City of West Hollywood To Honor Los Angeles Gay Rights Pioneer, Rev. Troy Perry

Los Angeles Press Advisory
Public Media Event: Sunday, October 9, 2005 . 2:00 PM


Event:
- WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA, October 10, 2005 - City of West Hollywood and Southern California"s gay community to hold a public Dedication Ceremony to honor long-time Los Angeles" resident Rev. Troy D. Perry, founder of one of the world"s largest gay organizations. A bronze historical marker commissioned by the City of West Hollywood will be unveiled and installed.

Perry founded the predominantly-gay Metropolitan Community Churches in Huntington Park, California in 1968, and today, more than 225,000 persons annually attend MCC programs and services.

Perry is the longest serving head of a national gay organization -- and is retiring this weekend after 37 years of leadership.

Where:
Public dedication ceremony in the 8700 block of Santa Monica Boulevard -- between 8704 and 8714.

When:
Sunday, October 9, 2005, from 2-2:30 PM

Who:

REMARKS (2 minutes)
The Honorable Jeffrey Prang, Member, West Hollywood City Council

REMARKS (2 minutes)
The Honorable Paul Koretz, Member, California State Legislature

REMARKS (2 minutes)
Rabbi Lisa Edwards, Beth Chayim Chadashim

REMARKS (2 minutes)
The Rev. Neil Thomas, Senior Pastor, Metropolitan Community Church, Los Angeles

REMARKS (2 minutes)
The Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, Moderator, Metropolitan Community Churches

RESPONSE
The Rev. Elder Troy D. Perry Moderator Emeritus, Metropolitan Community Churches

Special guests and community leaders

UNVEILING OF BRONZE HISTORIC MARKER



BACKGROUND:
Rev. Troy D. Perry, Founder of the 43,000-member predominantly gay and lesbian Metropolitan Community Churches located in 23 countries, is retiring this weekend after 37 years of leadership in the LGBT communities.

Perry was the first openly gay member of the Los Angeles Human Rights Commission, and a past delegate to the White House Conference on Hate Crimes and the White House Conference in AIDS. He is the sole surviving founder of Christopher Street West, the Los Angeles Gay Pride celebration that has grown into one of the world"s largest annual Gay Pride events.

In 1968, Perry founded MCC and was publicly organizing the gay community of southern California a full year before New York"s Stonewall Riots. Beginning with 12 members at MCC"s first worship service on October 6, 1968, the gay church group quickly grew to more than 1500 weekly worshippers in less than a year.

Perry performed the first public same-sex wedding ceremony in the U.S. in 1969, and in 1970 filed the first-ever lawsuit seeking legal recognition of gay and lesbian marriages. Perry lost the initial lawsuit, but launched the movement for marriage equality in the United States. He was the first U.S. national gay leader to be legally married in Canada to his same-sex partner, Phillip Ray DeBlieck.

Today, the organization has grown to include 250 local congregations in 23 countries, with an annual income exceeding $24 million. A leader in the struggle for same-sex marriage rights, Metropolitan Community Churches is the world"s largest gay Christian organization and performs 6000 same-sex weddings annually.

The City of West Hollywood will unveil a bronze historical plaque in the 8700 block of Santa Monica Boulevard on Sunday, October 9, from 2-2:30 PM. The plaque, to be permanently installed on the site, pays tribute to Perry"s leadership in the fields of human rights and social justice.



PRESS and MEDIA:
One-on-one on-site interviews also available immediately following the public Dedication Ceremony.

Major event for LA"s gay and lesbian community.

In addition to Sunday"s 2 PM Dedication Ceremony, Rev. Perry will preach his farewell sermon at Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles (8714 Santa Monica Boulevard) on Sunday, October 9, at 11 AM. To make arrangements for media coverage, and for press and camera guidelines, please see contact information below.

A public reception honoring Rev. Perry will take place from 12:30-2 PM at the church. This event is also open to the media.

At 3 PM, Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong will deliver a keynote address at Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles to honor the historic contributions of Rev. Perry.


____________________________________________

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, OR TO SCHEDULE INTERVIEWS, CONTACT:


For The Dedication Ceremony:

Jim Birkitt, MCC Director of Communications
(310) 652-0692, x226
E-Mail: infoMCCchurch.org
Website: www.MCCchurch.org />

For All Other Events At Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles:

Rev. Neil Thomas, Senior Pastor
Cell: (323) 868-4658
Website: www.mccla.org

14.12.2005 - 20:44 Source: 24-7pressrelease.com | Read: 380 X