Dear Friends,

June is Pride Month. Last Saturday, I joined parishioners from St. Paul’s and Episcopalians from the Diocese of Ohio as we walked in Cleveland’s Pride Parade. Our bishop, the Rt. Rev. Anne Jolly, was there in her rainbow tutu, blessing the large number of parishes that participated.

Yes, there were other church denominations present, but The Episcopal Church had the largest group of “church marchers” by far, underscoring our commitment to full participation of all in the church – “All sacraments for All people.”

I am proud to be a priest in a church where we strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every human being. It has been a joy for me to officiate at same-sex weddings since they became legal. I am grateful that our church’s Canon law includes “gender identity or expression” in its list of things that will not prevent persons from having full access to the ministry of the church.

I am grateful that Canon law specifies that administrative forms must include options for both preferred and legal names and for gender identity and pronoun preference. And I’m grateful that the church hopes that “As transgender people and their families increasingly come out within, or find their way to, congregations, their specific naming in our Canons…will encourage congregations to deepen their understanding and widen their welcome.”

I give thanks that I can look my own children and grandchildren in their eyes and say that I represent a Christian church that walks in solidarity with LGBTQIA+ persons.

This year’s Pride observances in the United States are taking place in the midst of ongoing “culture wars.” These have tended to mar the celebrations that will go on in spite of them, and they have tested businesses’ support for the rights of gay, lesbian, and transgender people, as their D.E.I. (diversity, equity, and inclusion) efforts have increasingly been attacked. For a decade or more, Pride Month had become a fixture on U.S. marketing calendars, as June presented the opportunity to show employees and customers that companies valued diversity over discrimination. But this Pride Month, many retail chains and brands have gone quiet.

Companies are treading lightly, avoiding prominent campaigns and visible public support. Thirty-nine percent have said they plan to scale back public Pride Month engagements this year, according to a survey of more than 200 corporate executives by Gravity Research, a risk management advisory. That includes sponsoring Pride events, posting supportive messages of LGBTQ rights on social media, and selling Pride-themed merchandise.

Much of this has come as a shock. Big retailers have sold rainbow merchandise for roughly a decade with little pushback. However, the dynamic has shifted as bans of gender-affirming care and drag shows have become central talking points for lawmakers who are eager to turn LGBTQ rights into a potent wedge issue with their voters.

The American Civil Liberties Union is currently tracking 593 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills in this country, up from 491 two years ago. (And that lower number was a record then!) The measures have ranged from restrictions on the discussion of LGBTQ topics in public schools to bans on transgender students from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity.

What is particularly disturbing is the focus of attacks on transgender and nonbinary persons. The suicide rate and suicidal tendencies among transgender persons are considerably higher than the general population, ranging from 32% to 50% across countries and cultures. Gender-based victimization, discrimination, bullying, violence, rejection by family, friends, and community; harassment by intimate partners, family members, police and the public; discrimination and ill treatment in the health-care system are the major risk factors that influence the suicidal behavior among transgender persons. People, particularly youth, will die as a result of what can only be described as cruel, politically-motivated legislative and boycott efforts.

Just as we began Pride Month by participating in Cleveland’s Pride Parade, we will end it on Sunday, June 29, by observing Pride Sunday here at St. Paul’s at all three services. It will be a time to celebrate and to pray.

For more about The Episcopal Church’s support of Pride Month, I invite you to this article from Monday’s edition of USA Today.  It’s an interview with Bishop Mariann Budde, the Bishop of Washington, DC, who, in her sermon during the January 21 inauguration prayer service, urged the President to “have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.” Many are scared. They are our family members, friends, and fellow parishioners. How will you walk in solidarity with them during Pride Month?

Blessings,

Stephen Applegate