The WORLD PRIDE parade is happening in London on Saturday 7 July.
London QLGF and Westminster Quakers invite everyone to tea at Westminster Meeting House, 52 St Martins Lane WC2 (just north of Trafalgar Square) from 3 to 6 pm.
Don’t get ripped off in overcrowded bars – enjoy Quaker tranquility.
In 2013 it will be the 50th anniversary of the publication of “Towards a Quaker View of Sex” and the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Friends Homosexual Fellowship, our predecessor organisation. QLGF’s committee, meeting yesterday, plans to mark this historic year.
First, we will encourage the membership to revisit and remember what FHF and QLGF were set up to do. Then we will go on to review together what we are doing now, and, most importantly, to think about what we should do next.
The context has changed so much since 1973 – do we still need QLGF, and, if we do, what should be the focus? We will begin by consulting our membership, by email, snail mail, through our Newsletter, and at our next Gathering (October 20, Lancaster).
But we hope to widen the consultation after that, and then in 2013… well, what we do will depend on the responses we get!
Let us know your views, and help us to celebrate in 2013!
Woodbrooke, the Quaker residential study centre in Birmingham, has places still available for its course Quakers for Equality: Embracing the LGBT Community
For the past 5 years Manchester and Warrington Friends have worked with Manchester Gay Pride to engage with the LGBT community. We’ve hosted ceilidhs, information evenings, outdoor meetings for worship, walked in the pride parade, run a stall and protested. We’d like to share our experiences and help the Quaker community explore engaging with the LGBT community. Manchester Pride Committee, which includes both sexes and heterosexual, gay and lesbian members, was formed to formalise our Area Meeting’s commitment to Manchester Pride.
The course will run from Wednesday, 9 May to Friday 11 May and the cost is £180 with standard Woodbrooke accommodation, £190 with en-suite accommodation. Woodbrooke is keen to help those, Quakers or non-Quakers, who would otherwise be prevented from attending its courses and bursaries are available. Check the Woodbrooke site for details of further sources of funding.
And don’t forget – coming soon…
Quaker Lesbian & Gay Fellowship Spring Gathering
13th-15th April 2012
The Nightingale Centre, Great Hucklow, Derbyshire
The focus for the weekend will be a mixture of discussions and activities (indoor and outdoor), which people can opt into as they wish. Saturday will include a focus on spirituality and sexuality.
There will be a welcome session on Friday evening, structured time on Saturday morning and later afternoon with a break for free time after lunch and a social activity on Saturday evening. On Sunday morning there will be a final session, a Meeting for Worship and a Meeting for Worship for Business before lunch. The Gathering ends after lunch.
More information from the Gatherings Officer, Alistair Gault, 0161 257 3499 or you can email him here.
Photograph © Copyright George Griffin and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence