Highlights from the Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection

Religion

The relationship of LGBTQ communities to religion has been a complex one. Religious beliefs and institutions have served as sources of oppression as well as support. Monterey County reflects these sometimes contradictory situations. Periodicals in the Monterey County LGBTQ history collection are useful sources for uncovering these histories.

One example of an LGBTQ supportive institution is the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), founded in Los Angeles in 1968. Both the Monterey Peninsula and Santa Cruz areas saw active congregations, reflected in advertisements and announcements in The Paper [1].

Demeter also included some, but not many, resources related to religious organizations or events. One example is a story about a Community Passover which was held at the YWCA in Seaside. An opportunity for “cultural sharing,” the article noted that “Passover is a time to celebrate freedom and its theme of liberation relates to everyone” [2].

These local periodicals also provided articles about both LGBTQ affirming--and critical--religious organization and attitudes. An example from The Paper is a brief 1994 article about Integrity, an organization affiliated with the Episcopal church to support ministry to the LGBTQ community. As the article noted, the El Camino Real chapter served three areas--San Jose area, Monterey and Salinas, and the San Luis Obispo area. Noting its mix of social and spiritual activities, the organization also participated in pride events, sponsored dialogues, and hosted gatherings and other meetings.[3] The Paper also occasionally suggested taking action against anti-LGBTQ faith-based attitudes. When the Rev Carl Hansen, a local minister, wrote a column in the Monterey Herald urging Christians to accept gays and lesbians, he received a negative letter suggesting Hansen was contributing to society’s “moral decay.” The Paper covered the story, and provided the address to send any letters to the Herald in response. [4]

And, when “Christian Voice,” which held anti-LGBTQ positions, was profiled on a 60 minutes segment, it was revealed its offices were in Pacific Grove. Demeter published an letter from Vicki Smith, describing the organization as an “extremely ant-feminist, anti-homosexual, anti-liberal group” and raising questions about the organization and its connections to the political and religious right.[5]

Moreover, the pages of The Paper suggest the kinds of ways religion and religious institutions shaped the lived experience of LGBTQ people in the county. Reflecting on an event held at A Different Light Bookstore in San Francisco, Craig Wandke appreciated the affirming presentation by Dr. Mel White, Dean of the Cathedral of the MCC Church in Dallas, Texas and former resident of Santa Cruz. “For all of us who wrestle with issues of faith and sexuality,” as Wandke noted, “Mel’s caring and provocative reflection offered much-needed insights into two areas which have traditionally been at odds with each other.” [6]

Image sources

“Religious Services,” The Paper, Volume, 3, Number 1, July-August 1996, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/12/.

“Christian Pro-Gay Article Hotly Debated in The Herald,” The Paper, Volume 2, Number 4. January-February, 1996. Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/10/.

“YWCA Plans Community Passover,” Demeter, Volume 2, Number 12, March 1980, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/demeter/2/.

References

[1] “Religious Services,” The Paper, Volume, 3, Number 1, July-August 1996, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/12/.

[2] “YWCA Plans Community Passover,” Demeter, Volume 2, Number 12, March 1980, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/demeter/2/.

[3] “Integrity, Inc.” The Paper, Volume 1, Number 2, July 1, 1994, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/1/.

[4] “Christian Pro-Gay Article Hotly Debated in The Herald,” The Paper, Volume 2, Number 4 Jan/Feb 1996, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/10/.

[5] Letter from Vicki Smith, Demeter, Volume 3, Number 7, October 1980, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/demeter/16/.

[6] Craig Wandke, “Gay and Christian,” The Paper, Volume 1, Number 2, July 1, 1994, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/1/.