Tituss Burgess To Perform At Middle Collegiate Church On Juneteenth

On Wednesday, June 19, television and Broadway actor Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) will perform at the launch event for the "Queer Faith" exhibit at Middle Collegiate Church. The event is from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, senior minister at Middle Church, will honor civil rights icon Ruby Sales, and the late Gary Ranker, an activist who marched with Harvey Milk. Recording artist Alex Bertrand and acclaimed actress and vocalist Madge Dietrich will also perform. Festive beverages will be served.

"Queer Faith" is a beautiful, evocative photojournalism series produced by Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York profiling LGBTQIA+ clergy and seminarians. Society frequently discusses LGBTQIA+ people and people of faith as though they are mutually exclusive groups. This exhibit showcases queer faith leaders, describing how their faith nourishes their identity-and how their identity informs their faith. In the words of one participant, "Queer faith is the unshakable knowing that our bodies are divine and welcomed, not just in your church, but on Earth and in Heaven simultaneously. It is the knowing that we need no one's permission to get close to God."

Tickets for the event are available here. The event is intentionally on Juneteenth, the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the United States. All movements for freedom and liberation are interconnected. This event is sponsored by Middle Collegiate Church and Union Theological Seminary. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Audre Lorde Project and Middle Collegiate Church's LGBTQIA+ justice initiatives.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos