Saskatoon Pride Week Festival, June 5-12, 2011

Integrity Saskatoon at the Pride Parade

They came in all shapes, dress, and colours, the over 2500 people who attended the Saskatoon Pride Parade, the largest ever, June 11.  A large section of the parade consisted of Integrity Saskatoon and Saskatoon religious groups including the Anglican, United, and Unitarian churches. The parade is a statement of thousands to the public and church groups in support of the 7-10% of the population of Canada who deserve to be honoured and respected as are all citizens of this great country, those who sexuality and sexual expression is diverse, such as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, and Two Spirited people of Canada. The parade is a place where people of sexual diversity can feel free to express themselves and where others can join in affirming this freedom.

Saskatoon Affirming Ministries (SAM) members of the United Church

During the week another statement was made by two men who have been together for 48 years, 5 of them married, thanks to Canadian laws which show respect and equality for homosexuals. A small celebration of the commitment and love of two men for each other and to Christ, Jim Komar and John Irwin, was held at St. Georges's Anglican church on June 6.

Jim Komar and John Irwin celebrating 48 years together,
5 married, with Rose and Tom Rogers

Sunday June 12, Saskatoon Affirming Ministries of the United Church held a service in celebration of Sexual Diversity at Civic Square in front of City Hall.  The service was led by David Kim Craig, and including a short presentation  by former NDP Premier of Saskatchewan, Lorne Calvert, in celebration of sexual diversity.

74 photos of the Pride Parade, Jim Komar and John Irwin, and the Service in Celebration of Sexual Diversity may be seen by clicking on the following web page address:  https://picasaweb.google.com/rogerstr1990/2011060512SaskatoonPrideWeekFestival

SAM service in celebration of sexual diversity

Lorne Calvert speaking, and Service coordinator, David Kim-Graigg

David Kim-Craigg presented the following:

A Christian Manifesto:

We, the Church, once broken by patriarchy and homophobia have listened to our own stories and the stories of others.  These stories bear witness with total authenticity and often in the face of violent opposition that God has created us with a diversity of sexualities.  With sincerity and humility we have identified ourselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, two-spirited, inter-sexed, queer, questioning and straight.  We have proclaimed that these diverse sexualities are good.  We, the Church, now accept this witness as true, hearing within the stories of those of us and others who are sexual minorities both the marks of the crucified Jesus and the glory of the risen Christ.  From this we have reached the following conclusions:

a.     God has, from the beginning, created a diversity of sexualities.

b.    By the grace of Christ all people of every sexual identity are accepted and loved unconditionally.

c.     The Holy Spirit has from the beginning invited sexual minorities to be a special and integral part of the Church.

The inclusion of sexual minorities in the life of the Church has meant wholeness and justice for the people of God.  Their exclusion has meant brokenness and injustice for the Church and for the world.  In the name or the risen and living Christ, who desires that all should experience life in abundance, we therefore call on all churches everywhere who condemn and exclude sexual minorities to recognize their error, to repent, to receive the full Gospel of Jesus Christ and to accept the Holy Spirit’s invitation to a new life.

Amen.