Although an increasing number of religious organizations welcome LGBT people, some still find the idea of queer-friendly faith groups surprising. Some revelers at Pride found one faith-based booth to be quite a head-turner.
People kept pointing to the Affirmation sign and saying, “That’s not real, is it?” said Randall Thacker, president of Affirmation, a group for LGBT Mormons and their supporters.
Of course, tensions between the LGBT community and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) ran high in the wake of Prop 8, when many were angered by LDS president Thomas Monson calling on Mormons to put time and money into supporting the measure opposing same-sex marriage.
But Thacker says that some Mormon leaders have supported LGBT people for years, and since Prop 8 many Mormons have spoken out about their support for equal rights. Some Mormon churches reject LGBT people, Thacker said, but others are more inclusive—his own congregation has accepted his partner.
Affirmation was just one of the faith groups showing support for LGBT people at Pride. Others churches and faith groups that took part in the parade include:
• American Jewish World Service
1801 Avenue of the Stars at Santa Monica
• Episcopal Diocese of L.A.
840 Echo Park Avenue at Laguna
• Founders Metropolitan Community Church
4607 Prospect Ave. at Rodney
• Hollywood United Methodist Church
6817 Franklin Avenue at Highland
• So Cal Lutherans
1920 W. Glenoaks Blvd. at Linden
• St. Augustine Episcopal Church
1227 Fourth Street at Wilshire
• Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica
1260 18th Street at Arizona
The 6’4 blond muscle boy in the orange and white spandex tights with the Lutheran group! How can you not have a pic of him.