Today we’re jumping back into the Presbyterian Historical Society archives for another highlight in Baltimore Presbyterian history. This article comes from their Spring 2019 Presbyterian Heritage magazine. In it they feature a historical moment that occurred during the 203rd General Assembly (1991) which is the last time the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) met in Baltimore, MD.
A SILENT PROTEST
The nine Presbyterians carrying a large wooden cross through the Baltimore Convention Center did not walk alone. Hundreds of commissioners and observers rose from their seats to join the solemn procession. Others attending the 1991 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly reached out to touch the cross as it passed. When the nine reached the front of the Assembly, they laid the cross down and hammered nails into its wood. The blows echoed throughout the silent auditorium until voices began to sing, “We are gay and straight together, and we are singing, singing for our lives.”
View the silent protest and other materials related to LGBTQIA+ history in the PC(USA)
Learn more about the Pam Byers Memorial Collecting Initiative or support its work: www.history.pcusa.org/pb