About ten years ago I took part in the annual Pride Parade held in Dayton, Ohio. I actually got to ride on one of the floats, because I had sprained my ankle and was walking with a cane. While I was in Ohio, I was quite involved in the LGBTQ community and enjoyed going to some of the gay bars and seeing their drag shows. At one show a drag queen came up to me and sat on my lap and performed. I was embarrassed by all the attention and didn't know what to do. My friends who accompanied me were laughing at my uncomfortable reaction, because they knew "she" was one of my favorite students, Josh. After the show "she" came up to me and revealed himself. I was absolutely blown away by his elaborate dress and makeup, which were obviously so good that they made him unrecognizable.
My involvement in the gay community began when I was an instructor at Sinclair Community College in Dayton. Several of my students were gay and a couple of them were transgender. They told me horror stories of how they were treated and one told me the sad story of how he was rejected by his parents and thrown out of his home. The students expressed a desire to have a gay community on campus, so several of us instructors got together and founded Brite Signal Alliance for our gay students. I was very proud to be part of this effort and was asked to be a guest speaker at their annual campus event. After that, I endeavored to participate in Pride parades and support the gay community as much as I could. I also visited a Metropolitan (gay) Church about six times and even considered becoming a member. Since moving to Nevada, I've been to a couple Pride parades and marched in one of them.
For the past few years I have been distressed because my gay brothers and sisters have not been fully accepted in the United Methodist Church (UMC). According to the Book of Discipline, gays are not allowed to be ordained nor are clergy permitted to perform gay marriages. This issue has been a hotly debated topic within our denomination and resulted in the formation of a conservative Methodist denomination called The Global Methodist Church (GMC) that regards gays as being out of step with biblical principles. Many of the GMC churches are located outside the United States, but there are some churches in the Bible Belt that are joining this new movement.
I know our church supports the gay community, which pleases me immensely and is a confirmation that this is where I belong. I am also delighted to know our church is part of the Reconciling Minstries Network, a group of people in the United Methodist Church dedicated to changing UMC policies. I will continue to support gays, lesbians, transgenders and others in their effort to be fully accepted by the UMC in all areas, including obtaining positions of ordained clergy. It is my hope that this will become a reality at the next General Conference in 2024. One way we can show our support is to become an active participant in
Pride activities. Therefore, I want to make you aware of two upcoming LGBTQ events. The first is the Gay Pride parade and celebration this Saturday beginning at 10am in Reno at Wingfield Park. Not only will there be a parade, but there will also be food, booths, and entertainment. I plan to attend and if you're interested in coming, let me know and we can arrange to meet. The second will be is in Truckee where they will be celebrating Gay Pride activities September 9-11. If you desire to attend, let me know and we can arrange to get together.