Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons

First Baptist Church in Salt Lake City

Gay Mormons to Participate in Pride Interfaith Service

May 2005

We are proud to announce the 2005 Pride Interfaith Service, to take place on the evening of June 11th, 2005, starting at 6 PM, at First Baptist Church (777 South 1300 East SLC). This is the fourth year of the Pride Interfaith Celebration, and our first year as an official affiliate of the Utah Pride Committee. The service will last approximately one hour. After the service, we will have refreshments and hold a social. Bookmark this site for up to-date information.

Faith groups that are participants in this year's Pride Interfaith Service include Integrity Utah (Episcopal), Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons, South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society, the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans, Congregation Kol Ami, Sacred Light of Christ Metropolitan Community Church, Family Fellowship, Gamofites, Wasatch Presbyterian, LDS Reconciliation, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden, Holladay United Church of Christ, The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ, The Wasatch Zen Center, and several other unaffiliated faith groups of Christian, Jewish, Non-Denominational, Pagan, Native American, and Eastern Traditions.

Other participants include the Salt Lake Men's Choir, the Sister Wives, the Dark Moon Drummers Guild, P-FLAG-SLC, individuals from the GLCCU, the Utah Pride Day Council, among others. Make your plans now to join us!

Why An Interfaith Service?

It is erroneously and tragically thought by many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people (GLBT), especially GLBT youth, that on the event of their "coming-out" they lose all rights to consider themselves people of faith, spiritual and capable of holiness.

Many mainstream churches teach and believe that being gay or transgendered is sinful, therefore, it is not surprising that religion is often one of the first appendages of one's old life abandoned by the person who is newly identifying as a member of the GLBT community.

As an interfaith community we come together from many diverse faiths and cultures, to proclaim loudly and proudly that such is not the case! The Utah Pride Interfaith Committee firmly believe, that within our individual traditions, regardless of how one sees the Divine, each GLBT individual is a being of Love, made as we are. We proclaim that the Divine embraces us all and delights fully in our being. Being gay or transgendered or lesbian or bisexual is no more a sin than being heterosexual. It is who we are, and who we are is holy.

Thus...we are holding a fourth Gay Pride Interfaith Celebration, seen as an integral component of 2005 Utah Pride. We proclaim loudly that our spirituality and faith are integral to our being. We of the GLBT faith community proclaim ourselves joyfully as wholly people and holy people, deserving of equal rites.

Report of 2004 service