Rise & Shine: New Integrity Chapter Taking Shape in Tallahassee

Sunrise on Lake Jackson, Tallahassee, FL
PHOTO CREDIT: Stephen Nakatani
Used under Creative Commons License
Some rights reserved

On September 16, I had the privilege of meeting with the Chapter in Formation in Tallahassee, Florida. This meeting was somewhat of a culmination of several email "conversations" and telephone conversations with Jay Schleuning. There were nearly thirty people in the group representing a broad range of ages and ideas, as well as the full spectrum of sexual orientation. And they were enthusiastic about Integrity Tallahassee, LGBTQ issues in the church and society!

The "back story" on this endeavor is not a good one. The previous bishop of Florida forbade Integrity from meeting on any Episcopal property in the Diocese. Dear friends of mine met with him for over a year in an effort to help him understand the need for this ministry, but to no avail. They eventually gave up and ultimately moved away.

The Diocese of Florida is an old one, formed in 1838. The name is a bit misleading; it is mostly the northeastern part of the state, running from Jacksonville on the east to where it abuts the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast on its western end. Its southern boundary abuts the Diocese of Central Florida.  When it was founded, the diocese included the entire state. It remained a single diocese until 1923, when the Diocese of South Florida was created and was subsequently also carved up.

The current Diocese of Florida is in a more conservative area of the state and that is reflected in the church as well. It has taken time for folks to "warm up" to the idea of an Integrity chapter where people are open about their sexual orientation and gender expression/identity.

The present Bishop of Florida, the Rt. Rev. Samuel Johnson Howard, has given his blessing for the creation of an Integrity chapter in Tallahassee (I’m hoping for additional chapters in other parts of the state as well!!) That gives both credence and impetus for the work the new chapter will be doing.

I shared with this gathering a combination of the history of Integrity and my own faith journey within Integrity and The Episcopal Church. Our interaction was entertaining with both humor and seriousness to it. One of the points I made with them is that members of our churches feel they need "permission" to discuss some subjects. We learned this during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Once one of a parish’s clergy spoke about AIDS from the pulpit, it opened the door for the congregation to discuss what had often been very close and personal to them in the form of a child or grandchild or other relative who had AIDS. So when a priest speaks of LGBTQ issues in a positive manner from the pulpit, the entire conversation will change. This hopefully leads to a recognition that the full spectrum of God’s created humanity is included in the baptismal vows of "Will you respect the dignity of every human being? Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?"

Nearly half of those present were members (at large) of Integrity. Once they have been moved from "at large" into Integrity Tallahassee, there will most likely be enough to meet minimum requirements for becoming a full-fledged chapter. The group is already fast at work on getting their bylaws established, electing leadership and the other aspects of moving into chapter status. I wouldn’t be surprised if I don’t get a formal petition to become an Integrity chapter within a month or two if that long.

Let us rejoice that another step has been taken toward the full and equal inclusion of LGBTQ children of God into God’s church.

Bruce Garner is Integrity's Province IV (Southeast) Coordinator.  He has served as our president in the past, and has been a member of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church.

Episcopalians Cheer SCOTUS Actions on DOMA, Prop 8

From coast to coast, Integrity members and other Episcopalians took part in celebrating the actions of the Supreme Court on Wednesday, which struck down the section of the Defense of Marriage Act denying Federal benefits to married same-gender couples and let stand a lower court ruling that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional, paving the way for marriage equality to return to the nation's most populous state.

In Washington D.C. the bells of the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter & Saint Paul (popularly called the National Cathedral) pealed for a full hour from noon to celebrate the ruling.  The Very Rev. Gary Hall, Dean of the Cathedral, told the Huffington Post, "We are ringing our bells at the Cathedral to celebrate the extension of federal marriage equality to all the same-sex couples modeling God’s love in lifelong covenants. Our prayers for continued happiness are with them and with all couples who will be joined in matrimony in the years to come, whether at Washington National Cathedral or elsewhere."  A special worship service was held at the Cathedral that evening.

In New York, a crowd had gathered at the iconic Stonewall Inn in the morning, and the celebration continued all day, spilling out into the street.  By nightfall, Christopher Street was closed to traffic as hundreds of people paid respect to the place where the gay-rights movement is widely regarded to have begun with several days of riots in June 1969.  Diocesan Organizer Paul Lane and NYC-Metro Chapter Convener Mary O'Shaughnessy were there.

The crowd outside the Stonewall Inn following SCOTUS ruling

"Christopher Street was again full of LGBT people with signs, placards and flags. This time however, the NYPD was there to keep order and prevent any harm, and the LGBT community, their friends and families, were there to celebrate. How things have changed!" Among the politicians and others who gathered, Lane said " the undisputed star of the evening had to be Ms. Edie Windsor, along with her attorney, Ms Roberta Kaplan, whose courage and determination to fight an injustice through the courts led to the Defense of Marriage Act (sic) being ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States."

The crowd (many Episcopalians among them) cheered, some weeping, as the 84-year-old Ms Windsor told her story. Bi-national couples, who the day before had to fear the deportation of one, could now look forward to the day that they could apply for a US Green Card for the non-American spouse, just like any other married couple. "Everyone was there: gay, straight, bi, lesbian, trans, drag-queens, even Rollerena, although without the roller-skates," Lane recalled. The party went on long into the night.  

Footage from the street in New York featuring footage of Chapter Convener
Mary O'Shaughnessy, courtesy of allout.com

"I can't wait to celebrate this historic moment at NYC Pride on Sunday. I am still stunned, and grateful to all the activists who made this day possible. I know that the 40-year history of Integrity's Christian witness is part of what made yesterday possible, and I am grateful to Louie Crew, Susan Russell, Louise Brooks, Elizabeth Kaeton, and all those whose names I don't know," said Marie Alford-Harkey, Integrity's Province I Coordinator, whose "day job" is at the Religious Institute for Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing.

"I wrote and we at the Religious Institute held a Twitter worship service (which you can see by searching  #SCOTUSworship). My own reaction was one of great joy - I immediately texted and emailed April when the DOMA ruling came down. It's tempered of course, by the gutting of the voting rights act the day before. My African American lesbian wife says it's hard to know how to feel at this point, and I agree."

 In Atlanta, LGBT organizers were invited in advance to be present at a popular intersection in the city's "gayborhood" to be together whatever the outcome.  When Province IV Coordinator Bruce Garner arrived, hundreds were already gathered.  "People honked their horns as they arrived at the intersection – except for one woman in a Lexus who would not even dare look toward the sidewalk! We noticed another parishioner driving past and waved…..he was headed home and his year old son was in the car too. He and baby soon joined us. Then his partner, the baby’s other Dad drove by and saw them, so we yelled for him to join us. So we ended up with a little All Saints’ contingent with baby Harrison in the middle stealing the show with his HRC flag." There, too, the celebration kept bars and restaurants busy late into the night.

Garner knows Integrity's work goes on. The ruling has no impact in states that do not recognize same-gender marriages, which includes all of the Southeast, where Province IV is located.  "God is good….ALL the time. In Georgia, some of God’s children don’t quite yet understand that God’s goodness applies to ALL of God’s children. With the help of our bishop, we continue to try and educate them."

Integrity members in Oregon gather for a rally.

In Portland, Oregon, Integrity members and supporters including Vice President for Local Affairs Matt Haines, gathered at St Stephen's downtown for a brief prayer and then processed through the streets to join hundreds of fellow Oregonians across the from Portland's City Hall for a rally to celebrate the Supreme Court victories and to look forward to winning the freedom to marry in 2014. The mayor of Portland and the state's former governor were among the speakers. Along the way the Integrity team, which included a number of local clergy, was greeted with honks, waves and shouts of support.  A photo gallery was placed on the chapter's Facebook page.

Northern California clergy gather
on the State House steps in Sacramento.

Clergy and others including the Very Rev. Dr. Brian Baker (in cowboy hat at left), Dean of Trinity Cathedral, and Diocesan Organizer Shireen Miles also gathered at the State House in Sacramento, where the Supreme Court's decision not to overturn a lower court ruling means that Proposition 8, which suspended same-gender marriages in California, will soon be repealed.

Integrity's founder, Dr. Louie Crew said, "We marry ourselves. God is always present when any two persons say, even with no others present, 'I thee wed.' No court or church can change our marriages. A court or a church may only recognize or refuse to recognize them."

Dr. Crew called the court's bold action on Wednesday a union between justice and liberty. "Their swoon brings with it more than 1,000 benefits too long denied to LGBTQ persons. 'Sweet Land of Liberty' indeed. 'God bless America.'"

These are just some of many celebrations that took place across the country.  In many places, much work remains before safety and equal treatment are a reality in both religious and civil life. For today, please celebrate this incremental step with us, and give thanks to God.

Integrity Fort Worth Has Cause to Celebrate Milestones, Breakthroughs

This weekend was all about celebrating milestones in one form or another in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. As Episcopalians of the diocese assembled over the weekend for the Fort Worth Convention, some of the milestones we faced were witnessing the first female ordained to the priesthood in the diocese’s history, discussion on same-gender marriage was part of the resolutions which included discussion that LGBT Episcopalians should not be overlooked nor disregarded and are our sisters and brothers, and Integrity was allowed (for the first time) to have a presence.

The weekend was filled with joy. Everywhere you turned, there were smiles on people’s faces. Clergy embraced one another and laity from all over the diocese. Lay members were reacquainted with other from across the diocese. And in the midst was Integrity Fort Worth. With a very noticeable display, the Integrity exhibit attracted men and women, young and old, with many who needed to open up and tell their stories and their experiences. Some had never heard of Integrity and immediately added their names to the mailing list. People from far-flung, small towns in the diocese (generally assumed to be conservative places) took several business cards and brochures and other informational items.

Of all of the experiences, one that was very memorable was a deacon who approached Integrity and said that she wanted to present the acclaimed documentary For The Bible Tells Me So at a future forum in her parish. She invited Integrity to come and have a table set up with information and be willing to speak to the members of the parish. This is the first time Integrity has ever been asked by a member of the clergy or parish to come to them.

Integrity Fort Worth also had brochures on becoming a Proud Parish Partner. Several of the brochures were taken by members of parishes who stated that they were going to urge their vestry members to become an Integrity Partner. This is also important for Integrity Fort Worth, as we continue to not be able to hold meetings nor events at any of the Episcopal parishes. Currently, the Fort Worth chapter is meeting at a Presbyterian church, who is very receptive to the mission and vision of Integrity.

There is no doubt that on some scale, Integrity took a stake in the 2009 Diocesan Convention. We are on the path to opening doors and building bridges of inclusion throughout the Diocese of Fort Worth. We are looking forward to help educate clergy and laity on Integrity’s vision and mission so that all LGBT Episcopalians (both current and future) may truly be welcomed as brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Fort Worth.

Blessings,
Thomas Squiers
Co-Convener - Integrity Fort Worth

Integrity Naples Welcomes Dabney T Smith To Southwest Florida

July 12, 2007, Naples, FL—Integrity Naples welcomed Bishop Dabney T Smith, newly elected Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Southwestern Florida, on Monday evening to their 25 June meeting at Trinity-by-the-Cove, Naples.

Integrity Naples is a chapter of the national organization Integrity USA. It is composed of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender persons and their friends. Its mission statement reads: "Integrity Naples supports the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) persons in all ministries of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Southwest Florida; and provides a safe and supporting environment for community, worship, education and outreach for all."

The monthly meeting began with a celebration of the Eucharist conducted by the Bishop for the 14 members attending. The Eucharist was followed by a Pot Luck Supper and a chance to speak informally and share the stories of our spiritual journeys. The Bishop listened attentively and we, in turn, listened to him. It was a time of sharing, fellowship and good food together.

The meeting marked an opportunity not only to welcome the new Bishop and ask "how can we help you in your new role" but also provided the unique opportunity to respond to the Bishop’s invitation to take a "first step" in the listening process required of the Windsor Report. Integrity Naples looks forward to continued constructive engagement with Bishop Smith and the Diocese of Southwest Florida in times to come.