Pride...A Deadly Sin? Not in Dignity!

June 10, 2014

by

DignityUSA

<p><img alt= src=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Rainbow-flag-1978-nov.svg style=float:right; height:133px; margin:5px; width:200px />Blessed Pride month! As we head into June and nationwide celebrations of the beauty strength and diversity of the LGBT community I am grateful for the vibrancy that all of you bring to the Dignity community. As individuals chapters caucuses and as a national organization we are involved in myriad social justice initiatives help to fund a wide range of worthy causes provide incredible support to one another in times of need celebrate life&rsquo;s peak moments with one other and gather to be nourished by Word and Sacrament. We reflect the beauty and abundance of Divine love in our lives and relationships. I hope many of us will take this beauty to the streets in Pride Marches this month and witness to&nbsp;the presence of LGBT Catholics proud Catholic Allies and loving visible family members in our justice movement. While Pride has been considered a deadly sin for us and for future generations of LGBT people Pride is truly life-giving and sometimes literally life-saving. So your witness through Pride activities and your living with integrity and truth every day bring grace to others.</p> <p>It&rsquo;s been a busy time across DignityUSA recently with lots more coming up in the weeks ahead and we thank all of you who help to make these activities a success. Last month we held our first Meet the Candidates Forum where people across the country joined a webinar to meet our five fantastic candidates for the Board of Directors and posed questions to them. If you weren&rsquo;t able to participate live you can <a href=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaoYLcIFVCM&amp;feature=youtu.be>view the recording</a> on DignityUSA&rsquo;s YouTube channel.</p> <p>We also had a very successful showing for Give OUT Day. We raised $5970 from 86 generous donors 27 of whom were new givers or had not donated to DignityUSA in at least two years. We were in the top 10% of 517 participating organiza- tions for the number of individual givers. Thank you to all who contributed posted a video about why you support DignityUSA or helped spread the word. If you&rsquo;d like to visit the <a href=http://www.razoo.com/story/Dignity>razoo</a> page created for this event you can still do so or you can always make a gift on our <a href=https://www.dignityusa.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&amp;id=35>website</a>! This support enables us to continue to carry out DignityUSA&rsquo;s mission every day.</p> <p>In the next few weeks we are offering two unique opportunities for members of our community to gather reflect pray and have fun together. The Women of DignityUSA and WATER (Women&rsquo;s Alliance for Theology Ethics and Ritual) have once again partnered to offer a retreat for lesbian/bi/trans/ queer women and friends that will be held in midJune. &ldquo;<a href=https://www.dignityusa.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&amp;id=56>Holy Wholly Holy</a>&rdquo; celebrates the sacredness of our lives just as we are. And at the end of July members and friends of DignityUSA&rsquo;s Young Adult Caucus will gather to build community and nurture each person&rsquo;s spirits in <a href=https://www.dignityusa.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&amp;id=57>Discovering Our Place at the Table</a>. If you can&rsquo;t be there in person please hold our retreatants in prayer.&nbsp;</p>