• TBA- River/Intracoastal Cruise on the inaugural voyage of the Sweetbreeze

Dignity Palm Beach is now meeting at St. Andrew's/Lake Worth 1st & 3rd Sundays at 5:30 PM

Minutes from Past Board Meetings:

Notable Past Events:

Integrity Fort Lauderdale celebrated its second anniversary with a spectacular moonlit cruise on the New River and Intracoastal Waterway.

A rose between two newlyweds

Did these three ever think they'd represent "diversity"?

Convenor Brian recreates the loaves and fishes miracle.

Visit from Bishop John S. Spong 

It was a blessing to have Christine and "Jack" Spong in our midst for our monthly meeting.  Thank you for spending your birthday weekend with us!

"Lesbian and Gay Prophecy in the Church"

Dr. Louie Crew, founder of Integrity USA, led this presentation at the Integrity/Fort Lauderdale monthly meeting. Dr. Crew is renowned as an advocate for those on the margins and has led the way to the opening of God's church to people of all colors, cultures, and sexual identities. In 1974, he founded Integrity, Inc. to promote the dignity, rights, and vocations of its gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered members -- those whom the church has tried for generations to ignore. Dr. Crew has authored nearly 1,300 books, essays, and reviews, including the first openly gay materials ever published in such journals as Chronicle of Higher Education, The Living Church, and Southern Exposure. He has long been a professor of English and is currently chair of the Rutgers University Senate. Dr. Crew has received the Episcopal Church Publishing Company's triennial "Vida Scudder Award" and the Bishop of Newark's "Outstanding Service Award." He currently serves on the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church.

Dr. Crew's strong belief that truth can be found in the details has led him to become one of the first, and certainly the foremost, cyber-missionaries as he collects countless bytes of information on his website. Each day hundreds visit his site because they know that they can find and trust the data posted about the Episcopal Church, gay and lesbian issues, poetry, teaching, and many other topics. Dr. Crew's website is: http://newark.rutgers.edu/~lcrew.

Crusader not slowed by Success - article on Louie Crew and his visit to Fort Lauderdale from the 08/18/01 edition of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality"

...led by author and priest, John J. McNeill, an internationally known proponent of religious freedoms for Gay Men and Lesbians. McNeill is the author of four major works, The Church and The Homosexual, Taking A Chance on God, Freedom, Glorious Freedom and Both Feet Firmly Planted in Midair. For more than twenty-five years, John J. McNeill, an ordained priest and psychotherapist, has been devoting his life to spreading the good news of God's love for lesbian and gay Christians. One year after the publication of The Church and the Homosexual, McNeill received an order from the "Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith" in the Vatican ordering him to silence in the public media. He observed the silence for nine years while continuing a private ministry to gays and lesbians that included psychotherapy, workshops, lectures and retreats. In 1988, he received a further order from Cardinal Ratzinger directing him to give up all ministry to gay persons which he refused to do in conscience. As a result, he was expelled by the Vatican from the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) for challenging the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on the issue of homosexuality, and for refusing to give up his ministry and psychotherapy practice to gay men and lesbians. McNeill had been a Jesuit for nearly 40 years. For more information, visit www.johnjmcneill.com

Bishop Frade speaks during service for Gay Pride Celebration

The following article appeared Sunday, March 4, 2001, in the Miami Herald: "Gays get an official hug from Episcopal bishop" Bishop Leo Frade on Saturday became the first bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida to hold a formal worship service welcoming the gay and lesbian community. ``God created each of us differently, and he has given us the commandment that we should love one another,'' Frade said in a sermon at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale. ``Integrity has reminded all of us that the Episcopalian Church must make room for all of God's creatures.'' Saturday's service was a typical Eucharist one, with parishioners singing songs, praying and receiving Holy Communion. Many of those attending were teary-eyed at the end, and Frade won a standing ovation from hundreds of parishioners at the church for his sermon detailing the evils of exclusion. ``It was a healing service for me,'' said Rick Stofer from Fort Lauderdale, a member of the church. ``When you have an official affirmation and the top clergy is saying to be inclusive of all people, that's historic.'' The event is one of the last of a citywide series of gay pride events, which will conclude with the Pride Parade on Las Olas Boulevard today. The service is part of an effort by the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida to reach out to minorities and other groups in South Florida. The group has 35,000 mostly white heterosexual parishioners. ``We hope this sends a message to the gay community that we are all equal in God's eyes,'' said Lebron Cooper, a member of All Saints Church and of the Fort Lauderdale Chapter of Integrity, a coalition of gay and lesbian church leaders that co-sponsored the service. Episcopalians from parishes all over the nation attended the event. ``Many of us worshiped hidden for so many years,'' said the Rev. Cannon Richard T. Nolan of Christ's Church Cathedral in Hartford, Conn. ``To be able to worship like this as a people and as a priest is wonderful.''

Photos from Bishop Frade's visit during Gay Pride:

Many priests from other South Florida parishes attended to show their support of Integrity/Fort Lauderdale.

The South Florida Gay Men's Chorus participated in the service as well.

A crew from Channel 7 in Miami covered the event.