Editorial on LGBTQ Dialogue

From the Editor--

This past Thursday, students from the six seminaries in Hyde Park gathered at the Divinity School to listen to the experiences of LGBTQ students. We heard joys and struggles of being in the class-room, finding equal-rights housing, of administrative response, of fitting in with classmates. We heard about candidacy committees and denominational policies. We heard about being ‘tolerated’ instead of fully welcomed. We heard about being the parent of a child coming out in a church that isn’t welcoming. We heard about long, complex spiritual journeys and hope for the future.

On this issue that mattered to all of us in that place, we gathered and met and were strengthened by one another’s presence. We were also generously plied with enough pizza for a small army. People came and went as classes and responsibilities required. Our vibrant conversation filled the scheduled time and spilled over as we filtered out of the room.

This was Something Important. It’s not often that students from across the neighborhood come together or talk together or have authentic conversations with one another about our differences and our common causes. This was a Beginning. Our hope is to continue these conversations--not just as LGBTQ seminarians and allies working together, but bringing even more people to the table to talk about the other things that concern us. We’d like to have a forum to understand the experiences of seminarians with disabilities. We’d like to talk about race relations and interreligious issues--hands on, and not just in theory. We’d like to work together on service projects and connecting with the communities around us. We’d like to explore the possibilities--and you are welcome to join us.

Thanks to everyone who spoke, listened, ate, and organized this week’s forum. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Le Anne Clausen