Half a century ago, the Episcopal Church took a monumental step forward in its journey toward inclusion for LGBTQIA+ folks. In 1976, the General Convention passed a defining, if very 1976-sounding, resolution saying “homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church.”

This foundational theological commitment paved the way for decades of progressive, deliberate growth within our denomination. It laid the groundwork for the ordination of openly gay and lesbian priests in 1994, the consecration of the first openly gay bishop, the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, in 2003, and the official approval of gender-neutral and same-sex marriage ceremonies in 2015. While these advancements have sometimes caused significant strife and division within the broader Anglican Communion, the Episcopal Church has remained steadfast in its belief that our faith is grounded in Jesus’s greatest commandments: To love God and to love our neighbor.

A Legacy of Radical Inclusion in Norfolk

Here in Hampton Roads, the struggle for LGBTQIA+ liberation and safety has a poignant local history. As local historian and Christ & St. Luke’s parishioner Prof. Charles H. Ford recently illuminated in our “make no peace with oppression” adult formation series, Norfolk’s queer community historically faced intense, systemic oppression. In the 1960s and 1970s, local gathering spaces like Craig’s in Virginia Beach and the Q Club in Norfolk were regularly raided, and individuals were arrested simply for stating their sexual orientation. Furthermore, during the terrifying era of the “Lavender Scare,” queer individuals were routinely fired from military and civil service positions, deemed “security risks” simply for being who they were. For trans people serving in the military that is now the crushing reality once again.

Through these dark decades, and particularly during the devastating height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, Christ & St. Luke’s stepped forward to be a sanctuary. Our church became a local powerhouse of advocacy, actively working with organizations like the Tidewater AIDS Crisis Task Force and the Full Circle AIDS Hospice. In an era when some prominent religious figures were calling the disease a divine punishment, members of our parish were gathering to cook meals for AIDS patients, providing a tangible, outward sign of God’s unconditional love. We proudly own this history of allyship; it is woven into the fabric of our calling.

Celebrating Together: The Pride Eucharist

To joyfully commemorate the 50th anniversary of our denomination’s affirmation of LGBTQIA+ people, we are thrilled to host the Diocesan Pride Eucharist on Wednesday, June 3, at 6:00 p.m.

Bishop Susan B. Haynes will serve as the celebrant, and The Rev. Charles Lane Cowen, Rector of St. Andrew’s in Norfolk, will preach.

This special service is an opportunity to reflect on our shared history. The journey to make the promise of equality a reality continues today, and we gather to remember the struggles, celebrate the profound joy, and give thanks for the love and lives of those who refuse to be erased. All are welcome to attend this beautiful expression of God’s boundless grace, and childcare will be available for families.

“A Safe Space”: Voices from Our LGBTQIA+ Community

It is in this spirit of ongoing celebration and reflection that we recently produced a new mini-documentary video, “A Safe Space.” We made this film because, as parishioner Mitchell Frizzell notes, “a lot of queer people know that the default assumption is that [a church] is not a safe space.”

You can watch the film here:

For many marginalized people, entering a sanctuary requires an “outward and visible sign” that they will be protected and embraced. We wanted to explicitly capture and broadcast that sign, making it clear that at Christ & St. Luke’s, our LGBTQIA+ members are not merely tolerated, they are actively celebrated and vital to our shared life.

The video features testimonies from members of our congregation who have found a spiritual home here. Dwight Bucholz, speaking as a father who had completely accepted his trans child, shared that his family needed a church that was completely affirming. Dwight had witnessed the heartbreaking “bait and switch” in his former church, where a church might claim to accept everyone, but strictly bars queer individuals from serving as Sunday school teachers or holding any positions of authority. Finding the real deal at Christ & St. Luke’s, where his family is affirmed, led to an expansion of his spiritual life, allowing him to feel that his relationship with God is deeper than before.

Anders Nolan, who serves as our acolyte master and on the Vestry, emphasized that at Christ & St. Luke’s, there is “no ghettoization of LGBTQ experience.” Queer parishioners are not pushed off to the side; they are in the thick of parish life and leadership. Anders also highlighted the profound insights generated by our monthly Queer Theology group. He shared a reading of the story of “Doubting Thomas” through a queer lens. Rather than viewing Thomas as a cautionary tale of faithlessness, the group recognized Thomas as someone who was ostracized and advocated for himself, asking to touch Jesus’s wounds. As a trans man with top surgery scars, Anders found a spiritual parallel to this story. “I feel my scars differently, too,” he shared in the film, noting that “transness is a gift,” and that a community of love allows him to view his scars as a sacred part of his personal journey.

Mitchell Frizzell also reflected on the robust discussions in the Queer Theology group, reminding us that Jesus Christ was a “deeply transgressive figure” who intentionally broke unjust norms to stand with those on the margins. In these gatherings, queer individuals are not asked to apologize or justify their existence; instead, they are invited to dissect scripture through unique, diverse viewpoints that enrich the entire church. Knowing that his marriage is respected and valued by the parish allows him to simply be himself—a married person, a queer person, and a beloved child of God.

Parishioner Barb Kersey, a devoted ally, shared what drew her to our parish. Having lost dear friends to the AIDS epidemic, she and her husband were searching for a church home and were captivated by a banner on the side of our building that read, “You Belong.” She noted that engaging with theology through a queer lens is, ultimately, looking directly into the heart of the Gospel. “Isn’t that Jesus’ gospel anyway?” she asks, reminding us that Jesus’s greatest commandment was to love one another from a place that does not judge or cast out, but welcomes all into the fold.

We invite you to watch and share “A Safe Space” and to listen to these vital voices. Whether you are exploring faith for the first time or seeking a sanctuary after experiencing exclusion elsewhere, there is a place for you here.

Read more about LGBTQIA+ life at Christ & St.Luke’s in our recent articles.