What an awesome retreat! When can we get started? You had to be there in order to understand these outbursts of excitement. On November 16 and 17, 2007 the GLAD Council met in Payson, Arizona for its fall retreat. We celebrated our successes, and also took a hard look at GLAD as an institution, its gifts and flaws.
As part of the retreat, Jessica Vázquez led us in anti-racism training on Saturday. During this time Jessica took us through the history of this country and its racist and biased decisions that have shaped the history of United States, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and of course GLAD. It was an eye opener to see how well intended people, like us, can perpetuate a system that continues to oppress and marginalize the same people that we trying to reach.
GLAD wants to be an organization that offers a safe place-sanctuary to queers, transgender, bisexual, lesbians and gays from all ethnic and socioeconomic groups. But GLAD has predominantly being a middle class lesbian and gay organization for white people which has left many people out. GLAD has to look seriously at the way it does its business, how it views people, and the way it wants others to think and act as we do. GLAD has to work diligently to be a catalyst of unity and wholeness in the church.
The time is right in our organization's history to dismantle those structures, attitudes and biases that keeps GLAD from being the welcoming, inclusive and nurturing institution we can be. It will be hard work but it will be rewarding, not only for GLAD but for every person that immerses itself in the process and for the entire Church. Will you join us, GLAD, in this scary but sacred mission of transformation?
- María Pérez
| GLAD Alliance Inc.br>
P.O. Box 44400 Indianapolis, IN 46244-0400 |
glad@gladalliance.org | return to www.gladalliance.org |