66 20 2500 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/efccd5baab40f9f72ae3979152d977b8.jpg 492cd6331c86e94d30d239c0be5c3f5a https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/c43a1ca611fca02da90bba04db54592a.jpg 09403afa1550ad81427d323b2c10cfc6 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/231774de9873aef7eb80b1a48cc2526b.jpg ebaa9660267b03ec3c909788b223d025 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/93e8e6f19a6093d8094e979fab8a25e3.jpg 2b3c81cdaf39edee9f6b8ee267ef8b9f Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Quaker Group on Homosexuality and Other Problems of Sex Meeting held on 6th December 1959 1. Present: Anna Bidder Duncan Fairn Mervyn Parry Keith Wedmore Alastair Heron Joyce James Alfred Torrie Richard Fox Doris Eddington Stephen Thorne Apologies: Kenneth Barnes Kenneth Nicholson 2. Minutes. With two small corrections the minutes were accepted. 3. In discussion with Doris Eddington and Stephen Thorne we considered how our concern can best be brought before the Society of Friends. Comments are invited invited from Doris Eddington and Stephen Thorne. Anna Bidder says that we feel our concern is for the moral and spiritual imprisonment of the homosexual. We see as our function: (a) research, (b) the task to lay our concern before the Society of Friends. We see the possibility of (i) presenting our concern to the Meeting for Sufferings, (ii) writing to THE FRIEND, (iii) offering a speaker and offering a study-outline, which Eric Baker had suggested might be sent out by the Home Service Committee. As a group we are not liberated from existence until we have gone a further stage in making our concern known. Stephen Thorne summarised our position in approximately these terms: It is clear that the approach of the group has gone beyond the local problems of Cambridge students. It seems that the discussion has become more general and is concerned with wider issues. What is the end of the group's project? This concern extends beyond the Society of Friends. It may be right to have contact with groups from other Christian bodies with the same concerns. He was interested in the group's contact with the Marriage and Parenthood Committee, and the suggestion made by Eric Baker mentioned above. He was not sure that the Home Service Committee was the right link; he would rather think of the Marriage and Parenthood Committee and the Penal Reform Committee. He did not think it clearly advisable to link with the Temperance and Moral Welfare Committee because of its primary concern with temperance. The Marriage and Parenthood Committee seems uncertain regarding its purpose in the Society of Friends because it is a specialised committee concerned with a restricted aspect of the problems of sexual morality and finds its interpretation to the Society of Friends difficult. This is a similar problem to the one facing the group. Many of the problems are not normally seen as deriving from the religious way of life. The relationship of the group to its own meeting is an interesting test. How far could individual members of the group draw their own Meeting into contact with the group? If this is not possible, the implications for the Society of Friends have to be realised. On the periphery of the Society of Friends there is a great deal of activity which it is difficult to bring inside the Society. Possibly through THE FRIEND or better THE FRIENDS' QUARTERLY the concern could be brought to a wider group, including an invitation to a conference that would be testing the wider interest. An approach to Meeting for Sufferings is doubtful, though individual approaches have been made and produced a useful concern. It is, however, doubtful whether the concern could be brought to Meeting For Sufferings unless through the Penal Reform, Marriage and Parenthood or the Home Service Committee, or through a Quarterly Meeting. A concern brought by an individual group would probably be handed on to another group and not back to its originator. The Penal Reform Committee is weak and it is doubtful whether it could deal with the problem. Doris Eddington said that is would be advisable to get a wider contact with other groups before making an approach to the Society of Friends. Stephen Thorne considered it possible that the Overseers' Meeting at Y.M. might invite discussion on this problem. This might be one way to bring the concern to a larger group of Friends and could provide a way to suggesting to Y.M. that a further report, published by the Overseers, Penal Reform or Marriage and Parenthood Committee or by Yearly Meeting might be invited. Keith Wedmore remarked that people took a moral code for granted. We are concerned that people should revise their moral code. During the discussion it was said that toleration can be indifference. The Society needs to understand what is meant by pastoral responsibility. We need to re-capture our duty to make a contribution to our group and to people outside. Anna Bidder said that pastoral responsibility to our own members is an important duty, and equally our responsibility as modern people to those outside the Society of Friends. Stephen Thorne said that we took for granted too easily that we were concerned with prison reform as a Society of Friends. The Penal Reform Committee is disappointing. Meeting after lunch: members only were present 4. Finance. It is agreed that Keith Wedmore should approach Christopher Holdsworth, as a Trustee of the Joseph Rowntree Trust, to see whether a grant could be made from their funds towards the group's expenses. Keith Wedmore undertook a re-assessment of the contribution due from members of the group. 5. Further Plans. In discussing the suggestion made by Stephen Thorne and Doris Eddington, most members felt a difficulty in approaching their own Meetings directly. The Penal Reform Committee does not appear to have a strong impact on the Society, but we feel it should be approached. We agreed on the following programme: (i) We ask A.B. to invite two members of the FTU to attend our next meeting on January 31st. (ii) We invite two members of the Penal Reform Committee on March 6th. (iii) To hold further meetings on May 1st or 8th and in July and September. We also note that the FTU is organising a conference in April to which it might be right to send representatives. The letter to headmasters was considered as a basis of approach to these bodies. We feel it necessary to have a group judgment to offer these groups. We agree to change our name to "A Quaker Group..." [section missing] ...of Friends about the social problems of sex and we feel that unless this is recognised the consequences to the spiritual life of the Society can become very serious. We feel that the time is right to start preparing a draft for the FRIENDS QUARTERLY EXAMINER. We ask Duncan Fairn and Richard Fox to collaborate in making a draft which Alastair Heron will edit, to be submitted to us for general but not detailed criticism at our next meeting or when ready. Our next meeting will be on Sunday, January 31st at 10.30 a.m. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Meeting Minutes, 6 Dec 1959 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Keith Wedmore Papers Description An account of the resource Group discusses next steps with Stephen Thorne and Doris Eddington from Society of Friends; affirmed that what they have learned goes beyond Young Friends and perhaps even the Society; takes first step to draft a statement of concern to publish. https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/102cb16322df05030b8fb7d39879f100.jpg 5cb3aaf11f496a49f830387c86ea9bd5 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/a45be4e44fd779caba6908943f61d1d5.jpg dd3be6ed11d76e238557a0702a51a086 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/370b7094753b551dcb35244f70f2230c.jpg dd36ce9913b9f4bebe6752d2a5a1cf23 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Meeting Minutes, 6 March 1960 Description An account of the resource Committee agreed to produce a lengthy informative pamphlet, a first draft to be reviewed at the June conference. Group reviewed agenda for the conference as well as whom to invite. Draft of letter to The Friend circulated for comments. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Keith Wedmore Papers https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/cbe9043fa7ad2e28de15a80f0838e837.jpg 76ba06a6aa5acd5d24c1826dedb1a6b7 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/2489aa4ef98b82e76e76225ca4336414.jpg 03739a98834810fe7db99c35bd30fff4 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/71c6cc6205b8b0fc244c9e3910e68298.jpg ad8d1fb4c3b527c0fc245d5e0936da3f https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/1b7b08e6efb46595c846d410e52c6d3a.jpg c92e434b456ad18141376574aa84ade2 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/95a13cf29924aeb5d54d6d577da1adb5.jpg 39f161a03ad1a03053a342f827f10e40 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document The Quaker Group on Homosexuality and Other Problems of Sex Meeting held 6th September 1959 at the University Women's Club, 2 Audley Square, London W.1. Members present: Kenneth Barnes Kenneth Nicholson Lotte Rosenberg Alfred Torrie Anna Bidder Apologies for absence: Alastair Heron Mervyn Parry Richard Fox Keith Wedmore Duncan Fairn 1. The minutes were approved. 2. The attached letter from Stephen Thorne was read. It was agreed to send him and Doris Eddington the file of our minutes for meetings held in 1959. The hope was expressed by all that these two Friends would feel able to meet with us in October or, failing that, in December, and that they would be able to share the whole day with us so as to join in our Meeting for Worship. It should be pointed out that minutes represent the course of our thinking, not joint decision, and that any generalities must be misleading. 3. Dates of Meetings It was felt that the three month gap which had elapsed since our last meeting was too long and should be avoided next year. It was agreed that we should try at our October meeting to fix the dates for next year. 4. Chairman Anna Bidder announced that she expected to be out of England on a Sabbatical Year from the end of August 1960 to July 1961 so that a change of chairman would be necessary during the coming year. 5. Approach to Society of Friends: We recalled our minutes of 3.5.59. It was re-emphasized that, when we seek to lay our concern before the Society of Friends, we do not offer a revised moral code, nor "Findings"--we would present ourselves as a research group and lay before the Society some of the questions which have presented themselves to us as challenges. We might even cast these in a form suitable for study groups of concerned Friends up and down the country. It will probably seem right to put first before Friends our initial concern for the problems of young people and for the male homosexual imprisoned by ostracism and the present legal position. We have many times agreed that these factors make it easy for a young man with homosexual tendencies to become embedded in a homosexual society, and hard for him to once so entangled to extricate himself. It is important to recognise that homosexuality can be a real and bitter problem to men and women of high integrity leading good Christian lives. We believe that Friends will respond with a liberal sympathy to this problem and that lack of knowledge is the chief problem in this field. We should then make it clear that considering these problems has led us to wider consideration of problems of sexual morality. We have learnt to seek an approach to all human action that assesses it in the light of the will of God rather than in the light of man-made codes: "Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees..." We are told that Friends who are parents of adolescents are likely to welcome the opportunity to discuss general problems of the Christian attitude towards sexual morality. We note that the Society has not to our knowledge reconsidered its attitude towards these for many decades, although implications of many other social problems have been often under discussion. We should present the problems as one of human relationships and have the greatest tenderness towards the minority in the Society who have a restricted view on problems of sex. 6. Our afternoon session has been devoted to the questions posed at the end of our last meeting on the value of the homosexual to society, and to a comparison of male and female homosexuality. 7. With regard to the first, we find it impossible to make any answer, since we are made increasingly aware of the immense number of different human situations and problems covered by the term "homosexual". Many artists--actors, dancers and musicians--are homosexuals, but this may not always be due to the same cause, but to either temperament, upbringing or "fashion" in a particular circle. Any fine relationship of affection is of benefit to society, whatever the sex and age of the individuals concerned. We subscribe on the whole to the last clause of our minutes of last time. We have received evidence that homosexuality only very rarely is inborn. A great number of varieties of relationship are lumped under the name homosexuality. We should avoid anything that makes a person into a homosexual. In the creation God planned male and female. In the ideal society we should not wish to have 100% homosexuals or 100% heterosexuals, either would be a weakness and not an asset because they would be limited as personalities and in their personal contribution to society. Whatever a person has within him, whatever tendencies and limitations, something good can come from it by the grace of God, but that does not imply that God had planned it. 8. We have received a long document giving the outlook of a pair of women homosexuals and agreed that parts of this should be typed and circulated for our next meeting. We discussed the differences between male and female homosexuality. There does not seem to be group homosexuality or promiscuity amongst girls as it is observed in boys. For a woman homosexual the maternal aspect is a vital part of her relationship, She can achieve sexual satisfaction without abandoning her female role, while in the case of male homosexuals one of the partners takes on a role which is contrary to his innate being. The apparent masculinity in a woman may be a protective maternal attitude. Women often some to homosexuality later than men and after failure in heterosexual relationships. Many of these women are quite conscious of their homosexual relationships being only a second best. The male homosexual more often comes to his attitude as a first choice and at a younger age. Often he is influenced in this choice by a fear of taking the initiative with a woman, while a woman is not required to take the initiative. Summary of our discussion: We consider that homosexuality is a term that covers many human situations and relationships, and its use, therefore, may affix a label that does not take record of a person's real value. We do not believe the God planned the homosexual attitude as a specific type of human relationship and our aim should be to avoid anything that may make a person into a homosexual. The value of anybody, in our view, does not depend on him being either heterosexual or homosexual. It is important what a person does with the condition in which he finds himself placed. A difference between male and female homosexuality is noted and in many cases a woman can remain true to her female role in a homosexual relationship, while the male homosexual often has to take on a role which is not in accord with his inner being as a man. 9. We see our work now as having two streams: (a) to set down the result of our thinking up to date. (b) to continue our exploration. In the course of both we feel that subjects requiring specialist research may become defined of a kind for which we are not equipped but which others may wish to take up. Date of next meeting: Sunday, 4th October, 10:30 a.m. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Meeting Minutes, 6 Sept 1959 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Keith Wedmore Papers Description An account of the resource Bidder announced 1960-61 sabbatical requiring another chair of group; discussed approach to Friends--not to present moral code or finding, but to enable dialogue and learning; continued discussion of value of homosexuality in society and comparison of male and female homosexuality. Letter appended from two lesbians. https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/0974ee2f31da9cb817d9c8ab065cf028.jpg a1794efa3d4f77a0aa3b71af64b11b29 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/821f5cf4b49a10b7dc008b20edede3d2.jpg ae4ef787deb40d4c1e90ca3af5c72365 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/c04bbeab08e0cc0f1062c88c31cf5c93.jpg 34c6b9b3da2cc23bd6347cecb8b026d8 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Minutes of the Meeting of the Quaker Group on Homosexuality and Other Problems of Sex, held at the University Women's Club, London, W1., 7th June 1959. 1. Members present: Anna Bidder Richard Fox Kenneth Barnes Mervyn Parry Lotte Rosenberg Keith Wedmore Alastair Heron 2. Apologies received from: Duncan Fairn Alfred Torrie Kenneth Nicholson 3. Minutes: After careful revision by the group, the Minutes of the last meeting were accepted. 4. Business Arising from the Minutes: Anna Bidder reported that Elsa Harman did not feel a concern to meet with the group. Joyce James expressed great interest but was unable to meet with us before November. Marion Fairn has written resigning from the Group and informing us that Joyce James i the new Chairman of the M. & P. We invite Joyce James to become a member of the Group and to join with us in December and thereafter as often as she can. We hope that, as Chairman of M. & P. she will keep us in touch with the work of that committee. The approach to Stephen J. Thorne and Doris Eddington has not yet been made. 5. Discussion on Homosexuality: For the purpose of discussion some categories must be defined. We recognise that these are to some extent arbitrary since grades of homosexuality from a continuous series from 100% heterosexual to 100% homosexual. We find two bases of classification: (a) Personality (b) Behaviour We note that homosexual behaviour does not invariably indicated that the person is a real homosexual and as such incurable. Nor is apparently heterosexual behaviour always an indication of 100% heterosexual leanings. Outward behaviour may be opposed to unconscious trend. It is therefore difficult to determine whether homosexual behaviour in a person is curable. We first considered situations in which homosexuality is creative: "xxxxxxxxx Eros" the importance of homosexuality in the male teacher of males (schoolmaster, college tutor). Is the value of this dependent on the absence of complete physical relationship? The teacher has a primary responsibility towards the well-being of the pupil. It is difficult to see how this can be rightly fulfilled if the teacher uses a pupil for the purpose of personal satisfaction, either intellectually, emotionally or physically, whether this is done consciously or unconsciously. This situation also applies to the relation between doctor and patient and in any situation of responsible leadership. When, between two people, a great difference of ages, experience or prestige exists, an analogous responsibility rests upon the older or more mature. All this applies equally to hetero- and homosexual relationships. In considering women teachers, we find that the parental impulse may be so strong that the homosexual side is less important, but we find that parental impulse can also be a valuable factor in men teachers. We find it difficult to distinguish between the maternal or paternal, or to be certain what is the relation between parental and homosexual feelings--we feel this problem calls for further study by us. We see that the relation will be affected by the gender and temperament of the individual and by the social pressure of the environment. In considering the teacher-pupil relationship we recognise a different emotional climate as between younger teen-age boys and girls, and consider that the emotional disturbance of this period is more over in girls than in boys that that freer expression has become permissible in both during the course of the last generation. This different between boys and gifts must affect the qualities most needed for teaching each. We suggest for further consideration the possibility that latent homosexual and parental feelings can each be valuable in a man teaching boys, but that latent homosexuality in a woman teaching girls may be a hindrance rather than a help and that parental feeling is here of primary value. To assist further discussion of the creative aspect of homosexuality at our next meeting, we formulate the following questions: i) do we think it is desirable that society should have some homosexuals, or is the ideal society heterosexual only? We are all agreed that the heterosexual relationship in marriage transcends in human importance any homosexual relationship. We also all accept that homosexuals have the right to loyal and permanent relationships and that these may be of creative value for themselves and for society. We agree that the heterosexual partnership has qualities which are not to be found in the homosexual and we ask ourselves ii) What is the difference between a homosexual and heterosexual partnership, when there is an intention of permanence in each case? Has the homosexual partnership also something to offer which the heterosexual cannot offer? iii) What has the homosexual individual to offer society? Are homosexuals a good element which should exist in an ideal society, or is their best value to society the result of God's redemptive power working in a situation which is basically no ideal? We hope members of the Groups will be able to give some thought to these problems before our next meeting on September 6th. The meeting will be held at the University Women's Club, 2 Audley Square, W.1. (signed) Anna Bidder P.S. The name and address of Kenneth Nicholson was omitted on the list of members: Kenneth Nicholson, Robins Acre, Saffron Walden, Essex. Tel: Saffron Walden 2122. The address of new member, Joyce James, will be given later. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Meeting Minutes, 7 June 1959 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Keith Wedmore Papers Description An account of the resource Group discussed invitations to join the group (Joyce James added); discussed what known and understood about homosexuality and when it might be creative; affirmed higher value of heterosexual partnerships and asked what value can be seen in homosexual relationships. https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/75dbd559ae63ff664e5a6ec72ae558f4.jpg 30846cc38d02f454265ea67a029a5bed Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Meeting Minutes, 9 October, 1960 Description An account of the resource Group spent most of this meeting reviewing amended sections of the draft report. Kenneth Barnes brought an invitation for a television appearance which the group decided to postpone until after the report is published. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Keith Wedmore Papers https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/8f3b5a89fa10da1532cbc2f6ebafbccf.png b9e42d6cd7e52cd5d68c5bd365d46bf3 YouTube Video A video hosted on YouTube. Embed Code The html embed codes for this object. <iframe width="600" height="337" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-cprH0dDvEk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Meetings with Invited Guests: Call 1 of 7 Meetings with Invited RTSA Guests https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/349216bebdd4f39ce0e6d8803f9efda0.png fc0fdee170d514ac0927505d1cadb14d YouTube Video A video hosted on YouTube. Embed Code The html embed codes for this object. <iframe width="600" height="337" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6OFjTYqWxTc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Meetings with Invited Guests: Call 2 of 7 YouTube Video A video hosted on YouTube. Embed Code The html embed codes for this object. <iframe width="600" height="337" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cty55kmqrdA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Meetings with Invited Guests: Call 3 of 7 YouTube Video A video hosted on YouTube. Embed Code The html embed codes for this object. <iframe width="600" height="337" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KZlSCCzmubg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Meetings with Invited Guests: Call 4 of 7 YouTube Video A video hosted on YouTube. Embed Code The html embed codes for this object. <iframe width="600" height="337" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RxRct1FtmMQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Meetings with Invited Guests: Call 5 of 7 YouTube Video A video hosted on YouTube. Embed Code The html embed codes for this object. <iframe width="600" height="337" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TowHBD73Jzc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Meetings with Invited Guests: Call 6 of 7 YouTube Video A video hosted on YouTube. Embed Code The html embed codes for this object. <iframe width="600" height="337" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VPRJvaf4Sqk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Meetings with Invited Guests: Call 7 of 7 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/9f71890287ed9521506cbf9760c55bb2.jpg a5b8bd1e64097e33308d989b0054a9d9 Person An individual. Text Any textual data included in the document Rev. Megan M. Rohrer is a transgender and gay pastor, activist, and passionate leader in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Megan was born April 3, 1980 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Megan’s family was Lutheran and the most important church services for them were in their grandmother’s home. The church Megan’s family attended, St. Paul Lutheran, had a female pastor that the congregation assumed was a lesbian (although she did not openly identify as lesbian publicly). As a young adult in high school, Megan was involved in the church youth group and was strongly encouraged to pursue ministry. Another individual in the church outed Megan as gay to the youth director and the church kicked Megan out of the congregation. In 1998 Megan graduated from high school and enrolled in Augustana College, a private Evangelical Lutheran school in South Dakota, to study religion. In 1999, while serving as president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Augustana, Megan held a screening of the movie, “Call To Witness,” a documentary that serves to educate the ELCA on the struggles and experiences of LGBT members and leaders. Megan organized a forum along with the screening that was attended by several people from the documentary, including Pam Walton and Jeff Johnson. In reaction to the screening other students became violent and aggressive towards Megan and the guests of the forum. They said they would hang gay people from the goal posts on the athletic field, and would bang on Megan’s door at night threatening to rape them straight. When Megan went to class other students would sing hymns or throw holy water on Megan to, “heal”, them. Megan moved off of campus and graduated in 2001. The campus pastor at Augustana encouraged Megan to pursue the candidacy process in the ELCA. The local Synod office offered for Megan to meet several celibate gay and lesbian pastors to discern whether Megan could be celibate and pursue ordination. Megan did not want to lie in order to pursue candidacy and did not like being coached to navigate questions around sexuality in the candidacy interview. Megan decided to pause the ordination process and worked for a year in social work at a children’s shelter. One child in the shelter who was six years old and had attempted suicide twelve times told Megan that he was trying to kill himself before he became so bad that he would go to hell. In this moment Megan realized that they wanted to become a pastor in the Lutheran church so that kids could hear a different message from the pulpit. In 2002, Megan began seminary at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California. Megan also took a position as director of a ministry to homeless persons, Welcome Ministry housed in Old First Presbyterian Church, San Francisco. She continues to serve that ministry. While at PLTS Megan was one of a few openly gay seminarians and witnessed many people being closeted as a result of church policy, social stigma, or intersecting issues such as document and visa status. Megan decided to transfer to the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California in 2004. At this time 70% of PSR’s student body identified as LGBTQIA which felt like a stronger community for Megan to be studying within. Megan was one of the pastors to participate in the extraordinary candidacy process in the ECLA. Megan was ordained in 2006 and was the first person to openly identify as transgender in this candidacy process. During this time the ECLA expelled and censured several congregations in San Francisco for participating in the extraordinary candidacy process to ordain, affirm, or call LGBTQ pastors. In 2009, Megan attended the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis and slept on the streets to raise awareness of experiences of homelessness. Megan spoke to the Assembly about how many homeless youth had come to San Francisco to escape religious persecution in their towns of origin. Erma Wolf, the founder of Word Alone (an anti-gay organization), approached Megan at the Assembly. Erma told Megan that if the church focused on ministries such as Megan’s, it would be going in the right direction. She asked to pray together and Megan agreed, even though they were both aware that they would be praying for conflicting outcomes on the Assembly’s vote on LGBT issues. Megan recalls that day with because right after the assembly voted to change policy to include LGBTQ pastors by a vote of 66.6 percent, the building was also hit by a tornado. After the Assembly Megan and Erma were invited to collaborate on a blog together and reflect and respond to the changes in the church. The wider church felt that their collaboration would be a prime example of how to relate and stay united through difference and disagreement. In 2010, the Council of U.S Bishops created a Rite of Reconciliation to address the situation of pastors who had been barred prior to the change in policy. This rite served to receive and reinstall pastors to the ECLA roster. On July 25, 2010 Megan and six others were officially received and reinstated to the ELCA roster at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco—150 clergy presided, 900 people attended with 700 more on live-stream. Ironically, St. Mark’s had been the site of the 1990 trial that had expelled and censured congregations who had called openly and non-celibate LGBT pastors. From 2010 onward, Megan has helped lead several different ministries and social justice projects. This includes the Urban Share Community Gardening Project, the Free Farm to produce local vegetables to residents in S.F, the Growing Home Community Garden, and the Community of Travelers (a spiritual theological group at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, SF). She co-edited the book Letters for My Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect (2011) with Zander Keig. Megan has also helped write and coordinate several services that incorporate contemporary music including Masses centered on the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, and 80’s music. In 2014, Megan was installed as pastor at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of San Francisco. Megan describes this congregation as a wonderful place to heal and one of the most welcoming communities they have ever been a part of. Megan intends to continue working with this congregation, as well as begin several projects that address the experiences and needs of transgender seminarians in the ECLA. (This biographical statement written by Sonny Duncan from an interview with Rev. Megan Roher.) Biographical Text Rev. Megan M. Rohrer is a transgender and gay pastor, activist, and passionate leader in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Megan was born April 3, 1980 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Megan’s family was Lutheran and the most important church services for them were in their grandmother’s home. The church Megan’s family attended, St. Paul Lutheran, had a female pastor that the congregation assumed was a lesbian (although she did not openly identify as lesbian publicly). As a young adult in high school, Megan was involved in the church youth group and was strongly encouraged to pursue ministry. Another individual in the church outed Megan as gay to the youth director and the church kicked Megan out of the congregation. In 1998 Megan graduated from high school and enrolled in Augustana College, a private Evangelical Lutheran school in South Dakota, to study religion. In 1999, while serving as president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Augustana, Megan held a screening of the movie, “Call To Witness,” a documentary that serves to educate the ELCA on the struggles and experiences of LGBT members and leaders. Megan organized a forum along with the screening that was attended by several people from the documentary, including Pam Walton and Jeff Johnson. In reaction to the screening other students became violent and aggressive towards Megan and the guests of the forum. They said they would hang gay people from the goal posts on the athletic field, and would bang on Megan’s door at night threatening to rape them straight. When Megan went to class other students would sing hymns or throw holy water on Megan to, “heal”, them. Megan moved off of campus and graduated in 2001. The campus pastor at Augustana encouraged Megan to pursue the candidacy process in the ELCA. The local Synod office offered for Megan to meet several celibate gay and lesbian pastors to discern whether Megan could be celibate and pursue ordination. Megan did not want to lie in order to pursue candidacy and did not like being coached to navigate questions around sexuality in the candidacy interview. Megan decided to pause the ordination process and worked for a year in social work at a children’s shelter. One child in the shelter who was six years old and had attempted suicide twelve times told Megan that he was trying to kill himself before he became so bad that he would go to hell. In this moment Megan realized that they wanted to become a pastor in the Lutheran church so that kids could hear a different message from the pulpit. In 2002, Megan began seminary at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California. Megan also took a position as director of a ministry to homeless persons, Welcome Ministry housed in Old First Presbyterian Church, San Francisco. She continues to serve that ministry. While at PLTS Megan was one of a few openly gay seminarians and witnessed many people being closeted as a result of church policy, social stigma, or intersecting issues such as document and visa status. Megan decided to transfer to the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California in 2004. At this time 70% of PSR’s student body identified as LGBTQIA which felt like a stronger community for Megan to be studying within. Megan was one of the pastors to participate in the extraordinary candidacy process in the ECLA. Megan was ordained in 2006 and was the first person to openly identify as transgender in this candidacy process. During this time the ECLA expelled and censured several congregations in San Francisco for participating in the extraordinary candidacy process to ordain, affirm, or call LGBTQ pastors. In 2009, Megan attended the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis and slept on the streets to raise awareness of experiences of homelessness. Megan spoke to the Assembly about how many homeless youth had come to San Francisco to escape religious persecution in their towns of origin. Erma Wolf, the founder of Word Alone (an anti-gay organization), approached Megan at the Assembly. Erma told Megan that if the church focused on ministries such as Megan’s, it would be going in the right direction. She asked to pray together and Megan agreed, even though they were both aware that they would be praying for conflicting outcomes on the Assembly’s vote on LGBT issues. Megan recalls that day with because right after the assembly voted to change policy to include LGBTQ pastors by a vote of 66.6 percent, the building was also hit by a tornado. After the Assembly Megan and Erma were invited to collaborate on a blog together and reflect and respond to the changes in the church. The wider church felt that their collaboration would be a prime example of how to relate and stay united through difference and disagreement. In 2010, the Council of U.S Bishops created a Rite of Reconciliation to address the situation of pastors who had been barred prior to the change in policy. This rite served to receive and reinstall pastors to the ECLA roster. On July 25, 2010 Megan and six others were officially received and reinstated to the ELCA roster at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco—150 clergy presided, 900 people attended with 700 more on live-stream. Ironically, St. Mark’s had been the site of the 1990 trial that had expelled and censured congregations who had called openly and non-celibate LGBT pastors. From 2010 onward, Megan has helped lead several different ministries and social justice projects. This includes the Urban Share Community Gardening Project, the Free Farm to produce local vegetables to residents in S.F, the Growing Home Community Garden, and the Community of Travelers (a spiritual theological group at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, SF). She co-edited the book Letters for My Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect (2011) with Zander Keig. Megan has also helped write and coordinate several services that incorporate contemporary music including Masses centered on the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, and 80’s music. In 2014, Megan was installed as pastor at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of San Francisco. Megan describes this congregation as a wonderful place to heal and one of the most welcoming communities they have ever been a part of. Megan intends to continue working with this congregation, as well as begin several projects that address the experiences and needs of transgender seminarians in the ECLA. (This biographical statement written by Sonny Duncan from an interview with Rev. Megan Roher.) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Megan Rhorer ELCA Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of San Francisco. Lutheran Megan Rhorer RTSA Ecumenical Planning Team https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/f8d798748f1d5e7609529a126bf76142.jpg a5b8bd1e64097e33308d989b0054a9d9 Person An individual. Text Any textual data included in the document Rev. Megan M. Rohrer is a transgender and gay pastor, activist, and passionate leader in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  Megan was born April 3, 1980 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Megan’s family was Lutheran and the most important church services for them were in their grandmother’s home. The church Megan’s family attended, St. Paul Lutheran, had a female pastor that the congregation assumed was a lesbian (although she did not openly identify as lesbian publicly). As a young adult in high school, Megan was involved in the church youth group and was strongly encouraged to pursue ministry. Another individual in the church outed Megan as gay to the youth director and the church kicked Megan out of the congregation. In 1998 Megan graduated from high school and enrolled in Augustana College, a private Evangelical Lutheran school in South Dakota, to study religion. In 1999, while serving as president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Augustana, Megan held a screening of the movie, “Call To Witness,” a documentary that serves to educate the ELCA on the struggles and experiences of LGBT members and leaders.  Megan organized a forum along with the screening that was attended by several people from the documentary, including Pam Walton and Jeff Johnson. In reaction to the screening other students became violent and aggressive towards Megan and the guests of the forum. They said they would hang gay people from the goal posts on the athletic field, and would bang on Megan’s door at night threatening to rape them straight. When Megan went to class other students would sing hymns or throw holy water on Megan to, “heal”, them.  Megan moved off of campus and graduated in 2001. The campus pastor at Augustana encouraged Megan to pursue the candidacy process in the ELCA. The local Synod office offered for Megan to meet several celibate gay and lesbian pastors to discern whether Megan could be celibate and pursue ordination.  Megan did not want to lie in order to pursue candidacy and did not like being coached to navigate questions around sexuality in the candidacy interview. Megan decided to pause the ordination process and worked for a year in social work at a children’s shelter. One child in the shelter who was six years old and had attempted suicide twelve times told Megan that he was trying to kill himself before he became so bad that he would go to hell. In this moment Megan realized that they wanted to become a pastor in the Lutheran church so that kids could hear a different message from the pulpit. In 2002, Megan began seminary at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California. Megan also took a position as director of a ministry to homeless persons, Welcome Ministry housed in Old First Presbyterian Church, San Francisco. She continues to serve that ministry. While at PLTS Megan was one of a few openly gay seminarians and witnessed many people being closeted as a result of church policy, social stigma, or intersecting issues such as document and visa status.  Megan decided to transfer to the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California in 2004. At this time 70% of PSR’s student body identified as LGBTQIA which felt like a stronger community for Megan to be studying within. Megan was one of the pastors to participate in the extraordinary candidacy process in the ECLA. Megan was ordained in 2006 and was the first person to openly identify as transgender in this candidacy process. During this time the ECLA expelled and censured several congregations in San Francisco for participating in the extraordinary candidacy process to ordain, affirm, or call LGBTQ pastors. In 2009, Megan attended the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis and slept on the streets to raise awareness of experiences of homelessness. Megan spoke to the Assembly about how many homeless youth had come to San Francisco to escape religious persecution in their towns of origin. Erma Wolf, the founder of Word Alone (an anti-gay organization), approached Megan at the Assembly. Erma told Megan that if the church focused on ministries such as Megan’s, it would be going in the right direction. She asked to pray together and Megan agreed, even though they were both aware that they would be praying for conflicting outcomes on the Assembly’s vote on LGBT issues. Megan recalls that day with because right after the assembly voted to change policy to include LGBTQ pastors by a vote of 66.6 percent, the building was also hit by a tornado. After the Assembly Megan and Erma were invited to collaborate on a blog together and reflect and respond to the changes in the church. The wider church felt that their collaboration would be a prime example of how to relate and stay united through difference and disagreement. In 2010, the Council of U.S Bishops created a Rite of Reconciliation to address the situation of pastors who had been barred prior to the change in policy.  This rite served to receive and reinstall pastors to the ECLA roster.  On July 25, 2010 Megan and six others were officially received and reinstated to the ELCA roster at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco—150 clergy presided, 900 people attended with 700 more on live-stream. Ironically, St. Mark’s had been the site of the 1990 trial that had expelled and censured congregations who had called openly and non-celibate LGBT pastors. From 2010 onward, Megan has helped lead several different ministries and social justice projects. This includes the Urban Share Community Gardening Project, the Free Farm to produce local vegetables to residents in S.F, the Growing Home Community Garden, and the Community of Travelers (a spiritual theological group at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, SF).  She co-edited the book Letters for My Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect (2011) with Zander Keig.  Megan has also helped write and coordinate several services that incorporate contemporary music including Masses centered on the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, and 80’s music. In 2014, Megan was installed as pastor at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of San Francisco.  Megan describes this congregation as a wonderful place to heal and one of the most welcoming communities they have ever been a part of.  Megan intends to continue working with this congregation, as well as begin several projects that address the experiences and needs of transgender seminarians in the ECLA. (This biographical statement written by Sonny Duncan from an interview with Rev. Megan Roher.) Biographical Text Rev. Megan M. Rohrer is a transgender and gay pastor, activist, and passionate leader in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  Megan was born April 3, 1980 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Megan’s family was Lutheran and the most important church services for them were in their grandmother’s home. The church Megan’s family attended, St. Paul Lutheran, had a female pastor that the congregation assumed was a lesbian (although she did not openly identify as lesbian publicly). As a young adult in high school, Megan was involved in the church youth group and was strongly encouraged to pursue ministry. Another individual in the church outed Megan as gay to the youth director and the church kicked Megan out of the congregation. In 1998 Megan graduated from high school and enrolled in Augustana College, a private Evangelical Lutheran school in South Dakota, to study religion. In 1999, while serving as president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Augustana, Megan held a screening of the movie, “Call To Witness,” a documentary that serves to educate the ELCA on the struggles and experiences of LGBT members and leaders.  Megan organized a forum along with the screening that was attended by several people from the documentary, including Pam Walton and Jeff Johnson. In reaction to the screening other students became violent and aggressive towards Megan and the guests of the forum. They said they would hang gay people from the goal posts on the athletic field, and would bang on Megan’s door at night threatening to rape them straight. When Megan went to class other students would sing hymns or throw holy water on Megan to, “heal”, them.  Megan moved off of campus and graduated in 2001. The campus pastor at Augustana encouraged Megan to pursue the candidacy process in the ELCA. The local Synod office offered for Megan to meet several celibate gay and lesbian pastors to discern whether Megan could be celibate and pursue ordination.  Megan did not want to lie in order to pursue candidacy and did not like being coached to navigate questions around sexuality in the candidacy interview. Megan decided to pause the ordination process and worked for a year in social work at a children’s shelter. One child in the shelter who was six years old and had attempted suicide twelve times told Megan that he was trying to kill himself before he became so bad that he would go to hell. In this moment Megan realized that they wanted to become a pastor in the Lutheran church so that kids could hear a different message from the pulpit. In 2002, Megan began seminary at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California. Megan also took a position as director of a ministry to homeless persons, Welcome Ministry housed in Old First Presbyterian Church, San Francisco. She continues to serve that ministry. While at PLTS Megan was one of a few openly gay seminarians and witnessed many people being closeted as a result of church policy, social stigma, or intersecting issues such as document and visa status.  Megan decided to transfer to the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California in 2004. At this time 70% of PSR’s student body identified as LGBTQIA which felt like a stronger community for Megan to be studying within. Megan was one of the pastors to participate in the extraordinary candidacy process in the ECLA. Megan was ordained in 2006 and was the first person to openly identify as transgender in this candidacy process. During this time the ECLA expelled and censured several congregations in San Francisco for participating in the extraordinary candidacy process to ordain, affirm, or call LGBTQ pastors. In 2009, Megan attended the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis and slept on the streets to raise awareness of experiences of homelessness. Megan spoke to the Assembly about how many homeless youth had come to San Francisco to escape religious persecution in their towns of origin. Erma Wolf, the founder of Word Alone (an anti-gay organization), approached Megan at the Assembly. Erma told Megan that if the church focused on ministries such as Megan’s, it would be going in the right direction. She asked to pray together and Megan agreed, even though they were both aware that they would be praying for conflicting outcomes on the Assembly’s vote on LGBT issues. Megan recalls that day with because right after the assembly voted to change policy to include LGBTQ pastors by a vote of 66.6 percent, the building was also hit by a tornado. After the Assembly Megan and Erma were invited to collaborate on a blog together and reflect and respond to the changes in the church. The wider church felt that their collaboration would be a prime example of how to relate and stay united through difference and disagreement. In 2010, the Council of U.S Bishops created a Rite of Reconciliation to address the situation of pastors who had been barred prior to the change in policy.  This rite served to receive and reinstall pastors to the ECLA roster.  On July 25, 2010 Megan and six others were officially received and reinstated to the ELCA roster at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco—150 clergy presided, 900 people attended with 700 more on live-stream. Ironically, St. Mark’s had been the site of the 1990 trial that had expelled and censured congregations who had called openly and non-celibate LGBT pastors. From 2010 onward, Megan has helped lead several different ministries and social justice projects. This includes the Urban Share Community Gardening Project, the Free Farm to produce local vegetables to residents in S.F, the Growing Home Community Garden, and the Community of Travelers (a spiritual theological group at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, SF).  She co-edited the book Letters for My Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect (2011) with Zander Keig.  Megan has also helped write and coordinate several services that incorporate contemporary music including Masses centered on the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, and 80’s music. In 2014, Megan was installed as pastor at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of San Francisco.  Megan describes this congregation as a wonderful place to heal and one of the most welcoming communities they have ever been a part of.  Megan intends to continue working with this congregation, as well as begin several projects that address the experiences and needs of transgender seminarians in the ECLA. (This biographical statement written by Sonny Duncan from an interview with Rev. Megan Roher.) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Megan Rohrer Megan Rohrer https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/8154a5d335fedfe3bea0b37a38a14efb.jpg b165c1604ffd2eff6089b565eb0fb780 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/ca435187e37c881fbd7b23ea5d9a2cca.jpg 89985ecc297d3f97c526eaf8ac06bf20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. Meghan (Church of the Covenant, Boston MA) Stole Text MEGHAN Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) United Church of Christ Contribution Date 2001 Contribution Story This is one of 52 stoles donated to the Shower of Stoles collection by members and staff of Church of the Covenant. Although each of the stoles is unique, all of them are tied together by the inclusion of a piece cloth from a common bolt of blue and ivory material somewhere in the stole. Covenant is both a More Light and Open and Affirming Congregation. Their strong and public advocacy on behalf of LGBT persons in the life and leadership of the church has drawn many LBGT persons to become a part of the Covenant church family. Their 52 stoles represent the largest subset of stoles given to the collection by any one congregation. Church of the Covenant, a federated United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church, is steeped in history. Located just off the Boston Commons, the Gothic revival building erected in the mid-1800's was one of the first churches built in the Back Bay area. In the 1890's the sanctuary was completely redecorated by Tiffany Glass and Decorating Co., including the creation of an extraordinary set of Tiffany stained-glass windows and a chandelier that is said to be the first electrified light installed in a public building by Thomas Edison. Covenant's history of social justice and human rights work is equally rich. When I visited Covenant, I was intrigued to learn that the church was a designated stop along the "Boston Women's Heritage Trail." One of Covenant's members, Abbie Child, was the head of the Women's Board of Missions of the Congregational Church in the late 1800's. Another member, Dr. Elsa Meder, was one of the first women ordained as an elder in the Presbyterian Church. Elizabeth Rice and Alice Hageman, ordained in 1974 and 1975 respectively, were the first women to serve as pastors at a Back Bay church. When they were joined by Donna Day Lower, the church became the only one in the United States with three women clergy. Since opening the "Women's Lunch Place" in 1982, the church has served as a haven for poor women and their children. It is fitting, then, that one of the Tiffany windows is "Four Women of the Bible," including Miriam, Deborah, Mary of Bethany, and Dorcas. Covenant remains on the forefront of work for equality and justice, and is active in the LGBT Welcoming movement in the Boston area and beyond. Martha Juillerat Founder, Shower of Stoles Project 2006 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 771 Title A name given to the resource Meghan (Church of the Covenant, Boston MA) Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Boston, Massachusetts (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Church of the Covenant Boston Clergy Activist Feminism Massachusetts More Light Presbyterians for LGBT Concerns Open and Affirming in the UCC (ONA) Ordination Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) Theology Women and Religion https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/65d577d23311d201946b95093c18693f.jpg 9a74eb587f895684ae8e1fb4ec2515cc Person An individual. Text Any textual data included in the document Mel Soriano first came to this country as a child in 1969. Raised in a traditional Filipino Roman Catholic home, he was raised in the Chicago area before his family settled in Los Angeles. He is the product of parochial, public and--at the University of Southern California and Oxford University--private education He studied Psychobiology and Business Administration for his two stints at USC and read British History in the UK. In those days, Mel worked at the college yearbook, helped out at the One Institute Archives, did some LGBT young person support sessions in West Hollywood, did research with those who were suffering Alzheimer's and held hands with others dealing with the trauma AIDS. He started working in 1996 with a software firm that specialized in databases and web tools, which now also develops mobile apps. He converted to the Episcopal Church in 2000. He has served in All Saints Episcopal Church of Pasadena, which has the largest congregation west of the Mississippi. He sings for the church's Canterbury and Coventry Choirs, leads the weekly Taize worship services, advises as a Lay Counselor and serves as a Lay Eucharistic Minister and a Lay Visitation Minister. He has served on the Vestry (the parish's governing body), chaired the Pastoral Care and Congregational Development Committees and served on the Growth Committee. He has served as a New Member class leader, Greeter, Coffee host, Congregational Dinner host, and has given several adult education talks. Mel has been elected twice to the Board of Directors of Integrity USA, the LGBTQ group affiliated with the Episcopal Church. There he volunteers as the Communications Director and as Secretary, and helps manage the content on the web and social media. Mel has walked the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain several times. In spring 2016, he walked the 600 miles from Lourdes to Santiago de Compostela, sharing the Lourdes waters with those on the journey seeking healing. In fall 2017, he led a church group on the Camino. If you ever have questions about pilgrimages to Taize, the Camino, or Iona, he'll be glad to share with you his reflections from his blog LetAllWhoAreThirstyCome.com He married his best friend Stephen Mulder, a second grade teacher, in 2014 at All Saints Pasadena. They enjoy world travel, eating, cooking, and both volunteer extensively at Union Station Homeless Services, the largest homeless agency in eastern Los Angeles County. (This biographical statement provided by Mel Soriano.) Biographical Text Mel Soriano first came to this country as a child in 1969. Raised in a traditional Filipino Roman Catholic home, he was raised in the Chicago area before his family settled in Los Angeles. He is the product of parochial, public and--at the University of Southern California and Oxford University--private education He studied Psychobiology and Business Administration for his two stints at USC and read British History in the UK. In those days, Mel worked at the college yearbook, helped out at the One Institute Archives, did some LGBT young person support sessions in West Hollywood, did research with those who were suffering Alzheimer's and held hands with others dealing with the trauma AIDS. He started working in 1996 with a software firm that specialized in databases and web tools, which now also develops mobile apps. He converted to the Episcopal Church in 2000. He has served in All Saints Episcopal Church of Pasadena, which has the largest congregation west of the Mississippi. He sings for the church's Canterbury and Coventry Choirs, leads the weekly Taize worship services, advises as a Lay Counselor and serves as a Lay Eucharistic Minister and a Lay Visitation Minister. He has served on the Vestry (the parish's governing body), chaired the Pastoral Care and Congregational Development Committees and served on the Growth Committee. He has served as a New Member class leader, Greeter, Coffee host, Congregational Dinner host, and has given several adult education talks. Mel has been elected twice to the Board of Directors of Integrity USA, the LGBTQ group affiliated with the Episcopal Church. There he volunteers as the Communications Director and as Secretary, and helps manage the content on the web and social media. Mel has walked the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain several times. In spring 2016, he walked the 600 miles from Lourdes to Santiago de Compostela, sharing the Lourdes waters with those on the journey seeking healing. In fall 2017, he led a church group on the Camino. If you ever have questions about pilgrimages to Taize, the Camino, or Iona, he'll be glad to share with you his reflections from his blog LetAllWhoAreThirstyCome.com He married his best friend Stephen Mulder, a second grade teacher, in 2014 at All Saints Pasadena. They enjoy world travel, eating, cooking, and both volunteer extensively at Union Station Homeless Services, the largest homeless agency in eastern Los Angeles County. (This biographical statement provided by Mel Soriano.) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mel Soriano All Saints Episcopal Church of Pasadena Episcopal Episcopal Church Integrity USA Mel Soriano Roman Catholic RTSA Ecumenical Planning Team Union Station Homeless Services https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/907992674d4b18f22de03cad9bbea10a.jpg 8966951deff0ca10ea84418e3100c774 Person An individual. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Melanie Goulish https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/c12576db2f6de4ccd69321a4e3ce5150.jpg 93886d2ad8746f87ed143e41666e44c3 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/8072fe2fc60ba2f0b296a2888c67c146.jpg 3850c8dab2538cb3c1db4a3d752b8095 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/ed379baf97c07dd2f38a25be663f33bf.jpg 8f042bdcc8d18e5c7155fc6ad5b4e16f https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/d68a36812917fc789de20ac9f3495b63.jpg 10875786a7a96d6df1c0a0a0850c1827 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. Melany Burrill Stole Text 16 years church leadership in local church and beyond MELANY BURRILL United Methodist Christian Educator Virginia Conference This stole represents my 16 years of full-time educational ministry in one UM congregation in Northern Virginia (metropolitan Washington,D.C.) As a seminary-trained lay person and certified Director of Christian Education, I recruited and trained teachers and youth leaders, resourced the Sunday school and did tons of youth ministry -- including leadership at district and conference levels and representing Virginia at jurisdictional and national youth ministry events. I directed children's and youth handbell choirs along with the scores of tasks needed to sustain a vibrant educational ministry in an 1100 member suburban congregation. At the end of my 16th year, while on a 3-month sabbatical, I received a letter thanking me for my service, inviting my resignation, and telling me I needn't return to my position following my sabbatical. The stated reason for this being "the church sees the need to go another direction with its educational ministries." It soon unfolded that the underlying reason for this was the "discovery" of my participation in the Reconciling Congregation movement-- which was interpreted by the senior minister as being "against the Discipline of the UMC." Although my sexual orientation was not openly at issue, because I have been very private about my personal life, it was certainly an unspoken concern. The UMC's policies and practices around issues of homosexuality contributed to an atmosphere of fear and secrecy where my long and successful ministry of people of many ages could be summarily dismissed with a letter. The most painful part to me was not the differences of opinion that were eventually expressed, but the ways in which both congregation members and myself were treated -- assumptions made, reasons not given, direct conversations avoided. The "rest of the story" is -- after several congregational meetings to air issues and a face-to-face meeting with the personnel committee -- I resigned, was given a touching farewell party, and a severance package. I am now happily a member of Dumbarton United Methodist Church, a reconciling congregation in Washington, D.C. Denomination United Methodist Church Contribution Date 2000 Contribution Story The circumstances surrounding Melany Burrill's forced resignation are outrageous. Unfortunately, Melany is one of many church professionals represented in the Shower of Stoles collection that have strikingly similar stories. When the church forces LGBT people to serve in silence, these church professionals are not the only ones driven underground. Colleagues and congregants become a part of this conspiracy of silence. Careers are ended on the basis of suspicion, rumor and innuendo. Lifetimes of service are dismissed with a letter. Congregations are split by the inability of leadership to face their own homophobia, their fear of confrontation and their reticence to debate tough issues openly and fairly. Grief lingers as talented, beloved staff are forced to leave, and the painful issues are driven back into the closet. Too often, the one forced out is remembered as "the problem," rather than the church's own bigotry and dysfunction. These are the stories that underscore the great importance of Reconciling Congregations like Dumbarton, where people can heal and where their gifts for service are celebrated. Melany's stole is one of thirteen stoles donated by LGBT members at Dumbarton in advance of the 2000 General Conference of the United Methodist Church in Cleveland, OH. In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April. At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection. We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend. Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves. In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference. Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland. Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240. Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested. As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles. Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth. A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles.” In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide. Martha Juillerat Founder, Shower of Stoles Project 2006 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 650 Title A name given to the resource Melany Burrill Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Washington, District of Columbia (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Dumbarton United Methodist Church Burrill, Melany Church Trials Methodist Ordination Reconciling Ministries Network (formerly Reconciling Congregation Program) United Methodist Church Washington, D.C. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. Melinda McClain Stole Text MELINDA McCLAIN From Marilyn and Sharon Hedges-Hiller Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) Contribution Date 1995 Contribution Story This stole was one of the original 80 stoles that were on display on Sept. 16, 1995 when I set aside my ordination before Heartland Presbytery (see stole #1 for details). Martha Juillerat Founder, Shower of Stoles Project 2006 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 46 Title A name given to the resource Melinda McClain Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Unknown, (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Marilyn and Sharon Hedges-Hiller Hedges-Hiller, Marilyn Hedges-Hiller, Sharon McClain, Melinda Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) United States https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/8a30ca91be62457468dd17b7c3729999.jpg 5b3e84b6a21edb9ef219ffc72236734e https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/57027a84911caaa2476ebc58f658d2ab.jpg 7f8f407d637a7643243876379b36f4a1 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/d586a0f989cc59f9ddf29a5ff55ab2ee.jpg 66874491dee73be4e3aa5132346fd510 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. Member of Calvary St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Rochester NY Stole Text Calvary St. Andrew's Rochester, NY Our light WILL shine! Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) Contribution Date 1996 Contribution Story This is one of thirteen stoles donated in 1996 to the Shower of Stoles collection by members of Calvary St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Rochester, NY. CSA is one of three More Light churches in Rochester that are working towards the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people into the life and leadership of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Martha Juillerat Founder, Shower of Stoles Project 2006 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 182 Title A name given to the resource Member of Calvary St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Rochester NY Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Rochester, New York (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Calvary St. Andrews Presbyterian Church More Light Presbyterians for LGBT Concerns New York Ordination Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA)