FSUMC The Peoples Church to Host Drag Worship Event in New York City to Celebrate PRIDE Month
The Latinx Civil Rights Landmark Church (Young Lords), is celebrating PRIDE with a big worship experience with a Drag Queen Preaching in response to the increasing legal persecution against the Queens in our country.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Latinx Civil Rights Landmark Church (Young Lords), is celebrating PRIDE with a big worship experience with a Drag Queen Preaching in response to the increasing legal persecution against the Queens in our country.
New York City, NY – FSUMC The Peoples Church is excited to announce a special worship service to celebrate PRIDE month. On Sunday, June 11, 2023, at 1:15 pm, we will be hosting a Drag Worship event at 163 E 111th, New York City.
We are thrilled to have Minister Issaac Simmons, a United Methodist Pastor and student at Boston University School of Theology, join us to bring the word of God as Ms. Pennycost. Minister Simmons is an experienced drag performer and a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
As we celebrate PRIDE month, we want to invite the entire New York City community to join us in reclaiming the Art of Drag as sacred. We stand in action and spiritual solidarity with all Trans-Queer bodies and remind the world that our God has never been on the side of the oppressor but the oppressed.
At FSUMC The Peoples Church, we are committed to creating a space where all are welcome, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It is time to reclaim the church spaces from the forces of hate and exclusion. The church cannot keep dictating who is welcome to the house of worship, nor can it allow people to use the name of God to justify their hate and lack of knowledge.
We believe that there is something special when we show up as we are to worship the God of life, freedom, diversity, justice and unconditional love with liberty. Join us for a worship service like no other, where we celebrate our authentic selves and embrace our differences.
Rev. Dorlimar Lebron and Rev. Jonathan Cintron (Openly Gay Man), Pastors of FSUMC The Peoples Church, shared their thoughts on the upcoming Drag Worship event: PRIDE month is a time to celebrate the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and to honor the struggles and sacrifices of those who came before us to fight for our rights. We are proud to stand with our LGBTQ+ siblings and to offer a safe and welcoming space for all to worship together. We believe it is against God’s revelation in the scripture, experience, reason and tradition, the growing amount of systemic and legal persecution that Trans-Queer children of God are experiencing in our country. We believe the Stonewall Riots were a Pentecost (as the Young Lords, The Civil Rights Movement, The Feminist Movement, BLM and the Black Panthers), a movement of the Spirit of the Living God, that moved Trans women and the oppressed to speak up and to rise up for the liberation of God’s Children. We believe that freedom is only found in the collective, furthermore we believe that as the church of Christ, we can only fully experience the Glory of God, when we love like Jesus do.” said Rev. Jonathan Cintron.
“Drag is an art form that has been a part of our LGBTQ+ culture for decades. It is a powerful tool for self-expression and a celebration of our unique identities. The art of Drag has been present in our history for over a century. As an art it pushes boundaries, it invites us to think deeper as a society. Drag Queens have been a prophetic voice in our city of New York, that keep reminding us that there is power in that joyful revolution. By incorporating drag into our worship service, we are sending a message of love and acceptance to our entire community.” added Rev. Dorlimar Lebron.
Members of the Young Lords were led by police out of a New York City church after ending a sit-in in 1970.
The Young Lords and their allies were instrumental in fighting against police brutality, housing discrimination, and other forms of systemic oppression. FSUMC The People’s Church, is a United Methodist Church that carries on its DNA the legacy and theology of Rev. John Wesley, and the legacy, inspiration, struggles and wisdom of the Young Lords Party NYC. We will not stay silent one more day. Our tradition as United Methodist and as The People’s Church compels us to speak up and to take a stand. We condemn in the name of the All Loving God the actions that some States Legislatures are taking to band the art of Drag. We recognize this move as one to attempt to push back into the dark of a tomb or a closet, the people that God has resurrected and called to come out to be light. We recognize these moves as ways of evil that are attempting to regulate bodies and the expression of diversity and love in our world. Yes, those are the works of evil, and we will not be complacent of the voices that keep using God to validate their sin of hate.
We are excited to bring together the LGBTQ+ community, people of faith, and social justice activists to celebrate PRIDE month. Join us on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at 1:15pm at 163 E 111th, New York City, for a worship service like no other. For more information about FSUMC The Peoples Church and our upcoming events, please visit our Instagram page: @FSUMC.
Contact:
Rev. Dorlimar Lebron
FSUMC The Peoples Church
163 E 111th, New York City
Email: [email protected]
