June 28 is a sacred and holy day in the lives of LGBTQIA+ people. On that date in 1969, at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, a united force of our gritty, glittery forequeers, those who had been continually harassed by police, those who had been maligned by a patriarchal, racist, and heteronormative society, those who knew that collective freedom would only come if it was demanded, fought back and gave birth to the next phase of Queer Liberation.  

When I first learned that Berlin’s Pride march is called “The Christopher Street Day Parade,” I wept. Explicitly connecting the continuing fight for Queer Liberation to that very site and that very day is so important, especially as so much of our history is lost and so many of the most marginalized among us continue to be targeted, even as the most privileged among us celebrate progress.  

My parish, Judson Memorial Church, sits just steps away from the Stonewall Inn, and my connection to the LGBTQIA+ and faith communities of Berlin are some of the most important relationships in my life. So I am exceedingly honored to travel with some of my esteemed New York City clergy colleagues to be with all of you as you proudly celebrate another Christopher Street Day. Our forequeers surround us in a cloud of witnesses, proudly watching how we continue to connect, across time, space, cultures, and experiences.  

May we lift this sacred and holy day, may we lift this sacred and holy work, and may we continue to queer ourselves into the gritty glitter we wish to see in the world!  
 

* Rev. Micah Bucey will be one of our guests from New York at the multi-faith worship service for Christopher Street Day on July 22^nd at St. Mary´s Church