Grace Cathedral in the 1960s
On 26 September 1965, thirty protestors gathered outside Grace Cathedral to picket the church’s decision to demote Rev. Robert Cromey, a prominent supporter of gay rights and one of the founding members of the Council on Religion and Homosexual. In an interview with the Religious New Service in December 1964, he had remarked that "[1 in 10 persons] happens to express love relationships with persons of the same sex. That's 70,000 homosexuals or more in San Francisco. You can't just say to them, 'We don't want to talk to you.'"[1] While the picket was unsuccessful, Grace Cathedral slowly opened up to queer influence over the coming years and by 1969, several prominent members of the congregation openly identified as gay.
[1] Quoted in Out Magazine. For more on Rev. Robert Cromey's activism, see LGBTQ-RAN's profile on him.
