Sunday, June 24, 2007

Supporting our vision

Pride news: Elizabeth Edwards Backs Gay Marriage

WaPo:

Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards, kicked off San Francisco’s annual gay pride parade Sunday by splitting with her husband over support for legalized same-sex marriage.

“I don’t know why someone else’s marriage has anything to do with me,” Edwards said at a news conference before the parade. “I’m completely comfortable with gay marriage.”

In other pride news, Andrew Sullivan’s been there, done that (me too, here and here). Michael Demmons was in Piedmont Park (and watching Channel 11). The NY Grand Marshalls were a lesbian Rabbi and a Christian preacher. And Florida had its own tale of God, pride and preachers.

LATER: Atlanta Rev. Bradley Schmeling - who refused to resign from St. John’s Lutheran Church last year after telling his bishop that he was in a gay relationship - was grand marshal for Atlanta’s pride parade:

Members of his congregation marched behind the car carrying Schmeling, and other members stood along the parade route.

“To see the crowd respond so positively was wonderful,” said Barbara Arne, a St. John’s member. People stopped her after the parade “to say how wonderful it was to have so many churches supporting the gay community,” she said.

“I’m a little embarrassed by all the attention,” Schmeling said Saturday. “But I feel like it’s a chance for me to witness for a church that’s open, accepting and loving to everyone. So many churches have only harsh and negative words for gay and lesbian people.”

Schmelling was reluctantly defrocked by a committee that realized church rules left them no choice, but they did so in such a way as to open the door for change by suggesting that the church reconsider its rule on gay relationships. With that, attention now shifts to Chicago where the churchwide assembly meets in August. Roughly half of its agenda there will be taken up by lesbian and gay issues.

Condoms

Lots of these on the streets today…

NYC

A smooth flight on a crystal clear day had me on the Newark AirTrain in time for yesterday’s 4:15 NJTransit train to Penn Station. I dropped luggage at my host’s Village apartment, then we headed to Chelsea for dinner at the Rocking Horse Cafe. A favorite since the 1990s - when the Times says the “Rocking Horse was one of the most exciting Mexican restaurants in New York” - it’s different now but altogether as good as it ever was. We made our way through the crowd of gay revelers to get to our quiet(er) table in the rear.

Afterwards we headed uptown to see the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony perform a benefit concert tribute to Beethoven at Riverside Church. More specifically, we went to see friends singing in the chorus for the symphony’s performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. I think I remember seeing the Ninth performed live only once before - by the New York Philharmonic in Central Park years ago - and even that could be a phantom memory. Last night’s was an exuberant performance in a glorious setting and an altogether thrilling experience.

This morning it was breakfast in SoHo (the best Eggs Benedict I’ve had in years) and a visit to the Apple Store (which has no 15” MacBook Pros in stock - nor does the 5th Avenue store - and they don’t even know when they’ll be getting them in). Back at my temporary NYC home now, a roar just came from Fifth Avenue as the Pride Parade arrived in the village. I have to shower and get out there! I’ll add links to this post later. And hopefully have some interesting video from the day’s pride festivities.