San Diego Pride and our interfaith program, DevOUT, stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ siblings in the United Methodist Church. We applaud the courage of LGBTQIA+ Methodists who have spoken out this week and we will continue to stand with them.
“While we grieve this decision from the international UMC body, we are redoubled in our commitment to always be faith communities that are fully open and affirming of our LGBTQIA+ siblings,” said Reverend Brent Ross of Normal Heights United Methodist Church. “For we are a church who is led by, taught by, and blessed by our LGBTQIA+ family and we will never change or stop celebrating who we are.”
Sixty-five percent of all LGBTQIA+ people claim a spiritual or faith practice, and San Diego’s faith communities have a long legacy of working hard to create welcoming and affirming spaces for our LGBTQIA+ family. As we move forward, our LGBTQIA+ and allied faith leaders will stay strong in this work in all faith traditions.
“The traditionalists within the United Methodist church have chosen to exclude and marginalize LGBTQIA+ Christians whose only desire is to serve their church and express the Love of God in the world,” said Lead Pastor Brandan Robertson of Missiongathering Christian Church. “Nothing could be more antithetical to the message Jesus embodied and proclaimed. Thankfully there is a powerful uprising within the UMC of LGBTQIA+ clergy, lay people, and allies who will continue to fight and defend all queer people’s dignity and right to serve and be included in the Church and the world. This decision is the decision of a few non-inclusive leaders, but it’s not the decision of God. God continues to welcome all, and I am hopeful that the future of our church and world is towards inclusion.”
Read a statement from San Diego Pride Executive Director Fernando Z. López here.
If you’d like to stay up to date on our interfaith organizing efforts or would like to sign up your congregation to work as part of the coalition you can do so here.
San Diego Pride raises funds primarily through festival ticket and beverage sales, and through sponsorships, and exhibitor fees. These funds support San Diego Pride’s community philanthropy which has distributed more than $2.5 million in advancement of its mission to foster pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally.
