Proud Episcopalians in a Parade
by Aer van de Water
St Stephen-in-the-Field sponsored the Interfaith Booth at Silicon Valley Pride this summer. Several volunteers of the Rainbow Community walked in the episcopal delegation in the parade.
Sunday morning, August 25, I hurried along a crowded street in my asexual shirt and pride flag cape. The delegation of our diocese gathered under the shady trees on Julian Street in San Jose, ready to filter onto Market Street when it was our turn to walk in the Silicon Valley Pride Parade. I hugged some of my fellow students from my Monday Education for Ministry class from St Jude’s. A few parishes had brought large banners proclaiming proudly that us Episcopalians believed God loved everybody. A white dove kite representing the holy spirit flew overhead. A cart with water and a life-size Jesus cut-out decorated with rainbow accessories sat ready to be pulled. I was glad I could represent St Thomas amongst this happy crowd. I greeted bishop Lucinda, here on her day off. My friends Kathryn and Liam showed up with the banner to show off our Rainbow Community Garden on the campus of St Stephen-in-the-Fields.
Well-prepared with sunscreen and water, we waited as the sun made it a summery 90 degrees. The parade opened with the Dykes on Bikes revving down Market Street towards the festival grounds at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. We took our turn to walk waving and cheering, hooting and laughing past the crowds decked out in their rainbow best. No one proclaimed homophobia or transphobia in the name of God this year, any Christians present this day walked in the parade. I handed out a card to every person with an asexual flag – we often have a hard time finding each other with how sidelined we have long been even in the queer community. After half an hour, we filtered into the side street or into the festival grounds.
After a lunch break, I entered the festival area for my volunteer shift at the Interfaith Pride booth. St Thomas sponsored the booth – where people received the code to a Google map with pins for every religious organisation that welcomed queer people in Santa Clara County, so that everyone was empowered to practice their religion in safety and community. At the booth, people could also seat themselves in little open air parlour for a supportive conversation. They could add a little heart with their wishes and thanksgivings to a large chickenwire and ribbon rainbow – the offrenda. And we had some games set up for people to relax. As volunteers, we told each other the stories of our religions and queer journeys inbetween serving the people that came to the booth.
Next to the Interfaith booth, a few episcopal churches had decided to rent a booth together, a first this year. After seeing how many queer and allied episcopelians showed up in the delegation in the morning, I understood a bit better why they wished to do outreach (quite literally) next to the interfaith booth. The festival in general was more community-oriented and mellow than last year. I greeted a few fellow activists who came by the booth.