This past June, to celebrate Pride Month (June), the Rev. Justin R. Cannon chalked a Transgender Pride Flag on the sidewalk in front of his congregation All Saints Episcopal Church in San Leandro. He sent a photo of it to Tommy Martin-Edwards, a new churchgoer who identifies as nonbinary and goes by they/them pronouns. Tommy, also known as Sister Eva Lynn Goode amongst the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (thesisters.org), comments, “It was right after my first time coming to church in person as my most authentic self and it made me feel so welcome.”
Tommy posted a photo of the mural on TikTok, and it went viral with over 55,000 views, 12,900 likes, 495 bookmarks, and almost 300 shares. Some of the comments on the post included messages from people moved to tears by the expression of support. After reading dozens of these comments and hearing how moved Tommy was by the expression of visible support, Father Justin brought the idea of a permanent mural to the church council. They liked the idea but wanted something even more inclusive. There was strong support for a flag with all the colors including trans colors and brown and black stripes. The church council unanimously approved the project.
Just in time for National Coming Out Day (October 11), Father Justin completed the mural at the front entrance to the church. On Sunday, October 12, All Saints Episcopal Church will host a Queer Fellowship Luncheon for church members at a local restaurant to celebrate National Coming Out Day. While transgender rights are being stripped away by our federal government, and places like Florida have removed rainbow crosswalks (like the one here in San Leandro at Washington Ave and Parrot St), Father Justin believes visible signs of support are more important than ever. He explains, “At the beginning of his ministry, in Luke 4:18 Jesus makes it clear that he was anointed by God to bring good news to the poor, the outcast, and oppressed. He preached a message of radical inclusion and confronted religious authorities when they shut people out because they were deemed ‘unclean’ or undesirable. The message of the Gospel is quite simple, one of God’s wide-reaching love for all people.”
At All Saints, every service begins with their welcome message: “No matter who you are or where you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here.” You can learn more about All Saints at www.saintsalive.net.
