PEMBROKE — Religious rights and LGBT rights are often characterized as at odds.
However, a new exhibit at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke showcases where those two worlds blend together — the faith-based lives of LGBT clergy members, their families and their allies.
“We Have Faith,” a photography exhibit by Gigi Kaeser and Peggy Gillespie, will be on display until Aug. 1 in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion located within Old Main on the campus of UNCP. The exhibit features the clergy of several different faiths who have identified themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender as well as their heterosexual supporters.
Robert Canida, director for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, said the exhibit had been planned to arrive at UNCP for several months. However, he believes it couldn’t have come at a better time as conversations on the relationship between sexuality and religion have become prominent in the wake of an attack that left 49 dead at an Orlando gay nightclub.
The June 12 massacre was labeled a hate crime.
Canida said he believes the exhibit will allow viewers to delve into the world of spiritual leaders who happen to support or be a member of the LGBT community. He hopes specifically that the exhibit could spark conversations in Robeson County.
“Robeson County is more than a cultural mosaic, but something like this is taboo here,” he said. “This county is filled with people of different socioeconomic statuses, religions and lifestyles. This exhibit, from my prospective, will change lives by educating people on the LGBT community.”
Some of the featured stories include that of Kelvin Barlow-Flournoy, a minister who preaches alongside his husband Ra’Shawn at ReBirth Church in South Carolina.
Another story follows Christine Wiley and her husband who are allies of the LGBT community. She said she often is asked by clergy members how to support gay rights without losing members.
“The truth is, you cannot,” Wiley is quoting as saying in a biography that hangs next to her picture in the exhibit. “This is a prophetic movement in the church, and they must dare to speak openly and move with courage.”
One clergy member featured, Imam Daayiee Abdullah, is gay, Muslim and a spiritual leader of Islam. He said how you live is how people will judge you, but God made everyone different, “gay or straight,” for a reason, according to his biography in the exhibit.
Abdullah’s sentiments resonated with Dajer Fernandez, a summer research assistant in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, who decided to become a research assistant to learn how to talk more openly about social issues.
“Religion should be available to everyone,” Fernandez said. “I think this exhibit will bring awareness to UNCP students and staff and the community.”
“It’s not about converting anyone,” Canida said, “it’s about respect.”
The next exhibit will have a transgender theme and will open in August. For information, call 910-521-6508 or visit the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
