Solidarity Stole (Midwest Region of Presbyterians)

From the Mid-Winter Retreat of the Midwest Region of Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns
Rochester, Indiana
March 1-3, 1996

Signatures on Reverse side

(Note: A “solidarity stole” is one that is covered with the signatures of both gay and straight members of a congregation, denominational governing body, or other organization.  These stoles serve the dual purpose of showing support for LGBT persons, while also protecting their anonymity by including their names as "one among many".)

Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns (PLGC) was one of the predecessors to More Light Presbyterians, an organization working for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people into the full life and leadership of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

At one time PLGC held conferences in three regions: East, West and Midwest.  Although enthusiasm for these conferences soon waned in the East and West, the Midwest Region continued to have conferences and retreats regularly until PLGC's merger with the More Light Churches Network (MLCN) in 1998.  In a part of the country where LGBT Presbyterians often found themselves isolated and hundreds of miles away from a welcoming congregation, these retreats were a lifeline for LGBT folk and their families and friends.  (One gay man from rural Iowa, who attended many retreats, was fond of saying that the Gay Pride Parade in his small town was "me walking down the middle of the street to the post office.")  Over the years, the Midwest Regional Retreats became home to scores Presbyterian "exiles," and many shared that the retreats were the only point of contact of any kind that they had with the Presbyterian Church.  A significant number of PLGC's early leaders were nurtured and developed through the Regional gatherings.

Although the Midwest Retreats ended with the PLGC/MLCN merger, many still held fond memories of the support they received there.  Responding to this continued interest, More Light Presbyterians has begun forming a new generation of regional gatherings, including leadership conferences and training events, many of them in the old Midwest Region.

Martha Juillerat
Founder, Shower of Stoles Project
2006