Pride at the Cathedral

The Cathedral will have a booth at Straub Park and fun swag to hand out — all those tie-dye items we’ll be making on June 8! We want to let others know that the Cathedral is a safe and welcoming space for those looking for a church home. You can volunteer to welcome people at our booth on the day. Or we invite you to donate water and other snacks in advance. All ages are welcome!

Given the current political climate in the state of Florida, we strongly believe that there is no better time to show up and support LGBTQ+ families. We continue to stand behind our Diversity/Equity/ Inclusion statement:

We seek to be a church that loves as Jesus loves, loves our neighbors as ourselves, welcomes and celebrates all, and respects the dignity of every human being. We believe that there is profound strength in diversity, and we stand firmly against hatred, bigotry, racism, and discrimination of any kind. The Cathedral affirms that all people are created in the image of God, including queer and transgender people, and have sacred worth.

Join us during Pride Family Day and share the Good News that God is Love!

The 10th annual Spiritual Pride dinner, hosted by the Friends of St. Aelred, will be at 6 pm Saturday, June 15, in Harvard Hall. June is Pride Month, and we hope you will come and enjoy a catered banquet, flowers, decorations, an inspiring program, and a chance to meet with other welcoming and affirming people from faith communities throughout the Tampa Bay area.

All are welcome! Spiritual Pride lifts up the importance of a supportive faith community for LGBTQI+ Episcopalians. That support is more important than ever now, when equality issues are under fire. Perhaps this year you’ll consider inviting someone you haven’t seen at the banquet before — and maybe even buying their ticket. Can you imagine what that might mean to a young adult: to see a room full of supporters and to know that you are one of them.

Our speaker will be our own Stephen Willis, moderator of the Friends of St. Aelred. Stephen is a real estate agent and manages the Court Administration-Polk County Juvenile Court Division, and was formerly a Pentecostal minister. At the Cathedral he is an usher and lector. His partner, Rodney Kayton, managing partner of a market research firm, serves on the Flower Guild and as a verger and is coordinating several aspects of the Spiritual Pride banquet.

Tickets ($40) will be sold at the Cathedral on Sundays: May 19 in the Narthex after the 8 am service; and May 19 and 26 and June 2 in Harvard Hall after the 10:15 am service.

Please buy your tickets early! We are space-limited to 118 attendees, and the dinner is often a sellout. Because beer and wine will be served, this event is open only to those age 21 and older.