Our Mission
The Bishop’s Commission on LGBTQ Ministries has a three-fold mission:
- To share faith, hope, fellowship and the Good News of God in Christ Jesus with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) persons in the Diocese of Los Angeles.
- To advocate for LGBTQ issues in the local, national, and international spheres
- To provide a theological foundation for wholeness in human relationships, to work to abolish prejudice and oppression based on gender identity or expression and sexual orientation, and to celebrate the gifts LGBTQ people offer to the church and to the world.
GLEAM
GLEAM stands for Gathering LGBTQ+ Episcopalians in Active Ministry. It is a task force of the Bishop’s Commission on LGBTQ+ Ministry providing opportunities for fellowship, evangelism, education, and spiritual growth, by organizing events, programs and projects including diocesan presence at Southland gay pride events.
For more information, contact Commission Chair Thomas Diaz at tdiaz@allsaints-pas.org or staff liaison Canon Susan Russell at: srussell@ladiocese.org
Like GLEAM on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
Resources
The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles has been in the forefront of the struggle for LGBTQ+ inclusion in our church and equality in our nation for decades. The following are some recommended resources for further reading, study, and inspiration. Suggestions for additional resources are welcome and should be sent to srussell@ladiocese.org
Blue Book Report from the Task Force on LGBTQ+ Inclusion
Review the 2024 Blue Book Report from the Task Force on LGBTQ+ Inclusion offering both an overview of the scope of work they have been charged to do and a timeline of the arc of the history of the Episcopal Church bending toward full inclusion for God’s LGBTQ+ beloved.
Scripture
“But the Bible says …”: Liberating ourselves from the Bible as a weapon of exclusion (opens in a new tab) — A video version of a presentation by the Reverend Canon Susan Russell exploring the various “clobber passages” historically misused to oppress and marginalize LGBTQ+ people.
What the Bible Says and Doesn’t Say About Homosexuality (PDF, opens in a new tab)— A PDF version of a presentation by the Reverend Dr. Mel White digging deep into the texts and contexts of the biblical texts frequently cited to justify discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Turns out there’s more to them than meets the eye.
The Episcopal Church
To Set Our Hope on Christ – (PDF, opens in a new tab)– In 2005 the Anglican Communion requested from the Episcopal Church “a contribution which explains, from within the sources of authority that we as Anglicans have received in scripture, the apostolic tradition and reasoned reflection, how a person living in a same gender union may be considered eligible to lead the flock of Christ.” This is that response.
LGBTQ in the Church (opens in a new tab)— “To our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender brothers, sisters and siblings: “The Episcopal Church welcomes you!” — link to our denominational LGBTQ page on The Episcopal Church website.
Claiming the Blessing (opens in a new tab)— Convened in 2002 to help move the Episcopal Church forward on the full inclusion of all the baptized in all the sacraments the Claiming the Blessing website is a great resource for the history of the movement for LGBTQ+ equality in the Episcopal Church.
History of LGBTQ+ Affirming Legislation in the Episcopal Church (opens in a new tab) — Decisions for the Episcopal Church are made for the whole church by our General Convention, which meets every three years. This history of how the church has moved forward legislatively covers 1976- 2022.
FAQs About Jesus, the Bible & LGBTQ People (PDF, opens in a new tab)— A FAQ sheet originally prepared for outreach at PRIDE events.
Gender Justice Jam: “We have always been here: Trans people are part of God’s plan” (opens in a new tab)
Transgender/Non-Binary
The Trevor Project (opens in a new tab) — Dedicated to saving young LGBTQ lives, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.
Los Angeles LGBT Center (opens in a new tab) – Since 1969 the Los Angeles LGBT Center has cared for, championed, and celebrated LGBT individuals and families in Los Angeles and beyond.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (opens in a new tab) at 800-273-TALK (8255)
Trans Lifeline (opens in a new tab) at 877-565-8860
National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) (opens in a new tab) (advocacy)
Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF) (opens in a new tab) (legal services)
Transgender Law Center (TLC) (opens in a new tab) (legal services and advocacy)
Episcopal Church Resources
Pronouns 101 (opens in a new tab) — An essay and podcast by Hannah Earnshaw unpacking the power of pronouns to correctly acknowledge each other as the beautiful, complicated children of God we have been created to be.
Voices of Witness: Out of the Box (opens in a new tab) — The 2012 groundbreaking documentary giving voice to the witness of transgender people of faith courageously telling their stories of hope, healing and wholeness.
TransEpiscopal (opens in a new tab)– A group of transgender and allied Episcopalians dedicated to fostering the full embrace of trans and non-binary people, and our loved ones within the Episcopal Church and to inspiring faith-based advocacy for trans justice in the wider world.
LGBTQ Q&A (PDF, opens in a new tab): “So I get LGBT but I don’t understand the Q. I’ve heard it stands for “questioning” and I’ve also heard it stands for “queer.” So which one is it?”
Blessed Are the Binary Breakers (opens in a new tab): An excellent resource for transgender Christian theology and history offered by Avery Smith — who spoke about their work and reflected on God who is beyond all binaries in this video from May 2020. You can watch that presentation on YouTube here (opens in a new tab).
Pride
June is LGBTQ Pride month, and the Diocese of Los Angeles continues its decades long commitment to celebrating the dignity of every fabulous human being with these resources to help congregations get their Pride on!
Liturgical resources offered to enhance worship to and with the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month and throughout the year:
- Collects (PDF, opens in a new tab)
- Prayers of the People (PDF, opens in a new tab)
- Eucharistic Prayer (PDF, opens in a new tab)
- Affirmation of Faith (PDF, opens in a new tab)
- Pride Rosary (PDF, opens in a new tab)
Pride Eucharist: Diocese of East Tennessee
https://dioet.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Pride-Mass-2022-Bulletin-Final.pdf (PDF, opens in a new tab)
Download a FAQ Flyer: Jesus, The Bible & LGBTQ+ People:
English (PDF, opens in a new tab)
Spanish (PDF, opens in a new tab)
Download Progress Pride Flag
https://www.flagcolorcodes.com/download/progress-pride (opens in a new tab)
TDOR (Transgender Day of Remembrance)
November 20 is set aside each year as the International Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). Started in 1998 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, transgender activist, as a way to memorialize Rita Hester, who was violently murdered in Allston, Massachusetts, it has grown to be marked internationally in more than 185 cities in 20 countries. TDOR has historically been a day to remember those who have been murdered as the result of ignorance and transphobia — a day set aside to call attention to the violence, extreme discrimination, and alienation towards members of the transgender community.
LGBTQ Archives
The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles has been in the forefront of the struggle for LGBTQ+ inclusion in our church and equality in our nation for decades. We are working to archive that history as part of telling the story of the arc of inclusion in both the Diocese of Los Angeles and the Episcopal Church. If you have stories, photos, documents or other resources to share, please contact Canon Susan Russell at srussell@ladiocese.org.
How We Got From There to Here (opens in a new tab):
A video overview of the Episcopal Church’s engagement with LGBTQ inclusion 1974-2021
A History of LGBT Ministry in the Diocese of Los Angeles (1992-2000): (PDF, opens in a new tab)
A Memoir by The Rev. William McCord “Mac” Thigpen III
Diocese of Los Angeles PRIDE Memory Lane Photo Album
(opens in a new tab)An in-progress album from our archives of the witness of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles at SoCal Pride Events since 1992.
A Celebration of God’s Love & Pride: 2020 (opens in a new tab)
Video of virtual Pride service during the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown
A Collect for Pride Sunday (opens in a new tab)
Written by Kay Sylvester and recorded by Jim White: 2021
Who We Are
LGBTQ Ministry in the Diocese of Los Angeles includes the Bishop’s Commission on LGBTQ Ministry and many congregational ministries throughout the diocese.
Bishop’s Commission on LGBTQ Ministry
Commission Chair: Thomas Diaz | tdiaz@allsaints-pas.org
Staff Liaison: The Reverend Canon Susan Russell | srussell@ladiocese.org
Commission Members: Carl Anderson, Paul Daniels, Thomas Diaz, Guy Leemhuis, Sandra Martinez, Christopher Montella, Brooklyn Moore, Kay Sylvester, Neil Tadken, Courtney Tan, Jim White
Congregational LGBTQ Ministries in the Diocese of Los Angeles include:
Beverly Hills: All Saints, Beverly Hills LGBT Ministry:
https://www.allsaintsbh.org/lgbt-group (opens in a new tab)
Long Beach: St. Luke’s LGBTQ & Friends Ministry:
https://www.stlukeslb.org/lgbtq/ (opens in a new tab)
Pasadena: All Saints, Pasadena LGBTQ Ministry:
https://allsaints-pas.org/ministries/lgbtq-at-all-saints/ (opens in a new tab)
Santa Barbara: LGBTQ-TrinitySB Ministry: https://www.facebook.com/groups/524870650922810/ (opens in a new tab)