Happy 35th Anniversary Dignity/Washington

This past Sunday marked Dignity/Washington’s 35th anniversary. While I’ve known of Dignity’s existence since moving to DC eight years ago, it wasn’t until March 2006 that I finally got myself to my first mass. I’m proud to say that today I continue to be a member of Dignity/Washington.

During our anniversary mass, I offered a prayer of thanks for being able to be a part of the Dignity community. Even in the years when I didn’t attend mass regularly, I had a personal relationship with God. But, having the privilege to worship in a community of welcoming people has truly let me know that I’m not alone, which is priceless.

I’ve been moved more and more this past year to increase my involvement, and I have to say it feels REALLY good. (I’m working my way up to being an acolyte…perhaps to make up for not having been allowed to be an altar boy when I was growing up.)

It feels so good, in fact, that I’ve made it a point to be more vocal about my faith. (See for yourself, search my blog for “dignity,” “religion,” “mass,” etc.)

One context I especially like coming out as a queer catholic in is my classroom. So much of what I teach in introduction to LGBT Studies and introduction to Women’s Studies is so often considered taboo. To some degree, I see it as my mission to assign readings and facilitate discussions on exactly these taboo subjects and issues; room for their expression has to be made somewhere!

One of the things I was surprised to hear Alex Sanchez talk about at a book signing event for his recently published novel, The God Box, was the ways in which librarians have had to fight to get his books into their libraries, and to keep them there.

It amazes me that in 2007 we must continue to fight for the freedom to read.

(For starters see this one blog dedicated to discussing censorship.)

Thanks to all the authors and artists for using their creativity to provoke our thoughts, and to all the librarians, museum curators, etc. for facilitating our access to these creative works.

And, of course, thanks to all the organizations and institutions like Dignity/Washington who in their continued existence make manifest a place where such often misunderstood and/or maligned “taboos” are no longer marginalized, but rather acknowledged and nurtured.

(coming soon, more about The God Box)