Conference “LGBT people and Christian churches in Europe: fears and opportunities for full acceptance and inclusion” (June 10th 2011)
A moment of reflection in which we will try to make the point of acceptance of LGBT people within the Christian churches in Europe, reading the weak signals and face the prospect of a path leading to full inclusion.
Place: Euro Pride Park Rome (Italy), the gardens of Piazza Vittorio – space conferences
Date: Friday, June 10th 2011, 3:00 pm
First part:
Round Table moderated by Valerio Gigante (from the christian press agency “Adista”).
Speakers:
– Alessandro Santoro (Italy) (to be confirmed), priest and founder of “Le Piagge” christian community of Florence – “The message of Love, welcome and inclusion that the Gospel has always been offering”.
– John McNeil (USA), the charismatic leader of the movement for emancipation of American GLBT Christian and founder of Dignity USA – “Taking a chance on God!”
– Alessandro Esposito (Italy), pastor of the Valdese Church – “The path of the Valdese Church towards blessings for homosexual couples”.
– Enric Vilà (Spain), former president of the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups and glbt activist of the gorup Associacio’ Cristiana De Gais I Lesbianes De Catalunya (ACGIL) – “The global situation of glbt people within european christian churches and the case history of Spain”.
Second part: witnesses from different european realities
– Michael Brinkschroeder (Germany), male co-president of the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups, member of Arbeitsgemeinschaft Schwule Theologie (Working Group Gay Theology) & Homosexuelle und Kirche (HuK) and christian glbt activist – “From desperation to boldness – the situation of queer Catholics in Germany”
– Hilde Raastad (Norway), minister of the Lutheran Church of Norway, theologian and christian lesbian activist – “Daring faith, passionate lives: why European church(es) need lesbian voices!”
– Martin Pendergast (UK), member of “Soho Masses Community/Lesbian & Gay Christian Movement” and Catholic glbt activist – “All ARE welcome! Including LGBT people in the Catholic Church”
– Nils RIedl (Norway), priest of “The Church of Norway” (Lutheran”, member of the “Open Church” group of Oslo and lgbt activist – “The case history of norvegian lutheran church: how to work to move from marginality to full inclusion”
– Yves Quentin (France), member of the group “David et Jonathan” and christian glbt activist: “Life of glbt christian people in France and relation with churches“
– Florin Buhuceanu (Romania), member of Metropolitan Community Church, and christian glbt activist – “The situation of glbt christian people in eastern Europe and the case history of Metropolitan Community Church (MCC)“.
The conference will be followed, at around 19, by a moment of ecumenical prayer.
