A living history of ministry for the LGBTQ+ community

From February to June, 2017, former intern Sara Yoe took readers on a journey through the archives of the Diocese of California. Specifically, they chronicled the Diocese of California’s unique involvement and support of the LGBTQ+ community. From the founding of The Parsonage in 1981 to a youth immersion trip to the Castro in Summer 2016, this diocese has been on the forefront of LGBTQ+ inclusion both in the church and the secular world. Throughout the series, Sara will used the terms of the time referenced to refer to the LGBTQ+ community. Where this story begins in the 1980s, "gay and lesbian" were the non-heterosexual identities recognized, with occasional mention of bisexual people. "Transsexual" or "transvestite" were common terms used to describe people who now might use the word "transgender" or other words to describe non-binary or genderqueer/genderfluid identities. A term growing in popularity to more inclusively describe the entire LGBTQ+ community is “gender and sexual minorities,” or “GSM” for short.
 

The title of each article below is hyperlinked to the full article.
 

Part 1: Full and equal claim

Part 2: From fear to friendship

Part 3: Outreach, organizing, and becoming official

Part 4: Persistent love is Christian love

Part 5: The intersection of God’s work

Part 6: Learning and leading, near and far

Part 7: Not cured, but healed

Part 8: Allies in feminism and hope in grief

Part 9: By word and deed, marching forwards

Part 10: Reimagine, reorganize, and rebuild

Part 11: Candle-lit hope

Part 12: Winding down, taking time, and beginning anew

Part 13: Hitting the ground running, an Oasis/CA story

Part 14: Becoming an oasis in change and turmoil

Part 15: Y2K and two new letters

Part 16: DioCal as a leader in the national church

Part 17: Change, witness, and the next generation

Final thoughts and reflections from the author