On Faith & Dignity: Uncovering Local Gay Catholic History
Description/Abstract/Artist Statement
Relying mainly on research extracted from the archives of Our Own Community Press, Norfolk’s gay newspaper established in 1976 and run until 1998, and from an oral interview, this presentation seeks to increase the visibility of local queer history, especially in relation to religious institutions. Beginning as part of a class project in partnership with the Tidewater Queer History Exhibition, the presentation explores the queer history of Norfolk’s Sacred Heart Church in the 1980’s, during which time Reverend Vincent Connery was the parish priest. Though the gay and lesbian religious group, known as Dignity Norfolk, that was housed under Sacred Heart’s roof no longer exists, it is important to understand its origins and the real, tangible consequences of the group’s disbandment that impact the LGBTQ community to this ay. Beyond its connections to local queer history, Sacred Heart’s brief existence as an openly safe space for the gay community speaks to national and international conversations on the fight for gay rights during a time when the AIDS crisis was prominent, and complicates the narrative of an exclusively anti-gay Catholic culture when condemnation of homosexuality was--and continues to be--formally endorsed by the Vatican.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Cathleen Rhodes
College Affiliation
College of Arts & Letters
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Disciplines
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
Session Title
College of Arts & Letters UGR #2
Location
Zoom
Start Date
3-19-2022 3:30 PM
End Date
3-19-2022 4:30 PM
On Faith & Dignity: Uncovering Local Gay Catholic History
Zoom
Relying mainly on research extracted from the archives of Our Own Community Press, Norfolk’s gay newspaper established in 1976 and run until 1998, and from an oral interview, this presentation seeks to increase the visibility of local queer history, especially in relation to religious institutions. Beginning as part of a class project in partnership with the Tidewater Queer History Exhibition, the presentation explores the queer history of Norfolk’s Sacred Heart Church in the 1980’s, during which time Reverend Vincent Connery was the parish priest. Though the gay and lesbian religious group, known as Dignity Norfolk, that was housed under Sacred Heart’s roof no longer exists, it is important to understand its origins and the real, tangible consequences of the group’s disbandment that impact the LGBTQ community to this ay. Beyond its connections to local queer history, Sacred Heart’s brief existence as an openly safe space for the gay community speaks to national and international conversations on the fight for gay rights during a time when the AIDS crisis was prominent, and complicates the narrative of an exclusively anti-gay Catholic culture when condemnation of homosexuality was--and continues to be--formally endorsed by the Vatican.