Advocacy groups honor gay rights efforts
By Angela R. Treadway, The Layman Online, June 29, 2004
2004 General Assembly
Richmond, Virginia
June 26-July 3, 2004
General Assembly news indexRICHMOND, Va. – Two groups and four individuals were honored for their gay rights efforts Saturday night at the Welcoming Presbyterians Celebration Dinner held at the Marriott Hotel in Richmond.
Attended by approximately 200 Presbyterians, the program was co-hosted by “The Three Sisters” – More Light Presbyterians, That All May Freely Serve and Shower of Stoles Project – three gay rights advocacy organizations. The “justice-love” mantra was the predominant theme of the evening.
Using bawdy off-color humor one might expect to find at a comedy bar instead of a gathering of Christians, Lisa Larges, a lesbian from “That All May Freely Serve,” played master of ceremonies.
The David Sindt Leadership Award, given by More Light Presbyterians since 1999, recognizes individuals who best exemplify the pioneering efforts of David Bailey Sindt, the founder of the Presbyterian Gay Caucus – which became Presbyerians for Lesbian/Gay Concerns and later, More Light Presbyterians. Sindt held up a sign at the 1974 General Assembly in Detroit Michigan, which said, “Is anybody else out there gay?” Sindt died of AIDS on December 3, 1986.
This year’s award was given jointly to Ralph Carter and Rob Cummings. Carter is “an openly gay deacon, elder and trustee of Third Presbyterian Church” in Rochester, N.Y. Cummings, from Grove City, Pa., was cited for being a “catalyst in the formation and development of three MLP chapters, two More Light churches, and informal dialogue groups across western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, building networks of support, education, and advocacy in some of the least LGBT-friendly presbyteries in our denomination.”
Quipping “Can anything good come out of North Carolina?” Michael Adee, a field organizer with More Light Presbyterians, presented the “Inclusive Church Award” to two North Carolina organizations – Church of the Reconciliation in Chapel Hill, and the Triangle Chapter of More Light Presbyterians in Research Triangle Park.
David Tromblom, Las Cruces, NM, and Cliff Frasier, New York City, were the joint recipients of the Howard B. Warren, Jr. Award from That All May Freely Serve, given to recognize their willingness to “cross the line.” The event marked the 30th anniversary of More Light Presbyterians.