Bishop Glasspool heads to Washington DC for White House LGBT Event

Honored last night to be able to host a dinner here at Chez Brooks-Russell for the National Integrity Board -- meeting here in Pasadena this week. We were also delighted that Bishop Mary Glasspool was able to join us on the night before she was heading off to Washington DC for a date with the president.

(pictured: Susan McCann [acting treasurer & chair of the stakeholder's council]; David Cupps [administrator]; Caro Hall [president]; Louise Brooks [secretary/communication director]; Jim White [diocesan organizer]; Mary Glasspool; Jon Richardson [vice-president for nat'l affairs)

The "date with the president" is a reception at the White House for LGBT leaders in celebration of Pride Month. Here's the report from The Episcopal News Update (6/19/2011):

Bishop Glasspool to attend White House reception

Bishop Suffragan Mary Glasspool will be among the guests of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at a White House reception on June 29 in celebration of LGBT Pride Month, recognizing the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Glasspool will be accompanied by her life partner, Becki Sander.

We'll be looking forward to a full report when Bishop Glasspool returns. Doing a quick "Google Search" it was easy to find that there will be a cast of (if not hundreds) at least many dozens of LGBT leaders in attendance. I was particularly impressed with the report from Portland, Maine about Kaleigh Colson -- a high school student who helped start a GSA (gay straight alliance) in her school in response to watching her gay classmates bullied into tears.

Always a cool thing to be invited to the White House -- and this year on the heels of the New York marriage decision and with the fight to overturn DOMA heating up it would be particularly interesting to be a fly on the wall ... or a guest at the reception! ... and to hear what our president has to say next about his advocacy for LGBT equality.

Here's my two cents:

People of faith "evolve" about gay marriage. Presidents of the United States don't "evolve" about equal protection. Mr. President, stepping up and working to repeal DOMA wouldn't contradict your position that marriage is a matter for the states to decide. What it would do is provide equal protection to married couples -- whether same or opposite sex -- and take the federal government out of the discrimination business. The time is now to make that happen. Just do it.

So traveling mercies to my bishop. Congratulations to the great cloud of witnesses who will gather at the White House tomorrow. And if someone has a chance to mention DOMA over cocktails ... well. I'm just sayin' ...