Bishop Marches in Gay Pride Parade to Promote Tolerance
Episcopal News Service. June 26, 1992 [92147]
Kenneth Plate, Communications Officer for the Diocese of El Camino Real
The escalating violence against gays and lesbians prompted the Bishop of El Camino Real, Richard Shimpfky, to lead a church contingent of clergy and laypersons in the gay pride parade in San Jose, California, on June 14.
"The appalling silence of decent people in positions of leadership and the demonization of gay people by right-wing officials and 'traditional values' groups is largely responsible for this violence," said Shimpfky. "It is important to me to be in the parade as a way of challenging a morality that accuses people for what they are not who they are as children of God. It is wrong to do that. Gay and lesbian people are being scapegoated and abused."
Shimpfky, whose 18,000-member diocese extends along the central California coast from Palo Alto to San Luis Obispo, is aware that approximately 10 percent of the diocese is gay. "This statistic is true whether you are talking about the Congress of the United States or the local school board or an individual parish of our church." Noting that violence against gays and lesbians has risen as much as 31 percent in 1991, Shimpfky called upon Episcopalians to work to stop "labeling and bashing each other...we're being mutated into something that is neither civilized nor Christian."
San Jose Mayor Susan Hammer opened parade festivities at the Santa Clara County fairgrounds, where the local chapter of Integrity, an organization of gay and lesbian Episcopalians, had an information booth. Due to the extensive media coverage of the bishop's participation, large numbers of gays and lesbians came to the booth with questions about the Episcopal Church.
According to Jim Goddell, Integrity spokesperson, the most common question asked was "Is there a church near where I live?" Also asked were
"What does the church think about us" and "Are we really welcome?"
"This is Integrity's story for the Decade of Evangelism," Goodell said. "We are proclaiming the church's welcome, but we also worry about what will happen when these people show up in our parishes."
Reaction to the bishop's participation in the parade was mostly positive. According to Nancy Cook, executive assistant to the bishop, only one negative telephone call was received at the diocesan offices. "We have been inundated with letters and calls from this diocese and beyond. Ninety percent have been positive," she said.
Shimpfky, who marched in the parade between services at Trinity Cathedral was touched by the numbers of people in the parade who spoke of the pain of family members who were homosexual, many with tears in their eyes. "If I have helped to heal some wounds today, then I am doing my job," Shimpfky said.