CHURCH SPREAD S WGS. “WE ALWAYS GOT BOMB THREATS. THE POLICE WOULD E WH THE DOGS, AND THEY’D SAY, ‘GET OUT!’” “WE ALWAYS GOT BOMB THREATS,” PERRY RELLED A RECENT SERMON. “THE POLICE WOULD E WH THE DOGS, AND THEY’D SAY, ‘GET OUT!’” IN OCTOBER 1973, THE INDIANAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT RAID AN MCC PRAYER MEETG AND NDUCTED A MASS ARRT OF PARISHNERS FOR “EQUENTG A DIVE.” BEG GAY AND CHRISTIAN, FOR MANY THE LATE 1960S AND EARLY 1970S, SEEMED AN ABOMABLE, AND AT TIM UNLAWFUL, NTRADICTN. PRENTLY, ALTHOUGH THE MASS OF ANIZED RELIGN IS ANTI-LGBTQ, A MAJORY OF QUEER AMERINS ARE NOT FACT ANTI-RELIGN. A 2014 RELIG LANDSPE STUDY BY PEW SURVEYED 35,000 LGB RPONNTS: 59 PERCENT SAID THEY WERE RELIGLY AFFILIATED, AND ABOUT 50 PERCENT INTIFIED AS CHRISTIAN. A 2016 PRRI STUDY PUT THE NUMBERS AT 54 PERCENT RELIG AND 44 PERCENT CHRISTIAN, BUT THE DATA IS STRIKG. FLIP A A RANDOM GAY SETTG, AND YOU’RE JT AS LIKELY TO FD A BELIEVER THAN NOT. SUCH A PARADOX N SEEM UNBEARABLE FOR BOTH QUEER ATHEISTS, WHO WISH THEIR MUNY WOULD REJECT THE “TRADNAL VALU” OF MASTREAM RELIGNS, AND FOR RIGHT-WG CHRISTIANS SEEKG TO PURGE SEXUAL AND GENR MORI OM THEIR RANKS AND THEN DISCRED THEIR REPUTATNS. AS A STANDOUT EXAMPLE, DEMOCRATIC PRINTIAL NDIDATE PETE BUTTIGIEG’S FAH AFFIRMATNS AND RPECTABILY POLICS, PECIALLY RELATN TO HIS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, HAS MET WH ANIM OM EVANGELIL LEARS SUCH AS FRANKL GRAHAM, WHO STATED THAT BEG A GAY CHRISTIAN WAS “SOMETHG TO BE REPENTANT OF, NOT TO BE FLNTED,” AND OM GAY NEW REPUBLIC WRER DALE PECK, WHO LLED BUTTIGIEG “A GAY PARODY OF HETERONORMATIVE BOURGEOIS DOMTICY.” ADVERTISEMENT AS THE DAILY BEAST'S TIM TEEMAN REVEALED, NSERVATIVE MENTATOR ERICK ERICKSON HAS BEEN ORDATELY FOCED BOTH ON BUTTIGIEG'S GAY SEX LIFE, AND HIS CRICISM OF EVANGELILS WHO SUPPORTED PRINT TMP. PERRY’S METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH GREW EXPONENTIALLY S FIRST YEAR, EXPANDG TO MORE THAN 200 MEMBERS AND MOVG TO A HOLLYWOOD THEATER. AS NOTED MY BOOK TRBOX: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE FIRE AND THE RISE OF GAY LIBERATN, PERRY’S PASTORAL WORK PROVED REVOLUTNARY THAT HE APPEND FORMAL SPIRUALY TO A NASCENT SOCIAL MOVEMENT—GAY LIBERATN—THAT PREVLY LACKED A RELIG CENTER. ALTHOUGH GAY-IENDLY CHURCH HAD EXISTED THE U.S. SCE AT LEAST 1946, WH THE FOUNDG OF THE EUCHARISTIC CATHOLIC CHURCH ATLANTA, THE MCC REPRENTED THE FIRST GAY RELIG WORK THAT MERGED A SPIRUAL FUNCTN WH A PLATFORM FOR SOCIAL ACTN. FOR EXAMPLE, APRIL 1969, PERRY LED HIS CHURCH PROTT OF STATE STEAMSHIP L WHEN THE PANY FIRED AN EMPLOYEE FOR PUBLICLY CLARG HIS HOMOSEXUALY. PERRY FOUND HIS CHURCH, SHOULD BE NOTED, AN ERA WHEN HOMOSEXUALY REMAED CRIMALIZED EVERY STATE EXCEPT ILLOIS AND VASTLY UNPOPULAR TO MOST CIZENS, ABOUT SEVENTY PERCENT OF WHOM EMED HOMOSEXUALY TO BE “ANTI-AMERIN” OR “ALWAYS WRONG” WHEN POLLED. ADVERTISEMENT NO EMPLOYMENT OR HOG PROTECTNS EXISTED TO PROTECT SEXUAL MORI, AND THOSE ARRTED FOR “CRIM AGAST NATURE” ULD FACE IMMEDIATE TERMATN AND THEN PROSECUTN FOR FELONY CHARG WH MANDATORY PRISON SENTENC. BY EARLY 1970, WH REVERBERATNS OF STONEWALL SPIRG A WELLSPRG OF NATNAL ACTIVISM, THE MCC FELLOWSHIP BOASTED EIGHT NGREGATNS ACROSS SEVEN AMERIN CI. ITS SURGE, FACT, MIMICKED THE SPREAD OF AFFY CELLS FOR POLIL ANIZATNS SUCH AS THE GAY LIBERATN FRONT (GLF) AND, LATER, THE GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE (GAA). “WHAT OF THE HOMOSEXUAL? DID YOU WEEP WHEN ONE OF WAS BEATEN TO ATH BY THE POLICE LOS ANGEL?... DO UPSET YOU THAT THERE ARE RTS NEW YORK?” ADDRSG HIS FLOCK THE FIRST MCC NEWSLETTER THAT APRIL, PERRY ASKED OF CHRISTENDOM, “WHAT OF THE HOMOSEXUAL? DID YOU WEEP WHEN ONE OF WAS BEATEN TO ATH BY THE POLICE LOS ANGEL?... DO UPSET YOU THAT THERE ARE RTS NEW YORK?” NOT ALL GAY GROUPS, HOWEVER, WELED THE NOTN OF A GAY-IENDLY J. GAY ACTIVIST AND PUBLISHER CHARLEY SHIVELY, WHO FAMOLY BURNED A BIBLE AT THE 1977 BOSTON PRI EVENTS, WROTE, “CHRISTIANY IS THE ENEMY,” AND AN EDORIAL WRER ARGUED, WHEN THE MCC EXPAND TO TORONTO, THAT “CHRISTIAN BELIEF AND GAY LIBERATN ARE NTRADICTORY.” THE “JUNE 28TH CELL” OF THE GAY LIBERATN FRONT REMAED OUTSPOKENLY ANTI-RELIG EVEN THOUGH, IRONILLY, THEY MET ON SUNDAY NIGHTS THE MANHATTAN BASEMENT OF CHURCH OF THE HOLY APOSTL. ADVERTISEMENT NOTWHSTANDG THE RANR OM WH AND WHOUT THE MOVEMENT, JUNE OF 1970, PERRY -FOUND A LOS ANGEL PARA TO ADVANCE THE STONEWALL LEGACY. CALLED CHRISTOPHER STREET WT, HONOR OF WHAT HAPPENED ON CHRISTOPHER STREET GREENWICH VILLAGE THAT PREV JUNE, WAS THE FIRST “PRI PARA,” WH STREET CLOSUR AND A CY-SANCTNED ROUTE, AMERIN HISTORY.AN TIMATED 2,000 PEOPLE, ACRDG TO PERRY, DROVE THEIR FLOATS AND WALKED THEIR PETS DOWN HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD. THAT SAME WEEKEND, SEVERAL THOAND HOMOSEXUALS MARCHED TO CENTRAL PARK TO CELEBRATE “CHRISTOPHER STREET LIBERATN DAY”; ONE ACTIVIST ATTTED TO THE NEW YORK TIM THAT GAYS HAVE “GAED A NEW PRI.” GAY GROUPS CHIGO AND SAN FRANCIS, WHERE MCC MISSNS HAD TAKEN HOLD, ALSO HELD PUBLIC MONSTRATNS. IT WAS A MOMENT OF UNN FOR A NASCENT MOVEMENT, WHICH THE RELIG AND IRRELIG TOOK PART. CONTENTLY, PECIALLY FOR GAY LIBERATNISTS OPPOSED TO BOTH MATRIMONY AND MONOGAMY, TROY PERRY PERFORMED WHAT TIME MAGAZE SCRIBED AS THE FIRST PUBLIC SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CEREMONY—LLED A “HOLY UNN”— THE UNED STAT MERE MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST MCC SERVICE. BY 1969, AN MCC HOLY UNN WOULD BEE THE BASIS OF OUR NATN’S FIRST LAWSU SEEKG LEGAL REGNN OF A SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, AND 1971 LIFE MAGAZE VOTED AN ARTICLE TO HOMOSEXUAL RELIGN THAT CLARED, “PERRY IS WILLG TO ‘MARRY’ HOMOSEXUAL UPL, THOUGH THE MARRIAG ARE NOT REGNIZED AS LEGAL BY EXISTG LAWS ANY STATE.” BY 1972, THE MCC HAD BLOSSOMED TO 24 NGREGATNS AND MISSNS, CLUDG ONE LONDON, AND TROY PERRY, WH HIS TRAMARK SIBURNS AND PK CLERIL LLAR, HAD BEE A REGULAR MEDIA PRENCE—PERHAPS THE MOST REGNIZABLE GAY FACE THE WORLD. SUCH ATTENTN, OF URSE, PROVOKED BACKLASH. 1973 WOULD BE A YEAR OF FIRE FOR THE MCC FAHFUL. ADVERTISEMENT “WE WERE SORELY TRIED BY THE TORCH,” PERRY OBSERVED HIS ANNUAL STATE OF THE CHURCH REPORT. FIRST LATE JANUARY, AN “TENTNAL FIRE OF SPIC ORIG” STROYED THE MCC MOTHER CHURCH LOS ANGEL. IN MARCH, THE MCC OF NASHVILLE WENT UP FLAM, AGA WH ARSON SPECTED. (MCC CHURCH ARE STILL TARGETS; AS THE DURANGO HERALD REPORTED, EARLIER AUGT THE ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXI, MCC WAS VANDALIZED, LEADG TO HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS REPAIRS.) “DEVASTATGLY, THE BLAZE ALSO GUTTED THE RANKS OF LOL MCC LEARSHIP, CLUDG A AN NAMED MCH MCHELL AND A PASTOR NAMED BILL LARSON, WHOSE CHARRED BODY WAS LEFT ON DISPLAY A STREET-FACG WDOW FOR AT LEAST FOUR HOURS” THEN ON JUNE 24, 1973, FIRE EVISCERATED THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE, A SEND-STORY GAY BAR NEW ORLEANS WH CLOSE TI TO THE LOL MCC NGREGATN. THIS TENTNALLY SET BLAZE CLAIMED THE LIV OF 32 PATRONS, CLUDG ONE THIRD OF THE MCC OF NEW ORLEANS MEMBERSHIP. IT WAS THE ADLIT FIRE ON RERD NEW ORLEANS HISTORY AND THE LARGT MASS KILLG OF HOMOSEXUALS U.S. HISTORY—A RERD THAT WOULD STAND FOR 43 YEARS. DEVASTATGLY, THE BLAZE ALSO GUTTED THE RANKS OF LOL MCC LEARSHIP, CLUDG A AN NAMED MCH MCHELL AND A PASTOR NAMED BILL LARSON, WHOSE CHARRED BODY WAS LEFT ON DISPLAY A STREET-FACG WDOW FOR AT LEAST FOUR HOURS. LARSON HAD BEEN NEW ORLEANS’ ONLY “OUT” GAY PUBLIC FIGURE AT THE TIME OF THE FERNO, A CY WHERE GAY LEARS STILL ED NICKNAM OR PSDONYMS TO AVOID LEGAL AND PROFSNAL BLOWBACK FOR THEIR PRIVATE LIFTYL. SOME LOL GAYS TOOK THE TREATMENT OF LARSON’S CHARRED RPSE TO BE A WARNG OM THORI: STAY HIDN. TROY PERRY, LEADG LOS ANGEL PRI CELEBRATNS ON SANTA MONI STATE BEACH, WAS ALERTED TO THE CRISIS NEW ORLEANS WH MUT BY A NATNAL TELEPHONE WORK. ADVERTISEMENT PERRY SENSED WHAT HE LATER SCRIBED AS A “VACUUM OF GAY LEARSHIP THAT NEED TO BE FILLED.” PERRY RALLIED A BIASTAL LEGATN OF MCC MISTERS AND GAY LIBERATN LEARS, CLUDG GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE (GAA) AFFILIATE MORTY MANFORD AND GAY COMMUNY SERVIC CENTER OF LOS ANGEL PRINT MORRIS KIGHT. THEY FLEW TO NEW ORLEANS THE FOLLOWG MORNG TO MANAGE THE EMERGENCY. THE EFFORTS WOULD REPRENT GAY LIBERATN’S FIRST NATNALLY ORDATED RPONSE TO A TASTROPHE. THE NEW ORLEANS EMERGENCY TASK FORCE, AS MORRIS KIGHT DUBBED THEIR LEGATN, ALSO ANIZED GAY LIBERATN’S FIRST NATNAL FUNDRAISG DRIVE TO HELP THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE VICTIMS.ADMISTERED BY THE ADVOTE, THIS FUND RAISED SOME $17,000 (OR ABOUT $100,000, MORN SPENDG PACY) TO HELP PAY FOR FUNERALS AND SURGERI. MANFORD TOURED THE UNTRY SPREADG WORD OF THE ARSON TO GAY MUNI DENVER, CHIGO, PHILALPHIA AND WASHGTON, D.C.ADDNALLY, THE TASK FORCE ORDATED WH THE AMERIN RED CROSS TO SPEARHEAD WHAT WAS THEN MOST SUCCSFUL BLOOD DRIVE THE HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT (PRR TO AIDS, BLOOD DRIV WERE A MON RPONSE TO QUEER CRIS); GAY MUNI DONATED ENOUGH BLOOD TO THE “NEW ORLEANS CATASTROPHE” ACUNT TO PROVI A “BLOOD BANK CRED” FOR SEVERAL YEARS. STUNNED BY THE LACK OF CROSS-GENR SOLIDARY BETWEEN GAYS AND LBIANS FOLLOWG THE UP STAIRS LOUNGE TASTROPHE (FOR EXAMPLE, NO DGHTERS OF BILIS GROUPS SENT CHECKS TO THE MEMORIAL FUND), TROY PERRY SENSED A LGERG DIVISN BETWEEN THE SEX. ADVERTISEMENT “THERE IS SEXISM AMONG GAY MAL AND LBIANS JT AS THERE IS SEXISM THE NON-GAY POPULATN,” PERRY LATER WROTE HIS TOBGRAPHY DON’T BE AAID ANYMORE. “GAY MALE SEXISM, AN OMNIPRENT ISSUE OM THE EARLIT DAYS OF THE GLF, CREASGLY BEME THE E OF BTER ACCATN,” AGREED HISTORIAN MART DUBERMAN.SEIZG UPON THE LSONS AND FAILUR OF THE NEW ORLEANS EMERGENCY TASK FORCE, PERRY ENACTED FOUNDATNAL CHANG TO HIS MCC FELLOWSHIP THAT SEPTEMBER. “WOMEN CLERGY WERE NOT ONLY A RARY THE GENERAL POPULATN, THEY WERE NONEXISTENT OUR NOMATN,” PERRY NTUED. CHURCH BYLAWS WERE REWRTEN FOR GENR-CLIVE LANGUAGE, AND REVEREND FREDA SMH, WHO 1972 BEME FIRST FEMALE MISTER MCC HISTORY, WAS ELECTED TO SERVE ON THE MCC BOARD OF ELRS—THE FIRST WOMAN THAT CHURCH BODY. MANY HISTORIANS TAKE THE PRENCE OF LBIAN SPEAKERS LIKE AUDRE LOR ALONGSI GAY SPEAKERS LIKE TROY PERRY AT 1979’S NATNAL MARCH ON WASHGTON FOR LBIAN AND GAY RIGHTS TO BE A NATURAL EXPRSN OF THE GAY MOVEMENT, FETTG THAT GAY AND LBIAN MUNI WERE ISOLATED A EARLIER. “THE ACUNTS OF GAY WRERS, HISTORIANS, AND SCHOLARS HAVE EMPHASIZED THE SWEATY POLIL STGGL THE STREETS THE 1970S, RATHER THAN THE RADIL PH BY GAY PEOPLE OF FAH” THE TWO GROUPS ONLY UNED THROUGH NCERTED ACTS OF OUTREACH LIKE TROY PERRY’S REFORMS WH THE MCC OR LAMBDA LEGAL’S PROTRACTED SEARCH FOR LBIAN LAWYERS WILLG TO ASSOCIATE WH A GAY ANIZATN THAT SAME YEAR. ADVERTISEMENT YET, AS HISTORIAN JIM DOWNS WR, “THE ACUNTS OF GAY WRERS, HISTORIANS, AND SCHOLARS HAVE EMPHASIZED THE SWEATY POLIL STGGL THE STREETS THE 1970S, RATHER THAN THE RADIL PH BY GAY PEOPLE OF FAH.” HOW IS THAT A FOUNR OF THE FIRST PRI PARA, A RGLEAR OF GAY LIBERATN’S FIRST EMERGENCY TASK FORCE, A SPEAKER AT THE FIRST LGBT+ MARCH ON WASHGTON AND THE OFFICIANT OF THE FIRST PUBLIC SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CEREMONI THE U.S. IS LARGELY UNKNOWN TO LGBT+ AMERINS?FURTHERMORE, A RADIL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP THAT PLAYED A LEADG ROLE TABLISHG WHAT MANY NOW LL “PRI” THROUGH MARRIAGE CEREMONI, PUBLIC PROTTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS RALLI—WHICH RULTED AT LEAST 26 DOCUMENTED STANC OF ARSON OR FIRE-BOMBG BETWEEN 1973 AND 1997 AFFECTG NEARLY ONE TEN MCC NGREGATNS—HAS GONE UNR-CREDED.“FALLY, THE GLBT MUNY IS WAKG UP AND REALIZG HOW WE IMPORTANT WE ARE TO THE HISTORY OF THIS MOVEMENT,” PERRY SISTED A RECENT SERMON. “WE WERE PREGNANT WH STONEWALL!” TODAY, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE MCC AND S LEGACY REMAS UNR-APPRECIATED, EVEN TO AFICNADOS OF LGBT+ CULTURE, SPEAKS TO THE GREE TO WHICH AN STUTN THAT ONCE STOOD THE VANGUARD OF EARLY GAY LIBERATN HAS BEEN SILED AND LEFT OUT OF HISTORY BOOKS. “IF GLF OR GAA DID HARBOR A FEW MEMBERS ATTRACTED TO A RELIG FAH, THEY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO ANNOUNCE THE FACT” ADVERTISEMENT “MANY OF THE EARLY CHRONICLERS OF GAY LIBERATN ME OM THE POLIL LEFT AND NSIRED RELIGN PATRIARCHAL, HIERARCHIL, AND THE ROOT OF GAY OPPRSN,” ARGUED HISTORIAN JIM DOWNS STAND BY ME: THE FOTTEN HISTORY OF GAY LIBERATN. “GLF AND GAA WERE THE ‘LIBERATN STGGLE,’” UNTERED HISTORIAN MART DUBERMAN HAS THE GAY MOVEMENT FAILED?, DRAWG AN EXCLNARY LE THAT PLAC NTEMPORANEO RELIG GROUPS OUTSI THE FOLD.“IF GLF OR GAA DID HARBOR A FEW MEMBERS ATTRACTED TO A RELIG FAH,” DUBERMAN NTUED, “THEY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO ANNOUNCE THE FACT.” THE ANTI-RELIGN BIAS PERSISTED FOR S. AN MCC OF NEW ORLEANS MISTER NAMED DEXTER BRECHT CRICIZED THE ADVOTE 1994 FOR WHAT HE LLED “CHRISTOPHOBIA” THEIR LACK OF VERAGE OF THE MCC’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY. “GET WH THE TE SPIR OF PRI AND CELEBRATE WHO WE ARE,” BRECHT BEECHED. AT WORLDPRI 2019 NEW YORK CY, AN TIMATED 150,000 PEOPLE MARCHED A PARA ROUTE THAT STREAMED PAST THE SE OF THE HISTORIC STONEWALL INN ON CHRISTOPHER STREET—GENUFLECTG AT WHAT IS NOW REGARD AS AN DISPUTABLE TURNG POT MORN HISTORY. BY NTRAST, THE UNIVERSAL FELLOWSHIP OF METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH OBSERVED S 50TH YEAR OF MISTRY THIS JULY NOT WH THE FANFARE OF WORLDPRI/STONEWALL 50 BUT WH A PRIVATE NCLAVE OF ABOUT 900 MISTERS AND SUPPORTERS ORLANDO. (ALTHOUGH THE MCC 50TH ANNIVERSARY FORMALLY TOOK PLACE OCTOBER 2018, GLOBAL CELEBRATNS WERE LAYED UNTIL THE CHURCH BODY MET GENERAL CONFERENCE, WHICH OCCURS EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS.) ADVERTISEMENT TODAY, THE MCC BOASTS 172 AFFILIATED CHURCH AND 46 EMERGG MISTRI ACROSS 33 UNTRI. MORE THAN HALF OF MCC CLERGY ARE WOMEN, AND ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF MCC NGREGATNS RI OUTSI THE UNED STAT.RETURNG TO HIS HOME STATE OF FLORIDA, A STATE OM WHICH HE ONCE FLED AFTER BEG EXPELLED BY HIS LOL MISTRY FOR HIS HOMOSEXUAL “SS,” TROY PERRY GAVE AN OPENG ADDRS THAT REGNIZED HIS TWO BROTHERS THE DIENCE. “WHEN GOD SPEAKS THROUGH YOU FOR 50 YEARS,” PERRY PREACHED, “ ONT OF TELEVISN MERAS, MAGAZE ARTICL, BOOKS, EVERYWHERE FOR 50 YEARS, I HAVE NOT CHANGED MY TTIMONY.”  FROM JULY 1 THROUGH 5, MERE OM THE SE OF THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTG, THE MCC FAHFUL MET TO ELECT NEW LEARSHIP AND NDUCT THE 27TH GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE WORLD’S LARGT QUEER-FOUND, QUEER-LED CHRISTIAN NOMATN. “THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MCC AND ANY OTHER CHURCH IS, FIRSTLY, WAS BUILT BY FOR ,” TONED MCC REVEREND ELR CECILIA EGGLTON, WHO BEME ELEVATED ORLANDO TO THE ROLE OF MORATOR, OR CHIEF MISTER OF THE GLOBAL NGREGATN—A ROLE FED AND HELD BY TROY PERRY UNTIL HE RETIRED 2005. EGGLTON REPRENTS THE SEND FEMALE MORATOR MCC HISTORY AND THE FIRST MORATOR TO HAIL OM OUTSI THE UNED STAT, REFLECTG THE CHURCH’S EXPANDG MISSN. PRENTLY, THE LARGT MCC NGREGATN THE WORLD IS THE METROPOLAN COMMUNY CHURCH OF TORONTO, WHICH OM 2001 TO 2003 WAS A LIGANT THE URT BATTLE THAT ULTIMATELY BROUGHT ABOUT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CANADA. ADVERTISEMENT SIARLY, THROUGHOUT THE 2000S, TROY PERRY SUED THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO REGNIZE HIS OWN SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND, TEMPORARILY, WON THAT REGNN MAY 2008, ONLY TO HAVE HIS VICTORY STCK DOWN BY THE FAMO PROPOSN 8 BALLOT IATIVE. “THERE ARE SOME FOLK WHO SAY THE MCC HAS DONE S WORK WELL AND FAHFULLY, AND MAYBE ’S TIME FOR TO GO GENTLY TO THE BACKGROUND. THAT’S JT NOT GOG TO HAPPEN” THE MCC HAD, FACT, TIED SELF SO CLOSELY TO THE ISSUE OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, SCE THE FIRST HOLY UNN 1968, THAT WHEN SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BEME REGNIZED FERALLY 2015 BY THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, SOME WH THE RANKS WONRED IF THEIR CHURCH HAD SERVED S PURPOSE. “THERE ARE SOME FOLK WHO SAY THE MCC HAS DONE S WORK WELL AND FAHFULLY, AND MAYBE ’S TIME FOR TO GO GENTLY TO THE BACKGROUND,” REFLECTED EGGLTON. “THAT’S JT NOT GOG TO HAPPEN,” SHE NTUED. “YOU’VE GOT THIS GIGANTIC PHBACK OM ALL SORTS OF CHURCH WANTG TO CSH ANY POSSIBILY OF SOMEONE THE QUEER MUNY BEG SEEN AS SOMEONE WH A SPIRUAL LIFE, SOMEONE WHO POSSIBLY ULD BE OF TERT TO GOD.” IN 2019, FOR EXAMPLE, THE UNED METHODIST CHURCH, THE THIRD LARGT CHRISTIAN NOMATN THE WORLD, VOTED TO PROHIB THE ORDATN OF LGBT+ CLERGY AND THE OFFICIATN OF SAME-SEX MARRIAG. SIARLY, THE EVANGELIL COVENANT CHURCH EXPELLED THE FIRST COVENANT CHURCH OF MNEAPOLIS OM THEIR NOMATN FOR SUPPORTG THE LGBT+ MUNY, AND A CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL INDIANAPOLIS WAS FORCED TO FIRE A GAY TEACHER TO REMA S LOL ARCHDCE. ADVERTISEMENT GLOBALLY, EGGLTON NOT WH IRONY, “RELIG LIBERTY” MOVEMENTS ARE ON THE RISE TO RE-LEGIMIZE DISCRIMATN THROUGH THE IMPOSN OF CERTA KDS OF RELIGN OVER OTHERS, IGNORG THE NTRARY GOSPEL OF CHURCH LIKE THE MCC OR THE BELIEFS OF THE IRRELIG. SHE FEELS THAT THE IATIV N ONLY BE FEATED OM WH AND WHOUT CHRISTIANY, THROUGH ORDATED OPPOSN. “SOME AREN’T OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER,” SHE SAYS, “BUT WHEN THE BERL WALL ME DOWN, WAS TORN DOWN OM BOTH SIS.”  EGGLTON STAT THAT HER CHURCH TENDS TO FIGHT ONGOG PERSECUTN AND EXPAND TO REGNS OF GREATT NEED, WHERE QUEER PEOPLE ARE MOST IMPERILLED. SHE C A SISTERHOOD OF TRANSGENR WOMEN WHO RECENTLY JOED THE GOOD HOPE MCC AFTER YEARS OF LIVG BENEATH A BRIDGE CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AI, AS AN EXEMPLAR OF THE NEW MCC MISTRY. “WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE DOG THE NEXT 50 YEARS?” SHE REPEATEDLY ASKS HER FLOCK. INUNDATED WH FUTURE PLANS, MCC LEARS STILL FOUND TIME AT THEIR 27TH GENERAL CONFERENCE FOR A B RI TO THE SE OF THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTG NEARBY ON S. ORANGE AVENUE. THERE, THEY BOWED THEIR HEADS AND WEPT. “OUR PEOPLE ARE STILL BEG KILLED,” EGGLTON SISTS. “AND THEY’RE BEG KILLED BEE OF WHO THEY ARE AND HOW GOD MA THEM… IF SOMEONE IS BEG TOLD THEY ARE A MISTAKE GOD’S EY, THEN WE MATTER.”  ROBERT W. FIELER

In a manner siar to midcentury Hollywood’s route steamrollg of s stars’ wayward queerns, the mastream mic prs has happily worked overtime to sanize the orientatns of s own gay celebs—om lifelong “bachelor” Aaron Copland onward—and Woolfe’s own paper is no exceptn.

GAY MUNICH

Rather than simply actg like the secrecy of high-profile gay men Manhattan was a random phenomenon, a story such as Woolfe’s uld jt as well have addrsed the mic prs’s past plicy makg homosexualy a secret the first place. Rest as an apology for past journalistic failgs, Woolfe’s article (wh s slanted “out wh the bad gay, wh the good” subtext) would then have livered an even more powerful statement than already do: The tim have changed, but so has the Tim.