Trinity Episcopal Church (St. Louis, Missouri)
Trinity Episcopal Church is an
History
The
By the time the church expanded with a parish hall in 1954, the demographics of the surrounding area had changed, with African-American and LGBTQ communities replacing upscale residents. Trinity focused its outreach on these two communities. The Mandrake Society, the first LGBTQ organization in St. Louis, was founded in 1969, and by the summer, Trinity was hosting its meetings in its building. The organization financially supported the legal defense of nine men who were arrested on anti-LGBTQ measures on October 31, 1969. By the end of the year, the 18-member group had grown to more than 150 people. Trinity financed the publication of the organization's newsletter in exchange for promotion of the congregation. In the 1970s, Trinity hosted the St. Louis chapters of the Gay Liberation Front and Integrity.[1]
The city's first
Rev. Bill Chapman began to privately bless same sex partnerships in 1987. Rev. Susan Nanny, who was openly lesbian, joined as co-rector in 1990. On July 27, 1991, Chapman publicly performed a same-sex ceremony for the first time in front of the congregation. Though these actions were initially controversial in the
In 2020, the church became the first site in Missouri to be recognized for its LGBTQ significance; it was approved by the State Historic Preservation Office and listed by the National Park Service on the National Register of Historic Places.[2]
See also
External links
References
- ^ a b c d Batza, Katie; Diedriech, Michelle. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Trinity Episcopal Church" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ Shepley, Michael (January 29, 2020). "St. Louis church becomes first Episcopal parish included in national historic register for LGBTQ advocacy". Episcopal News Service. Retrieved February 4, 2020.