Unlike so many of the other yard-sign causes that tug at us, Pride is not about a particular
agenda or outcome. It is simply about affirming the worth of every human being as God made
them. [Pride Month] is a moment when the church can lend its particular voice to the larger voice of
culture and say that not only is being queer good, it is also—as part of God’s creation—holy.
Rev. Dr. Anne Michele Turner, Rector of Grace Church
Grace Church is a sexual orientation and gender identity affirming church, proudly listed in the Affirming Church Directory™ compiled by GayChurch.org. We celebrate same-sex marriages, and have been for many years. Parishioners, lay leaders and priests are welcome in all aspects of our worship, sacraments and parish life regardless of gender, sexual identity or orientation.
We also view Pride Month as not only a holiday, but a Holy Day.
Our national church has many resources to celebrate LGBTQIA+ people in the church. In the early 2000s, what received a lot of attention were marriage rites. What’s new since 2018 is a rite for
renaming, useful for anyone whose life circumstance has caused the adoption of a new name.
It includes this prayer:
Blessed are you, God of growth and discovery; yours is the inspiration that has
altered and changed our lives; yours is the power that has brought us to new
dangers and opportunities. Set us, your new creation, to walk through this new
world, watching and learning, loving and trusting, until your kingdom comes.
Amen
Grace incorporated this prayer in its June 2022 worship services in recognition of Pride Month. Rector Anne Turner’s hope was that this prayer would serve as a reminder of the journey of discovery that all of us are on, a journey for which queer and especially trans people have given us an especially brave example.
(2022 marks their 40th year together.)