Integrity USA Reduces Workforce

Integrity USA today announced that it will reduce its workforce as part of a plan to align the organization's resources with its missions and goals. This action will be noted by the departure of Integrity’s full-time employees, Executive Director Vivian Taylor and Development Director Sam Peterson.

"I would like to sincerely thank all of our departing employees and recognize their important and valued contributions to Integrity," said Matt Haines, President of the Board of Directors for Integrity. "While this decision by the Board of Directors was extremely difficult, aligning and managing our limited resources is a critically important priority in our efforts to remain faithful stewards of Integrity."

Several challenges face Integrity in the next few months. Despite some sentiments in the Episcopal Church that the battle over marriage equality is done, Integrity recognizes that much of its work remains and that the mission remains as important as ever. The Board continues its support of the faithful resolutions proposed by the Task Force on the Study of Marriage, which was created in 2012. The upcoming General Convention in Salt Lake City this June 23-July 3 will require resources for legislative and communication support, as well planning and offering a Church-wide Eucharist.

Moreover, much of the discrimination against LGBT people has shifted. Integrity is committed to encouraging the Episcopal Church to stand up against so called “religious freedom” legislation, discrimination against transgender people, the continuing disproportionate number of LGBT youth who are impoverished or driven to suicide, and the dismaying lack of support offered to LGBT women and people of color.

“We thank Vivian and Sam for their contributions and commitment,” said Haines. “We hope that we can find ways of increasing our resources to meet the needs of the Church. Until that time, we are fully committed to seeing that the efforts and contributions of our members and allies are carefully directed in a faithfully sound and responsible fashion without losing sight of our holy mission.”

The Unfailing Love of Pauli Murray -- a Saint for Us Now

My introduction to Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray was from a search on the internet for material for Integrity’s Friday Flash, our weekly newsletter. My first thought was: why are we not talking about this Episcopal hero all the time!? Here was an exemplary being, a freedom-fighter, a woman of mixed race and elastic gender who, in the most difficult days of the 20th century became a the first African American to receive her J.S.D. from Yale, was a civil rights activist, and at age 66 became the first African-American woman ordained the Episcopal Church. Of course, some of us were talking about Pauli— both the Union of Black Episcopalians and Episcopal Women’s Caucus are champions of her memory. A vote at the 2012 General Convention of the Episcopal Church named her to Holy Women, Holy Men - an Episcopal saint.

Here is an excerpt from a sermon titled "The Dilemma of the Minority Christian" from Anthony B. Pinn’s collection Pauli Murray: Selected Sermons and Writings

Put in its simplest terms, salvation is feeling safe, living without fear, living with the serenity in confidence that we are the objects of God's unfailing love, and that we will always be safe whatever happens, in life or in death, if we have a complete and childlike trust in God's love and tender mercy.

This is a great leap of faith, which does not come easy, which deserts us continually, and which we achieve only by the greatest pain and effort — every day a trial, every breath a prayer. Salvation does not mean that we will avoid suffering, shame, humiliation, or defeat. It does mean that we are not alone — God's love, which was poured out for us in Jesus Christ, is always  with us, to strengthen and save us in every situation, if we have trust in his love.

“Feeling safe, living without fear…in confidence that we are the objects of God’s unfailing love…” What a radical proposition! Particularly from a woman of mixed race, slippery gender, and a sexuality that could not be shared by any person of ambition, much less a woman of color then.

Now here we are, in 2015, working towards a more earthly safety for LGBTQ people, for whom the intersections that Murray embodied still can mean not just discrimination, but violence and even murder. Yet we find strength in this world of suffering, because we know the truth of Murray’s words, that Jesus Christ is always with us and we are indeed the objects of God's unfailing love!

Integrity Board President Matt Haines, Executive Director Vivian Taylor, and I met with Barbara Lau, the Executive Director of the Pauli Murray Project in Durham, NC, where Murray grew up.

Lau clearly sees her own role as the means by which young leaders can step into their own. When she talks about Pauli Murray, you get a sense that Murray -- or "Pauli" as Lau calls her -- is in the room with you encouraging your relationship and ideas. We all felt Murray’s presence at our meeting, even there in a sandwich shop in downtown Denver. There, we agreed that we would do all we could to share Murray’s grace with our membership and to bring attention to our own multifaceted identities. Pauli Murray can serve as a starting place for community connection.

Over the next months, leading up to General Convention, we’ll talk more about our vision for collaboration with the Pauli Murray Project. We hope you’ll have the same experience of Murray that we have come to have on many occasions. And we pray that our vision encompasses the kind of work Murray herself would have us do, to foster divinity through human connection, by creating enriching society, and by sharing the Holy Spirit through graceful service.


Sam Peterson, Development Director Integrity USA

Integrity's 40th Anniversary Inaugural Reception

After a stirring sermon and Eucharist to inaugurate Integrity's 40th Anniversary year, a reception was held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Raleigh, North Carolina. The sermon was given by the Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry and the video is available online.

The guests of honor for the evening were Dr. Louie Clay and his husband Ernest Clay. Dr. Clay started Integrity 40 years ago and this Eucharist and reception was to begin celebrating all that has been accomplished in that time and to remind ourselves of all that remains to be done.

Our speakers were Matt Haines, recently-elected president of Integrity's board. Matt spoke about our excitement around our Carolina efforts, and our future collaboration with the Pauli Murray Project. He urged people to sign up as both members and volunteers for our Carolina campaign. Integrity Executive Director Vivian Taylor spoke next, thanking everyone, and asking NC to think about how we might be of service to our members and friends, reminding all of us that much more must be done.

Indhira Udofia from the Pauli Murray Project talked about Pauli Murray's ongoing creation of community, and the mobile exhibition they hope to create to generate ideas and relationships locally. Pauli inhabited a generosity and fluidity in her gender, race, and class, that the Pauli Murray Project and Integrity want to share collaboratively.

Integrity member Sissi Loftin and her partner Janet Brocklehurst make beautiful handmade crucifixes for their business Sweet Harmony Crosses, donating a portion to Integrity on a regular basis. They sent us a gorgeous rainbow mosaic crucifix! Sissi and Janet asked that it be donated in the name of their friend The Rev. Dr. Carter Heyward,  one of the original 11 women ordained forty years ago, who lives in NC and who was recently recognized by Bishop Curry. We presented the gift to Bishop Curry to thank him for all that he's done for Integrity.

We wish to thank the good people of Church of the Good Shepherd who helped us in our celebration. Parish Administrator Darylene Netzer was our liaison to everyone to the church, sexton Tony Wilson, oversaw the event and stayed til the end to close the church. Vestry Treasurer and Altar Guild leader Caryl Fuller helped set things up for the Eucharist. The Rev. Robert Sawyer, Rector of CGS, helped Bishop Curry during the Eucharist, and David Roten was our Verger.

Integrity wishes to thank the Diocese of North Carolina for their hospitality. Moreover, we wish to thank the Haas, Jr. Foundation and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for helping us work with the local community to work towards full inclusion. We ask all Integrity members and allies to help bring full inclusion, equality, and safety for LGBTQ in all churches and communities throughout our land.

Requiescat in Pace: The Rt. Rev. Marvil Thomas Shaw III, SSJE

Integrity joins the church in mourning the death of the Right Rev. Marvil Thomas "Tom" Shaw III SSJE, recently retired bishop of Massachusetts.

Born in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1945, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1971 and joined the Society of St. John the Evangelist, an Anglican religious order for clergy and laity, in 1975. He served a term as its leader beginning in 1983.  He was consecrated a bishop in 1994 and assumed the diocesan seat the following year.

Bishop Shaw Visiting St. Paul's: Newburyport in January
PHOTO CREDIT: Ollie Jones (flickr.com/joebackward)
Used by Creative Commons License.  Some rights reserved

Bishop Shaw's advocacy for the LGBT community is significant.  He came out in 2012 and described his experience as a gay, celibate monk at the 2008 Lambeth Conference (a worldwide gathering of Anglican bishops that was fraught with controversy over the consecration of the Right Rev. Gene Robinson) in the documentary Love Free or Die.

The Rt. Rev. Mary Douglas Glasspool, Bishop Suffragan in the Diocese of Los Angeles, met Shaw over thirty years ago while a student at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge. "He committed himself when he became bishop, that he would make it a priority for LGBT families to feel safe, loved and included before his retirement."

"When I first came into the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts right out of college in 1995, Bishop Shaw was near the beginning of his episcopate. As I got to know this diocese, I was struck by the tone he set-- one of prayer, commitment, public advocacy and proclamation, innovation, discipline. LGBTQ people should remember his early, strong support for HIV/AIDS ministries, of openly gay and lesbian ecclesial leadership, and of marriage equality here in Massachusetts over two decades ago," said the Rev. Cameron Partridge, Co-Convener of TransEpiscopal and Chaplain at Boston University. "His support of transgender equality and leadership is particularly noteworthy, from his quiet support of my ordination process after I came out in 2001, to his public advocacy for trans non-discrimination legislation in MA and at the 2009 and 2012 General Conventions, to his memorable words of welcome at Boston's Trans Day of Remembrance observances from 2010-2013. All of this was so clearly the fruit of his ongoing conversion, of growth into the heart of God to which he always issued an open invitation. For me, that prayerful engagement of transformation -- including the opening of his own heart-- is +Tom's lasting legacy."

"In 2008 Bishop Shaw confirmed me into the Episcopal Church," said Vivian Taylor, executive director of Integrity USA. "His strong, wise leadership created an environment in the Diocese of Massachusetts where I could come out, where I could transition. He is a great leader and his work will live on both here in Massachusetts and throughout the Episcopal Church."

"Tom was a kind, contemplative man, and willing to learn and grow," added Marie Alford-Harkey, Integrity's Province I (New England) Coordinator, a graduate of Episcopal Divinity School and Deputy Director of the Religious Institute.

Bishop Shaw's advocacy did not start or end on human sexuality.  Bishop Glasspool cited his dedication to reforming the structures that lead to poverty, as well as immigration policy and gun laws. He also campaigned for peace in the Middle East and led numerous pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Africa, and South America, to bring about better understanding of global social issues.  Locally, he founded a middle school and other programs for disadvantaged Boston youth, and -- in 2003 -- helped launch the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, a facility in Greenfield, N.H. that is operated by the Diocese of Massachusetts.

Christian Paolino is the Chair of the Integrity Stakeholders' Council.  This is a revision of the original breaking story.

Marriage Equality Takes A Giant Leap Forward

Integrity USA is thrilled to see marriage equality make significant strides these past two days.  Five state petitioned the Supreme Court to review the cases that overturned their bans but were denied: Wisconsin, Indiana, Utah, Oklahoma, and Virginia . Other states in the circuits affected by Monday's denial should be seeing marriage equality soon as well because they are in the same court circuit: Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Colorado, West Virginia, and Wyoming.  And on Tuesday, the 9th Circuit confirmed that the bans in Nevada and Idaho were unconstitutional, and given Monday's news, may choose to not appeal. This court decision implies that Alaska, Montana, and Arizona may soon see marriage equality.

Within months or even weeks then, 64% of the US population will live in states with marriage equality in 35 states. The eleven states directly affected by the Monday's Supreme Court action involve several southern states, including Virginia, South Carolina, and my own ancestral home of North Carolina. This is an incredible an time for LGBTQ people across the nation. 

64%! It seemed incredible to think that there was going to be legal same gender marriage anywhere in the United States as recently as 12 years ago, and now a clear majority of our population will have access to the right. 

It is easy for us to celebrate, and we should celebrate vigorously. But let us not allow our excitement to become complacency, not allow our joy to lead to apathy for the needs of that other 36% of the population that still faces homophobic, flagrantly unconstitutional laws that limit their basic human rights. 

We must continue forward until gay and lesbian people everywhere have full protection and just treatment under law. 

For today, we thank you God for Your mercy and love, and for Your guidance of our nation as we continue towards freedom for all people.

Sarah Vivian Gathright Taylor is the Executive Director of Integrity USA

My First Year in Thanksgiving and Gratitude

With The Very Rev Gary Hall

As of today, I have served as Integrity's Executive Director for one full year. It has been a wondrous journey. It is an incredible blessing to be called to serve lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, the Episcopal Church, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

This year we have seen enormous progress-we have new members and new parishes, more volunteers at large and in the office, so many victories, along with a great sense of purpose. This year our victories have included marriage equality in Oregon, progress towards passing the Equal Housing and Employment Act in Ohio, the beginnings of a renewed push for inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in the American South, and the overturning of too many anti-LGBT ordinances to list.


Today I get to thank more people than I can count, for participating in this extraordinary work and helping me bring my best to Integrity.

To each of you whom I have met over the past year, thank you for your generosity, your kindness, and your energy. It is a phenomenal joy to be a part of your life, to get to know you, and to have the chance to earn your friendship. Thank you to all the people who invited me, a young transgender woman, to speak. Thank you to all the folks who listened. Your ideas, questions and interest are a light in my life, are a thrill and an education.

Thank you to all of our leaders from the Provincial Coordinators to the Diocesan Organizers to the local Chapter Leaders for their ongoing push for freedom and recognition. Thank you for working to put on Believe Out Loud trainings, for calling attention to important LGBT work in your own communities: thank you for being an LGBT-loving presence throughout our Church.

Thank you Charlene McCreight, David Soland, Andy McQuery and everyone else who has been the driving force behind all of Integrity's successes in our Oregon freedom to work and our Ohio Equal Housing and Employment Act work. Without folks like you, we simply would not have seen the successes and progress that have made this year such a joy.

To folks like the Rev. Valori Sherer and the Rev. Vic Mansfield who have welcomed Integrity's work in North Carolina, thank you for your energy, optimism, and faith for the future of the South.

To the Rev. Dr. Patrick Cheng and all those who attended Integrity's Campus Ministry retreat, thank you.

To the Rev. David Norgard, the Rev. Cameron Partridge, Mara Keisling, Alison Amyx and everyone else who had shared their wisdom with me over the past year, thank you.

To the Integrity staff, thank you for your dedication, creativity, and excellent work. I couldn't have done any of this without you.

To Integrity's Board of Directors, thank you for your guidance, your direction, and your engagement.

To all of the people who have generously supported Integrity financially, thank you for making it possible for us to do this work. Everything that Integrity does costs money. Thank you for not only recognizing the importance of Integrity's work, but also giving to ensure that our work can continue, that we can keep moving forward, ensuring that our beloved Church is open to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people everywhere.

Thank you God for the blessing of this work. Thank you God for these people and this Church and this world. Please lift us up to follow Your way for us.

The first year was incredible, but we are not done yet. We are not done when the Episcopal Church's inclusive policies are not yet fully instituted in all places and communities. We are not done yet when so many are still excluded from the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. We are not done yet when an entire generation of young LGBTQ have not yet found reconciliation with the Church. We are not yet done when many LGBTQ people in the American South do not even feel safe to be out in their own parishes. We are not done when gay and transgender people still do not have basic legal protections in many states. We are not done yet so long as the constant drum beat of violence and murder again transgender and gay people continues.

As Christ said in the Gospel of Luke, The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Together let us move forward and bring in the great harvest of Love and Justice!

Let's keep going!

Vivian

Sarah Vivian Gathright Taylor is the Executive Director of Integrity USA

We Must Keep the Feast Day of Jonathan Daniels in Ferguson

In the Episcopal Church, today is the Feast of Jonathan Myrick Daniels. On this date in 1965, Daniels, a young Episcopal seminarian from Keene, N.H. joined a civil rights protest in Fort Deposit, Alabama. He and 28 other protesters were arrested. Daniels was released six days later. While waiting for a ride with three other released protesters, Daniels and another protestor, Ruby Sales, walked over to the Verner's Cash Store to buy a cold drink. Waiting for them there was unpaid special deputy Tom L Coleman. Coleman threatened the group with his shot gun, aiming specifically at Ruby Sales. Daniels pushed Sales out of the way. Coleman shot Daniels, who died instantly. Coleman then shot the fleeing Sales in the back.
Coleman was later acquitted by an all-white jury and faced no penalty for the killing.

Integrity USA stands in solidarity with the peaceful protestors in Ferguson, Missouri. We condemn the outrageous and needless killing of Michael Brown. Just as the ACT UP protesters needed to be heard, just as the voices in gay Africa need to be heard, we must stand for those who fear to speak their mind in their own American suburban community. We condemn police killing of unarmed teenagers in all cases, locations, and situations.

We pray that protestors in Ferguson remember the power of nonviolent resistance.

Integrity USA calls on LGBT Christians to recognize that institutional violence against people of color is violence against our community as well. All too often, LGBT people of color face the brunt of the homophobic and transphobic violence in our country.

As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial 'outside agitator' idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."

The violence in Ferguson affects all of us. We also condemn the militaristic tactics used against protestors in Ferguson. Rubber bullets and tear gas are weapons of war. Police have no right to carry out these sorts of attacks on American citizens, on the beloved Children of God.

Remember that our Lord Christ too was a victim of institutional violence, was killed in an official manner by the law enforcement of his day. We call on all law enforcement in Ferguson to take extreme care to respect the life, well being, and civil rights of all people in the city, for an immediate end to violence in Ferguson, an immediate demilitarization of the city's police force.

Please join us in praying a collect for peace from the Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty God, kindle, we beseech thee, in every heart the  true love of peace, and guide with thy wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that in tranquility thy dominion may increase till the earth is filled with the knowledge of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Almighty God, who hast created us in thine own image: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Sarah Vivian Gathright Taylor is the Executive Director of Integrity USA

Witnessing History: Vivian Taylor Recalls Watching President Sign Anti-Discrimination Order

President Barack Obama
PHOTO CREDIT: Susan Russell

On Monday, July 21, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order which added sexual orientation and gender identity to the Equal Employment Opportunity rules set out by several of his predecessors.  It covers federal employees and employees working for third-party organizations under federal contracts.  Integrity's Executive Director, Vivian Taylor, was in attendance because she was among a number of prominent Episcopalians working for LGBT equality who signed an open letter urging the President not to include a clause which would grant exemption from the order to those claiming their religious conscience prevented them from complying.  She was joined at the White House by the Right Rev. Gene Robinson, retired bishop of New Hampshire, and the Rev. Canon Susan Russell, associate pastor at All Saints: Pasadena and former president of Integrity.

What was the first thing that went through your head when you heard you would witness the President signing this Executive Order?

The first thing that I thought about was, "Thank God! I get to be present for this huge, important moment, which will affects 20% of the American workforce."  I was honored to be a witness to this act, which recognized the value of millions of American workers.

I'm reminded of a verse from the Epistle of St. James (Ch. 5: Vs. 11)  which has always been a favorite piece of scripture for me.  "Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful."  I'm very grateful for this order, which calls for equal treatment of all workers whose employers receive funds from the federal government.

What was it like being in the White House?

This wasn't my first visit, but I've found that time always goes by very quickly.  Justice work can often feel extremely lonely, and it is heartening to be among a crowd of people, be they secular or people of faith, who are being recognized or are there witnessing the fruits of their labor, as took place today.

Some self-described progressive Christians cautioned the President about passing this order without giving religious groups an "out".  Can you talk about why you and 99 other faith leaders feel differently?

While it is always important to respect people's beliefs, it is also crucial not to legitimize any biases they may hold toward a particular group, in this case LGBT people.  We've recently seen attempts to create legislation to do exactly that in the private sector, so we felt it was important to make sure the President's order did make room for that kind of discrimination.  Integrity's local organizers recently helped defeat such a bill in Oregon, and our bishops in Kansas spoke out against a similar effort, which was also defeated.  Even/especially at a time when we're making marked progress, we must remain vigilant to any effort to enshrine bias into the law.

Some federal employees say the executive order passed in 1998, which added sexual orientation to their non-discrimination protection, aren't consistently enforced.  Do you think things will be different now?

Absolutely.  Not only is the issue something that is much better understood by Americans than even a few years ago, It also clarifies the previous regulations and refocuses our attention on  them, so I have reason to feel confident.

Describe your favorite moment from today.

Vivian Taylor & Mia Macy

My favorite moment was meeting and befriending Mia Macy, a transwoman and a fellow veteran, who saw firsthand that the existing statutes did not actually protect us.  After she left active duty, she began her gender transition while working as a federal contractor.  In 2013, the Department of Justice ruled that the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms acted illegally by passing her over for a position for which she was qualified, after learning she was transgender. The unemployment rate for trans people is about twice that of the general population, so it was a privilege to spend time with the woman whose case helped the President realize we couldn't wait for Congress to pass legislation to protect them.

Do you think most Episcopalians would agree with Integrity's presence today, as a church group?  What could those of us who see this as a strong step forward do to help those Christians who are concerned about what they describe as the government restricting their ability to act on their own beliefs.

I think the majority of the Episcopalians I have met in my travels this past year would celebrate today's ruling.  It's worth noting that at least 2/3 of our dioceses have elected to bless same-gender relationships in some form. There are still areas of the country, however, where we are "not there yet" particularly in our efforts to bridge the urban-rural divide.  We are in talks with a number of our partner organizations about a concentrated effort to equip more local organizers to witness our mission goals in these areas.  More on that soon!

The Right Rev. Gene Robinson, Vivian Taylor, the Rev. Canon Susan Russell

PRESS RELEASE: Integrity Executive Director to Attend Signing of President's Anti-Discrimination Executive Order

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY!

Integrity is pleased to announce that Executive Director, Vivian Taylor, will be among those present when President Barack Obama signs an Executive Order on Monday banning employment discrimination by Federal contractors on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The directive will not include an exemption for faith-based groups beyond that already afforded by a previous Order, signed by President George W. Bush, which grants exceptions for those directly involved in ministry.  On July 8, Taylor joined prominent Episcopalians and progressive faith leaders in signing an open letter to the President which asked that a broader exemption, allowing further discrimination by faith-based employers on the basis of "religious freedom," not be included.

Other Episcopalians who signed the letter include:

• The Very Rev. Gary Hall - Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter & St. Paul (“the National Cathedral”) in Washington, D.C.
• The Right Rev. Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire (retired) and Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress
• The Rev. Canon Susan Russell - Associate Pastor, All Saints: Pasadena, past president of Integrity
• The Very Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale - President and Dean, Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Mass.
• The Rev. Ed Bacon - Rector, All Saints: Pasadena
• The Rev. Dr. Cameron Partridge - Chaplain at Boston University, Lecturer at Harvard University, Co-Convener of TransEpiscopal

The National Equality March passing the White House
in March of 2009
PHOTO CREDIT: Kyle Rush  (flickr.com/kylerush)
Used by Creative Commons License Some rights reserved

"I am deeply honored to represent Integrity at this historic event. Employment discrimination against our people is still a near-constant threat and burden," Taylor said.  

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force reported in May that 18 states and the District of Columbia afford employment protections to LGBT people.  Three additional states offer protection on the basis of sexual orientation only.  The President’s order will affect nearly one-fifth of the nation’s workforce.

Integrity has been working with the Task Force and other faith-based advocates to combat discrimination in several states.  Integrity is working in Ohio to build support for the Equal Housing and Employment Act, an LGBT-inclusive piece of non-discrimination legislation. In May, an attempt to pass a "religious freedom" law intended to give businesses in Oregon the right to discriminate was defeated due in part to Integrity's efforts.

Taylor, who served in the United States Army in the Iraq war from 2009 to 2010, recently wrote about her personal experience with employment discrimination for the progressive faith blog Believe Out Loud.

Integrity is a member-supported nonprofit organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender [LGBT] Episcopalians and our straight friends. Since its founding by Dr. Louie Crew in 1974, Integrity has been the leading grassroots voice for the full inclusion of LGBT persons in the
Episcopal Church and our equal access to its rites. Integrity activities include advocacy, worship, fellowship, education, communication, outreach, and service to the church. Through Integrity's evangelism, thousands of LGBT people, estranged from the Episcopal Church and other denominations, have returned to parish life.

Contact:

Melvin Soriano, Secretary & Director of Communications

mel@integrityusa.org

770 Mass Ave #390170

Cambridge MA 02139

United States of America

Ph: +1-626-600-2030

###

Alan Gates Elected as Next Bishop of Massachusetts

On the fourth ballot, the Convention of the Diocese of Massachusetts elected the Rev. Alan M. Gates as its 16th bishop.  Pending the consent of the House of Bishops, Gates will succeed the Right Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE, when he retires later this year.

The Rev. Alan M. Gates

PHOTO CREDIT:
Diocese of Massachusetts

Gates is currently the Rector of St. Paul's: Cleveland Heights in the Diocese of Ohio, where he also served as Chair of the Commission on Ministry and the Standing Committee.  He worked previously in the Diocese at St. John the Evangelist: Hingham, as well as in Western Massachusetts and Chicago.  He attended Middlebury College and the Episcopal Divinity School, and is married with two grown sons.

"I am thrilled to welcome Alan Gates back to Boston," said Integrity's Executive Director, Vivian Taylor.  "He has been wonderfully supportive of Integrity's work in Ohio, and we are thrilled to have our new national office a few train stops from the Cathedral where he will be serving as Bishop."

The Diocese of Massachusetts, which includes the nine counties of the Commonwealth east and southeast of Worcester and has 77,000 members, is one of the oldest in the church.

Bishop Shaw has been a strong advocate for our work, and has been struggling with illness in recent days. Integrity asks its members to continue to pray for his recovery and comfort.  We look forward to deepening our relationship with Bishop-Elect Gates in the days ahead.

Goodbye to David Cupps

David Cupps

The new year is always an exciting time. We get to look forward to new futures and new possibilities. This New Year's is a little bittersweet though. After more than three years of excellent service on the staff of Integrity, our Operations Manager, David Cupps, will be moving on to new opportunities.

We are sad to see him go. He has served as the core for many systems and groups that have not only served Integrity well, but that have served the Episcopal Church well. “During the year when we had no Executive Director, David really kept the organization going, and I depended on him for his wisdom, knowledge, and leadership as well as for doing everything it takes to make Integrity run smoothly,” said the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall, president of Integrity's Board of Directors.

Among David's major contributions to Integrity during his tenure was the development, in collaboration with former VP-Local Affairs Neil Houghton and our ecumenical partners at the Institute for Welcoming Resources, of the curriculum for the many Believe Out Loud congregational workshops which hundreds of people have been attending across the country. 

After experimenting with a 'virtual' office for several years, with David based in his hometown in Kentucky and our Executive Director first in New Orleans and then in Georgia, the Board decided, with advice from a consultant, that having the Executive Director and the main administrative team in the same geographical location creates an important synergy. This led to a restructuring of the staff and a move away from Kentucky. It was not an easy decision, knowing that David would not personally be able to make the move.

From providing structure to our operations center at General Convention 2012 to managing the logistics of so many Believe Out Loud trainings to getting the Friday Flash out every week, David was there time and time again. We are deeply grateful for the work he has done to make the transition to Executive Director Vivian Taylor and Office Administrator Katie Omberg as smooth as possible.

Dr. Hall continued, “David stepped in to take on Integrity's administrative and program management when we needed a knowledgeable person at short notice, and did a wonderful job. He has been the eye at the center of the storm for many years, answering all inquiries with gentle efficiency, remaining on call even on vacation, and managing a zillion priorities at once. I will miss his calm voice at the other end of the phone and his gentle optimism in the face of difficulties.”

Goodbye and best of luck, David. Thank you for everything you have done for us. God bless all your future work and life.

Trans Day of Remembrance: A Message from Our Executive Director

It's Trans Day of Remembrance. As I've said before, this is a day that I find very difficult. There are two temptations here: One is to use TDoR as an opportunity to talk about how trans women have been, are now, and will always be poor, pathetic, pitiful victims. That's horrifyingly wrong. Trans people are strong, complete human beings. I recently had someone come up to be at an event I was speaking and say, "I'm so sorry this happened to you," about my being trans, as if it were a disease or a terrible accident that had befallen me. It is wrong to treat transness like a curse.  If we treat transness like something that will always be inseparable from violence and discrimination, it suggests that it is normal and natural for trans people (especially trans women of color) to face violence and discrimination, that it's just how things are.

The other temptation is to shift the focus to trans folks (usually white, middle-class trans folks) who are doing okay. It's wonderful that some trans people are thriving; it's beautiful and good. Still, the success of some people in a community doesn't make up for the violence against the rest of it.

So, how do we find the middle place between treating being trans like having cancer and ignoring the challenges that trans people face?

It will require a lot of work, but I believe that one of the first steps is to accept the simple fact that trans and gender non-conforming people are a normal, natural, and healthy part of the human species, that we always have been and always will be. It is simply nonsensical that people would be mistreated over being trans or gender non-conforming. We need to recognize that no one is an acceptable victim, that violence against trans people is nothing more than an ugly abnormality which we need to end.

Vivian Taylor is the Executive Director of Integrity USA

Around The Church In 15 Days

-Vivian Taylor
Executive Director, Integrity USA

Last week I was invited to speak at the National Press Club as a part of an event by the Not All Like That project. It was an amazing opportunity to meet other Christian leaders and believers and hear what folks had to say. It was a diverse group of people speaking to harm done to LGBTQ by folks claiming Christianity, and how as Christians we can now work to undo that harm.

Here's a video of my speech from that event:

Since then I have been on a wonderful journey across the country. My next stop was Atlanta. I was blessed to join Integrity Atlanta for Pride. The Pride Eucharist held at All Saints' featured an incredible homily from Bishop Mary Glasspool, I had the chance to meet some of the 250,000 Pride attendees at the Integrity booth and in the parade, over all it was an amazing.

Traveling west, I visited Integrity's hardworking administrator David Cupps in Kentucky for a day long meeting.

From them, I made my way to Texas where I visited several Church folks in Austin before heading to Houston. It was a great joy to join Integrity Houston for a Spirit Day reception.

Tonight I'll be speaking at Christ Church Cathedral here in Houston after the Integrity Eucharist. If you're in the area, why don't you come on out?

From here I'm headed out to Portland Oregon to attend a Believe Out Loud training and meet even more folks, and from there I'm headed to California.

This trip has been an incredible opportunity to make connections with so many people. It strong reminder that the real power and energy of Integrity is in the people. As I have gone from place to place, one thing is very clear: No one is more of an expert on the specific local situations than the folks living there. Speaking with people about their own lives and experiences is an absolute treasure trove.

To all the people I've met and will meet on this trip, let me thank you for your hospitality and friendship. To everyone else, I pray and hope that I have the chance to meet you soon!

Requiescat in Pace: Michael W. Taylor, Ph.D.

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The sympathy of the Integrity board and leadership is extended to our Executive Director, Vivian Taylor, and her family upon the death of her father, Michael W. Taylor, Ph.D, on September 29th at his home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Dr. Taylor grew up in Nigeria, the child of Baptist missionaries. He did his undergraduate work at the Department of Classics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studying for a year in Athens. Continuing a long family tradition of service which Vivian also shares, he was a military historian in Vietnam with the United States Navy, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. In an essay published by the Center for Hellenic Studies at Harvard, he described returning to Vietnam decades later and having tea with a Vietnamese contemporary who -- as they discovered through conversation -- had been on the opposite side of a specific battle.

Dr. Taylor continued to excel in learning after leaving active duty. He earned his Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology from Harvard, and then went on to earn a law degree from U.N.C. He established a law practice focusing on public policy, civil rights, health care, and environmental issues. 

He also ran twice for a seat on the U.S. House of Representatives, found time to write four books, and visit archeological sites throughout his life. 

“Mike was a very astute man; he observed the world around him with great clarity.  I have no doubt that he had a crystal clear perception of all my flaws and shortcomings, and yet, he always focused on my strengths.  His Christ-like compassion called him to affirm me and my ministry often and for that I will forever be in his debt,” wrote Roger Thomas, executive director of Stanly Community Christian Ministry, and a family friend, in a memorial published in the Stanly, N.C., News & Press.

Dr. Taylor is survived by his wife, the Hon. Susan Chandler Taylor, his children William, Vivian, and John; and his mother, Evelyn Taylor; three sisters; and seven nieces and nephews.  Memorial services were held 2 p.m. Sat., Oct. 5, 2013, at the University Baptist Church, 100 S. Columbia St., Chapel Hill, N.C.

Pilgrims and Witness: LGBTQ Lives in the Episcopal Church

Since the announcement that I was going to be the next executive director of Integrity, I've had a couple of folks come to me with the same question. There are variations, but the basic form is "Do we still really need Integrity? DOMA's been struck down, all over the country there are communities that are friendly to LGBT people, what else is there?"

Each time I'm asked that question, I'm reminded of the incredible blessing of community. Yes, there are some of us who are doing pretty well. There are some of us who are out and proud, who have families and friends and congregations that love us, who have gainful, meaningful employment that provides us with a livable wage, who are basically free from the specter of discrimination and bias. There are a few of us who have our slice of the pie, our shot at the American dream.

By taking a wider view, though, by taking everyone in our community into account, we can see that the situation is much more complex. Many of our Episcopal sisters, brothers, and siblings face issues of employment discrimination, health care insecurity, racism in and out of the LGBTQ community, transphobia, and other challenges besides. To understand what these challenges mean, we need to take the time to listen to those who face them. 

I'm pleased to announce our new project, Pilgrims and Witnesses: LGBTQ Lives in the Episcopal Church. Over the next few months we will be featuring a series of articles by new bloggers on Walking With Integrity. These writers come from a many places across our Church. They will have the chance to talk about their faith and explore their experiences as Episcopalians and LGBTQ people. In engaging with these incredible people's unique stories, in hearing a diversity of voices, we have the opportunity to come to a deeper understanding of our faith, our work towards equality, and all the possibilities opened to us by a life with Christ.

Look for these articles starting next week!

Justice Rolling Like A River: Hello From Vivian

One of my father's favorite Bible verses comes from the prophet Amos. “Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” He had it hung over his desk at his law office. I grew up seeing that verse over and over, and have always loved it. Our work as followers of Christ is to love each other and to love the world, and in loving, to bring that justice and righteousness to the benefit of the whole world. I've thought of that verse often as I have prepared to meet the incredible blessing of becoming the executive director of Integrity USA.

Last night I took a walk through my neighborhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I happened to pass by a broken sprinkler head that was pouring out a strong, steady flow of water onto the sidewalk. The sidewalk was made up of old, uneven bricks and ran down a slight incline to the street. It seems simple, there's water, there's an incline, there should be a straight course from the broken sprinkler to the street.
What happened instead was more complex. The water pooled in some areas and branched out in others. The water was affected by the unevenness of the bricks, the texture of each brick, and the variations of sand and twigs and pebbles between the bricks.

Instead of flowing straight to the street the water meandered back and forth. Some areas in the middle of the flow of water were left dry, others out at the edges were inundated.

I see the work of Integrity and the situation of those of us who care about the rights and well being of LGBTQ people as a lot like that water flowing from that broken sprinkler. We have had great success in working towards justice for LGBTQ folks, and we have won incredible victories. Still, there is so much work left to do. While LGBTQ people are safe in some dioceses, welcomed and celebrated, there are still many areas of the Church and the nation where people are not confident in their security. There are people unsure if they will be able to follow their call to vocation because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, there are people still afraid of what their children might learn in their parishes, there are LGBTQ folks who do not feel welcome in the LGBTQ community. So long as trans women of color are still being murdered for being trans, so long as our community continues to disproportionally face poverty, so long as hatred and ignorance remain, we have work to do.

There is no one size fits all solution for the diversity of challenges that we face. Like that water had to pass through each crack and over each brick in a unique way, so we must face each challenge across the nation and Church in it's particular existence. That means that I intend to have a focus on the local level of our organization across the Church. What is effective in one place may not be effective in another, but we can always learn from one another.

As we go forward, I do want to maintain three focuses in all of our work. We need to be mindful to work for inclusion of LGBTQ people of color in our communities and our work, to support LGBTQ parent families, and to work toward education about and inclusion of transgender and non-binary people. In doing that work together, we follow Jesus' example of crossing all boundaries to show the perfect love of God. We do this work so that God's justice and righteousness will flow throughout the entire world.

I leave you with the video I made for the Not All Like That Project. This project is focused on giving pro-LGBTQ Christian the opportunity to speak out and speak up for our brother, sisters, and siblings. If you would like to speak out, I invited you submit a video as well.

Thank you,

Vivian Taylor

  

Integrity Announces Executive Director: Vivian Taylor

Integrity USA is pleased to announce its new Executive Director, Sarah Vivian Gathright Taylor. Taylor will be the first openly transgender woman to lead a major mainline protestant denominational organization in the US.

 “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to serve both Integrity USA and the wider Church. Working together in the love of Jesus Christ, there is nothing that can prevent us from opening the full Love of God to all people regardless of their orientation or identity,” she said.

Vivan Taylor

Currently residing in Somerville, Massachusetts, Taylor is a North Carolina native who enlisted in the United States Army at age 18. She served as a Chaplain's Assistant in the U.S. Army National Guard from 2003 to 2010. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Religious Studies, she deployed with her unit, the 1/130th Aviation, to southern Iraq from 2009-2010. 

Taylor has also worked as a freelance writer since 2009, and her work has been featured in newspapers and other publications across the country including the Huffington Post, Charlotte Observer, Chapel Hill News,  and others. She writes about being a solider at war, veteran life, LGBTQ issues, trans and genderqueer life, body positivity, Christianity, and her adventures in the world.

Taylor has worked since 2004 to promote a greater understanding of gay, lesbian, bi, transgender, and queer people in the Episcopal Church, and has worked with both Integrity USA and TransEpiscopal to advance diversity and acceptance in the Church. She testified before the Episcopal General Convention in 2012 in favor of adding gender identity and expression to the Church's nondiscrimination clause and was a member of our communications team, helping to produce the daily news briefings we provided.

In September of 2012, Taylor was invited to the White House to meet with Vice President Joseph Biden and a number of other national leaders. She used the opportunity to advocate for full inclusion in the U.S. military of all transgender people willing to serve.

Taylor is also among the first trans women to enter the Episcopal ordination process. She is an avid Sung Compline promoter and participant, and is currently working to develop a new intentional community in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.

Integrity's President, the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall commented, “We are delighted to have Vivian taking up the helm of Integrity. Her appointment is in line with two of our strategic goals: to bring more young people into leadership, and to increase our diversity. She was an integral part of the Communications Team at the last General Convention and has the leadership skills and ability to think strategically which are vital as we move into a new organization in a very different, more inclusive church. The future is looking very bright.”