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Queer in Christ welcomes all whether you identify as part of the queer community, you are an ally, or you just want to find out more. We gather together in fellowship and friendship while learning more about being queer in the Church. To get involved, Contact Sacristan Michael Seewer at: mseewer@saintmarks.org


Ministry Launch

The ministry was launched in February of 2023, and video of that forum may be seen below.

Contact Sacristan Michael Seewer at mseewer@saintmarks.org


Timeline

1976

The Episcopal Church passes its first resolution on “homosexual persons,” stating that they “have a full and equal claim upon the love, acceptance, and care of the Church.”

1996

Thom Monnahan and James Black are the first same-sex couple to have their union blessed at Saint Mark’s, Seattle. The previous year, the couple had gone on a widely-publicized 10-day hunger strike in the chapel of Saint Mark’s to protest the discriminatory treatment of gay people in the Church.

1999

The Very Rev. Robert Taylor is named Dean of Saint Mark’s, becoming the first openly gay person in The Episcopal Church to serve as a cathedral Dean.

2003

The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire becomes the first openly gay Bishop in the Anglican communion.

2009

The Rev. Canon Carla Robinson is ordained a priest at Saint Mark’s, becoming the first Black trans woman priest in the Episcopal Church.

2012

A contingent from Saint Mark’s Cathedral marches in the Seattle Pride Parade for the first time.

2015

The Episcopal Church approves fully equal access to Holy Matrimony for all couples regardless of gender.

 


Queer in Christ Ministry Newsletter

A newsletter containing updates, announcements, recommendations, and reflections.

To get on the list to receive future issues, please send an email to Sacristan Michael Seewer, mseewer@saintmarks.org

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Diocese of Olympia Pride Newsletter

Check out diocesan offerings for Pride month in the new issue here.


Photos

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Pride Night 2024 at Seattle Storm
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SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 6 P.M. REGISTRATION DEADLINE: APRIL 27 Join others from Saint Mark’s for Seattle Storm’s Pride Night at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday, June 29, hosted by the Queer in Christ ministry. All are welcome! Reserve your tickets by completing this web form. The cost per ticket is $37. Deadline to reserve your tickets is end of day, Saturday, April 27. ( You will be asked to pay for your ticket if you submit a reservation, even if you are not … Read More

Transgender Day of Visibility Brunch… on Easter!
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EASTER SUNDAY, MARCH 31, meet on the front patio after the 11 a.m. liturgy ends This year, Transgender Day of Visibility falls on Easter Day! In celebration of this important day, all are invited to join us after the 11a.m. liturgy ends for brunch in Capitol Hill. We will meet on the front porch by 12:45 and walk to brunch together on Broadway. So that we can make a reservation, please RSVP if you can using this link. Questions? Contact … Read More

“Clearing Space for God”—A QuiC Lenten Conversation Series
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FRIDAYS IN LENT, BEGINNING FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, THROUGH MARCH 22, 6:30-8 P.M., Leffler Living Room This Lent, Queer in Christ will host a Conversation series called Clearing Space for God, designed with queer people in mind. Join James Davidson and Michael Seewer each Friday evening in Lent as we explore and share sacred stories that celebrate otherness. We’ll dig into these stories and discuss how they and we celebrate our special gifts as queer people, and reflect on how we … Read More

QuiC Advent Devotional Writing Series—Making Manifest
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Join the Queer in Christ ministry for an Advent devotional writing series using the book Making Manifest: On Faith, Creativity, and the Kingdom at Hand by Dave Harrity. All are invited, you do not have to identify as queer or be a part of the Queer in Christ ministry to join this series! All you need is a desire to write and reflect, and share the experience with others. The book we are using, Making Manifest: On Faith, Creativity, and the Kingdom … Read More

Transgender Day of Remembrance, 2023
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 8 P.M., in the cathedral nave and livestreamed Saint Mark’s Cathedral will offer a special Vigil and Eucharist in observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance 8 p.m. on Monday, November 20, in the cathedral nave and livestreamed, hosted by the Queer in Christ ministry. Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 which honors the memory of transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. The Reverend Linzi Stahlecker will preside. … Read More

Queer in Christ Book Discussion: The Book of Queer Prophets
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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 12:30 P.M., Leffler Living Room All are welcome to join the next Queer in Christ book discussion on Sunday, November 19 at 12:30 p.m., discussing the first two sections of The Book of Queer Prophets: 24 Writers on Sexuality and Religion (Ruth Hunt, editor). We will discuss the essays in the first two sections of the book (Visions and Lamentations). Interested in joining? Contact Vicky Greenbaum (vgreenbaum1@gmail.com) with questions, and also to let her know if you’d like … Read More

Queer in Christ Coffee & Art Walk
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 12:30 P.M., meet on the front patio Join members of Queer in Christ on October 8 at 12:30 p.m. for a visit to Lower Queen Anne to grab some coffee and then visit The Fishbowl, one of Seattle’s newest art galleries designed specifically for QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artists, creatives, and community members. We will meet at 12:30 p.m. on the cathedral’s front porch, and then travel together to Lower Queen Anne.

Queer Conversations
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FOLLOWING EVENSONG ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH, 5:30 P.M., Cathedral House Room 210 Join the Queer in Christ ministry after Choral Evensong for “Queer Conversations”. We will meet following the conclusion of Evensong in Cathedral House 210, for refreshment, fellowship, and a discussion on a variety of topics. APRIL 7, 2024: The Rev. Lisa Graumlich (newly ordained deacon and Dean Emerita of the College of the Environment at UW) will lead a conversation themed around the article shared … Read More

QuiC Picnic at Little Water Cantina
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UPDATE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO A LATER DATE SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1 P.M., at Little Water Cantina, 2865 Eastlake Ave E Celebrate the end of summer and approach of autumn with a Queer in Christ Picnic! Join co-hosts Michael Seewer and Vicky Greenbaum for an afternoon of bites and beverages at Little Water Cantina on Eastlake Ave on September at 1 p.m. Please email Michael to RSVP so we know how large of a table to get: mseewer@saintmarks.org

QuiC Book Discussion: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
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Queer in Christ Book Discussion: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 12:30 P.M., Room 210 For the first QuiC Book Group gathering, ministry leaders have chosen Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson, a moving memoire about growing up queer in an abusive religious family in 1970s Britain. The first half of the book contains many scenes which will be familiar to readers of Winterson’s essential 1985 Lesbian novel … Read More

Celebrating Pauli Murray, the First Queer Saint in The Episcopal Church
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TAIZÉ PRAYER LITURGY: SUNDAY, JULY 2, 4:30 P.M., in the cathedral nave and livestreamed. (QuiC Meet & Greet to follow in the cathedral nave) FORUM: WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 6 P.M., Bloedel Hall and via Zoom The Saint Mark’s Queer in Christ Ministry has planned two events in July honoring The Rev. Pauli Murray, the first Black person perceived as a woman in the U.S. to become an Episcopal priest, and the first queer person added to The Episcopal Church’s “Calendar … Read More

Projecting Justice: Protect Trans Lives
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Learn about the original May 2021 iteration of the Projecting Justice project, highlighting the names of people killed by the police, here.  JUNE 21, 2023 In 2021, Saint Mark’s collaborated with the ACLU of Washington State to use the unique visibility and position of the cathedral building as a beacon on the hill to make a powerful public statement about violence and justice in our city and our region. For two weeks, we projected names of people in Western Washington … Read More

Volunteer at the Saint Mark’s PrideFest Booth
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SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 12–8 P.M., booth located near Broadway & Roy, sign up here Saint Mark’s will once again have a booth at Capitol Hill PrideFest booth on Saturday, June 24, from noon to 8 p.m., and volunteers are needed to sign up for a 2-hour slot at the booth. It’s a fun way to participate in the event, and you may be surprised at how many people are interested in learning more about Saint Mark’s and the Episcopal Church. You … Read More

Proud People Spotlight: Rose Hazard
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In this occasional series, the Saint Mark’s Queer in Christ ministry will be highlighting the voices of LGBTQ+ members of the cathedral community. How you found Saint Mark’s After a two-year period of identifying as bigender, my egg cracked on Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, 2021. The day your egg cracks is the day you realize you are transgender. In light of such a transformative experience, I desired to find an accepting place to celebrate Easter. This was … Read More

Transphobia has no place in the Christian Church
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Links: Saint Mark’s Statement of Lament and Commitment to Action (2021) Saint Mark’s Queer in Christ Ministry launch  A Message from Dean Thomason Dear friends, Haters will hate…and yet we have another story to tell! As we approach Holy Week and the heart-heavy task of walking with Jesus to the cross and beyond, I am keenly aware of the harm that is done when religion is misused to justify crimes against humanity. The One we follow was killed by the … Read More

Transgender Day of Visibility
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UPDATED  FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 6:30–7:30 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom Join The Reverend Canon Carla Robinson, Canon for Multicultural Ministries and Community Transformation in the Diocese of Olympia, the Saint Mark’s Cathedral Queer in Christ ministry, and others from across the diocese in observance of Transgender Day of Visibility. Learn about why this observance is important, and hear from transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming individuals and allies from our diocese about what the church can … Read More

New Ministry Launch: Queer in Chirst
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UPDATED WITH VIDEO SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 10:10 A.M., Bloedel Hall Queer in Christ, a new ministry forming at Saint Mark’s, welcomes all whether you identify as part of the queer community, you are an ally, or you just want to find out more. We gather together in fellow-ship and friendship while learning more about being queer in the church. Join us on Sunday, February 19 for a forum in Bloedel Hall between the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services to … Read More

Queer Theology Workshop with Hugo Alas
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UPDATED WITH VIDEO SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2023, 9-11 A.M., online via Zoom In this workshop, we will understand what queer theology is, analyze the relationship between theology, sexuality, gender and sexual orientation, and critique the assumptions institutional religions have about gender and sexuality.” En este taller, buscamos comprender qué es la teología queer, analizar la relación entre teología, sexualidad, género y orientación sexual, y criticar los presupuestos de las religiones institucionales sobre el género y la sexualidad. UPDATE: A complete … Read More

Saint Mark’s Returns to PrideFest
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SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2022, 11 A.M.–8 P.M. Capitol Hill PrideFest is Back… and so is the Saint Mark’s booth! We will have a tent and display on Broadway during Pride weekend on Saturday, June 25, from 11 a.m. on toward evening. Just like last time—pre-pandemic—we will have fun talking with festival attendees about Saint Mark’s and handing out info and souvenirs. PrideFest is a great time and a great way to represent your faith community to a variety of folks … Read More

Forum on The Santa Marta Anglican Center
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Above: Santa Marta Center donation links. Click to enlarge. UPDATED WITH VIDEO SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 10:10–10:50 A.M., Bloedel Hall or via Zoom. The Santa Marta Anglican Center: Supporting LGBTIQ+ youth in El Salvador The Santa Marta Anglican Center supports LGBTIQ+ youth in El Salvador who are facing homelessness. It is a ministry of the Diocese of El Salvador, part of the Anglican Church in Central America. Attend this Sunday morning form in person or online to learn more about Diocese of … Read More

¡Encuentro! Meet People in El Salvador and Hear about the Work on for LGBTQ Rights and Safety
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¡Encuentro! Meet Each Other! Meet People in El Salvador (via Zoom) and Hear First-Hand Their Stories—and Stories from four Saint Mark’s Folks, too! SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2:30–4:30 P.M. via Zoom: email Canon Nancy Ross for link: nross@saintmarks.org Meet people and hear first-hand their stories of living in El Salvador, and hear the personal stories from four Saint Mark’s community members, too, for mutual sharing, as we kick-off Pride Month together with an Encuentro (gathering to get to know each other). It’s a … Read More