More than 1,500 New Yorkers gathered today in Manhattan to mourn the death of a 32 year-old gay man, who was shot down on Friday just blocks away from the historic Stonewall Inn in an apparent act of anti-gay bias.
Presbyterian Lesbian Still Fighting for Ordination
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 4:47pm by Ann Craig, GLAAD's Director of Religion Faith and Values
Lisa Larges - Photo courtesy Bay Area Reporter
In San Francisco, on March 25, a Presbyterian commission rejected the process used by the Presbytery of San Francisco to certify openly lesbian candidate for ordination, Lisa Larges.
The ruling did not deal with her qualifications but the procedural ruling effectively puts additional hurdles in her path toward ordination. Larges said:
This decision makes it abundantly clear that the Presbyterian Church must remove the current prohibitory language that denies ordination to openly LGBT people and adopt a new policy. The amendment now being voted on across the country properly aligns our understanding of ministry....
Larges has been working toward ordination for two decades. In 2002, she began work with the organization That All May Freely Serve, a group that advocates for a church that honors diversity and welcomes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons as full members eligible for ordination. She now serves as the Minister Coordinator of the group.