More than 130 individuals gathered in Chicago Nov. 21-23 for Fabulous, Fierce & Sacred: a gathering of Anabaptist lgbtqa* Community.
The three groups that sponsored the gathering include: Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Interests, Pink Menno and Inclusive Pastors.
Carol Wise, a planner, said this was the first time that these three groups came together for a formal event, and each group contributed in a different way.
Wise described the various gifts: “BMC with its rich history and experience; Pink Menno and their adeptness at taking playful risks, and Inclusive Pastors with their knowledgeable about institutional structures and paths of change.”
An attendee, Keith G. Schrag, said he appreciated the cross-generation connections. “There’s great hope for the church when the younger generation has so much zest, passion, and appeal,” he said.
Over half of the participants identify as LGBTQ+.
In explaining the * in the title of the gathering, planner Patrick Ressler said, “We, as planners, recognize within this label people who are asexual, intersex, two spirit, genderqueer or gender non-conforming—as well as lesbian, gay, bi/pansexual, transgender, queer/questioning. In naming this, we also recognize the limitations of language to capture the complexity of our lived experience and the intersections of our identities.”
Workshop topics included: queer theology, information for allies, Mennonite Church USA polity, social change, oppression, gender identity and more.
Participants and others donated more than $2,500, which helped make the event accessible to those with a financial need.
Ressler said, “This gathering confirmed the ways in which LGBTQ+ people are committed to being church to one another when the Mennonite Church will not.”
Have a comment on this story? Write to the editors. Include your full name, city and state. Selected comments will be edited for publication in print or online.