Creating safe and welcoming spaces in our churches and community for LGBTQIA+ people and bearing authentic public witness to the loving, liberating, life-giving God that we follow.
The Episcopal Church is dedicated to full inclusion and equality in the church as well as in society as a whole.
Jesus calls us to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In our Baptismal Covenant, we promise to respect the dignity of every human being. When we use the name and pronouns that someone asks us to use for them, we respect their dignity as a beloved child of God and we treat them as we would hope others would treat us.
2025 Episco-PRIDE Upcoming Zooms:
February 12, 6:30-7:30PM: Zoom informational session about Episcopal Day on the Hill (which is March 11th). We’ll discuss the day, what to expect, LGBTQIA+ bills to pay attention to, and more.
March 27, 6:30-7:30PM: Episco-PRIDE all teams meeting - this will be an open conversation to discuss upcoming Pride events, what plans are for congregations, and ask questions.
All upcoming Pride events that teams are participating in are underneath the “Local Events” section on this page.
Youth 6th - 12th Grade:
The annual Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth was created in 2005 with the purpose of creating a safe space for LGBTQ youth in the Midwest to gather, show their pride, and learn about ways to advocate in their communities. Through the years, the conference has grown to be the largest LGBTQ youth conference in the nation, and has featured celebrity guest speakers from all walks of life.
The Episcopal Diocese of Iowa will have a table at the conference as well as a delegation. We are inviting youth 6th - 12th grade to join us at the conference. We will then travel to St. Andrew's, Des Moines for an overnight full of games, activities and discussion on the conference.
We are looking for members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies to assist in the event (planning and execution). If you are interested in assisting, please contact Amy.
Why is this ministry needed?
Because every person is a beloved child of God and deserves to be treated with dignity and affirmed in that belovedness, but that is not what is happening in many places across our state.
In 2023 Iowa passed a record number of anti-LGBTQIA+ laws that significantly limit queer students’ and families’ ability to thrive in our state. From book bans, forced outings of trans students without consent, bans on youth gender-affirming care, and bans on discussing gender identity or sexual orientation with K-6 students, these laws are already negatively impacting LGBTQIA+ lives. Nationally the Trevor Project reports that nearly 1 in 3 LGBTQIA+ young people said their mental health was poor most of the time or always due to the anti LGBTQIA+ policies and legislation. Nearly 2 of 3 young people said that hearing about potential state or local laws banning people from discussing LGBTQIA+ people at school made their mental health worse. The laws are supported by a growing network of Christian organizations in our state, and in far too many areas the local Episcopal church is one of the only safe and affirming places of faith where an LGBTQIA+ person might hear that they are a beloved child of God.
We are incredibly thankful to have received an Evangelism Grant from The Episcopal Church in 2024 for our Episco-PRIDE ministry, allowing us to equip teams with the tools and training to create these safe, welcoming spaces.
Participating Teams
Teams from these congregations Participated in 2024:
Ames, St. John’s by the Campus
Boone/Fort Dodge/Harlan/Webster City
Cedar Falls, St. Luke’s
Cedar Rapids, Christ
Coralville, New Song
Davenport, Trinity Cathedral
Des Moines, St. Andrew's
Diocesan Team
Grinnell, St. Paul’s
Iowa City, JustChurch
Iowa City, Trinity
Mason City, St. John’s
Teams committed to: attend an information session, Safe Zone training, workshop with Iowa Safe Schools, evangelism workshop, and debrief meeting; participate in a community event (PRIDE event, farmers market, community festival, campus fair, etc.); and share learnings.
Teams received: trainings and support, customized materials to share at their community event, access to borrow a festival kit, and all of these at no cost.
The following congregations participated partially, either by attending a training or participating in a community event:
Des Moines, St. Paul’s Cathedral
Fort Madison, St. Luke’s
Waterloo, Trinity
Local Events:
Teams are participating in the following events
2025:
One Iowa Legislative Kickoff 2025 event: January 13, 6-8pm
Episcopalians on the Hill: March 11
Iowa Safe Schools’ 20th Annual Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth: April 11
Boone Pride: April 12
Quad Cities Unity Pride June 6-7
Capital City Pride Fest June 6-8
Valley Junction Pride (West Des Moines)
Cedar Valley Pride (Waterloo)
Ames Pride
Questions? Contact:
Amy Mellies, Children & Youth Missioner
Traci Ruhland Petty, Communications & GILEAD Grant Missioner
Resources
CONGREGATION GUIDES
Interfaith Alliance of Iowa created "Becoming an LGBTQ Ally in Your Faith Community: best practices for welcoming persons into sacred spaces," a guide designed specifically for helping faith communities become more welcoming to people who are LGBTQ
The Rainbow Initiative Toolkit for Congregations, for those who work with and for people who have been forced from their home countries in search of safety; from Episcopal Migration Ministries.
Courses + Trainings
An Introduction to Queer Theology - from Virginia Theological Seminary. In this online course - Oct 2024 - we will delve into diverse perspectives, reclaim sacredness of body, and foster inclusive communities.
The Safe Zone Project: a free online resource for powerful, effective LGBTQ awareness and ally training workshops; this training was endorsed by The Episcopal Church at the 2022 General Convention
General
Myths & Facts: Battling Disinformation about Transgender Rights
Pronouns: What They Are & Why They Matter
FAQ Flyer: Jesus, The Bible & LGBTQ+ People from the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
Organizations
NATIONAL
PFLAG: the nation's first and largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them.
TransEpiscopal: a group dedicated to fostering the full embrace of trans and nonbinary people in life and worship of The Episcopal Church
LOCAL
One Iowa: advances, empowers, and improves the lives of LGBTQ Iowans statewide.
Iowa Safe Schools: offers direct services and supports to students who have been bullied anywhere in the state of Iowa.
From Bishop Monnot
March 2, 2023
From Bishop Monnot
March 3, 2022