HELLO!

In case you missed today’s funeral service for Norm Shannon, here it is: https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZx25A5ZLARQH1dreizDzeBqyIb2XFn6Rgky Dodie sang beautifully, with June offering accompaniment.

As Pride Month begins, I am aware many in the LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit community carry a mix of emotions. For some, this season brings joy, celebration, and connection. For others, it arrives alongside frustration, uncertainty, and concerns as we witness a relentless wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation south of the border and harmful rhetoric here in Canada. Naming these realities is not surrendering to them. Rather, it’s an opportunity to remember our common kin-ship, our common hope, and our commitment to become what Martin Luther King called “The Beloved Community”. Now is a time to remember the enduring spirit that carries us forward. Now is a time to reflect on the Spirit of Exodus and new life.

Pride has never been solely about celebration. Long before rainbow merchandise appeared in storefronts, LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit people were organizing and demanding the right to love openly and authentically. When I served Fairview United Church in Halifax the most cherished invitation I received was to preach at an ecumenical church service during Pride month. The presiding minister, Rev. Darlene Young, who served the Safe Harbour Metropolitan Community Church, told me I was selected based on my “allyship”, the columns I wrote in the Halifax Herald. I have never forgotten that afternoon, how the Spirit moved.

As members of the United Church of Canada, and the wider community, we also draw strength from a legacy of faithful witness. For decades, the UCC has stood alongside LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit people, affirming the sacred worth of every person. That work continues today as we create a more just and inclusive world. When I was ordained 1990, the church was just recovering from the bruising 1988 debate on gay/lesbian ordination. Many who swore then they would “never accept a gay minister”, now tell me they attended their grandchild’s same gender wedding. While our journey is not complete, our commitment remains steadfast.

In moments such as these, it can be tempting to focus solely on the challenges before us. Yet Pride invites us to do something more. It calls us to celebrate the beauty, resilience, creativity, and diversity that LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit people bring to our congregations, families, communities, and movements for justice. It reminds us that joy is not the absence of struggle, but often one of our most powerful responses to it.

For we allies, know our witness matters. If a friend or family member disparages and demeans LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit person we need the courage and conviction to speak up. Pride is more than a month on the calendar. It is an opportunity to continue creating communities where LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit people are not merely welcomed but celebrated; not merely included but empowered to flourish. As we celebrate Pride month, may we do so with joy and resolve. May we remember the call to affirm and support LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit people does not end when June is over. The challenges before us are real, and so is our resolve and hope. “We are not alone. We live in God’s world”.

Peace, Kevin