From those early days in the struggle for LGBTQ acceptance, he led the first historic protests and marches throughout Los Angeles and around the U.S. Perry is a renowned international LGBTQ human rights activist and a pioneer in social equality, legal protection and spiritual justice for LGBTQ people. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles.
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Only two months after founding the church, he began conducting what is considered to be the first same-sex wedding ceremony in the United States.ĥ0 years later, the Los Angeles LGBTQ community will honor Perry on the 50th anniversary of his founding the first welcoming spiritual home for LGBTQ people, with a Gala event to be held on October 6 at St. Despite fire bombings of its sanctuaries and murders of its clergy, Perry led a movement and expansion of the denomination to become one of the world’s largest LGBT organizations with hundreds of churches in countries around the world. “I was called to preach, and that is what I did.” This small gathering of 12 people quickly grew into multiple churches around the country and eventually the world. Yet, later that year he created a revolution within a revolution a year before Stonewall when he advertised in the Advocate magazine for a gathering in his home as a church service for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people. “I felt like I had failed the Lord,” Perry said.
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And thus, the Metropolitan Community Church was born.Īfter being kicked out of his church in 1968 for coming out to his wife and clergy, Perry was at a loss. Perry, it simply meant there was an space to fill within the LGBTQ+ community with the word of God.
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For many religious members of the LGBTQ+ community, accepting oneself can mean rejecting the Church.