This mentor text focuses on the Rev. Canon Broderick Greer, a Canon Precentor at Saint John's Cathedral in Denver Colorado. At Saint John's, Broderick coordinated ministry to people in their 20s and 30s, oversees the Cathedral's daily and weekly liturguies, and assists the Dean with stewardship and development. He occasionally speaks on matters related to history, black and queer theology, and racial justice. (trcnyc, 2022) The biggest surpise withn all of this, is that he is gay. Most of society is aware of the stereotype that the LGBTQ+ community are not welcomed by popular religions becuase they think it is "sinful". Greer turns this notion around in a very rare sense that he is not only part of the church, but a main minister who preaches and teaches the word of God. I think this has a lot of potential to ease the minds of the LGBTQ+ communnity in the idea that they are not hated by the church and even the idea that the church shouldn't hate anyone in that community for how they were born. My favorite quote from the video is when Greer states "I had the sense that like if God wanted me to be straight, then God would make me straight." This emphasises his full belieif in God and his acceptance of his sexuality. The autobiography of his life story about struggling with his sexuality but also wanting to stay with the church can be extremely reltable to a lot of people who are worried about being religios and gay. The inspiration this could bring anyone that relates to that struggle is a huge deal in the changing world of acceptance. As a stright female who used to be a very religious person but has slightly floated away from that, I cannot say I have struggled in that situation but have seen the struggle even within my church. I hope to see a society where this can be normal and no one feels rejected or denied from any form of religion. With this being said, I know that scene is far from us and there will likely be large push back from religious folks that still believe it is a sin. Becoming a leader in a community that most people would think you are not welcome is a huge step in the right direction. The intersectionality in this case is not only rare, but conflicting in some people's eyes from both communities of LGBTQ+ and Christianity as a whole. The inspiraiton Greer gives is something I hope everyone can realize and accept through time.
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