Standing with LGBT people around the world

Today, 30 LGBT-affirming African religion scholars and faith leaders begin meeting in South Africa. The purpose of the consultation is to build an African faith foundation for the acceptance of LGBT people. It was organized by Kapya Kaoma of Political Research Associates and Michael Adee of the Horizons Foundation’s Global Faith and Justice Project. Kaoma is an Anglican priest from Zambia; Adee is an elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The PCUSA now officially stands with the LGBT people who are criminalized in 78 countries—including places where LGBT people are put to death, where police extort them and vigilantes stalk them, where even their family and friends are put at risk by laws against saying a good word about an LGBT person. The PCUSA's stance of solidarity with these people was adopted by unanimous consent at the General Assembly in June.

I was utterly stunned: for 40 years, every item related to LGBT people sent to the GA floor had led to fierce debate. This one did not. But this historic commitment was overshadowed in the headlines by other GA decisions, and it was lost among the distractions of summer.