Bishop Bonnie Perry is following her calling to affirm the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in religious spaces.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed Perry to represent welcoming religious institutions on the state’s first LGBTQ+ Commission. The 13-member group will advise the governor and Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity on policy matters impacting LGBTQ+ residents.
Perry was ordained as the 11th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan in 2020. She is the first woman and first openly lesbian priest since the diocese was formed in 1836. The Episcopal Church does not condemn homosexuality and is considered to be fully-inclusive by LGBTQ+ rights groups.
The inaugural class will serve four-year terms expiring at the end of November 2027. Other Detroiters on the commission include Brandon Shamoun, the assistant dean of students for student involvement, activities and organizations at Wayne State University, and Detroit Police Department Cpl. Danielle Woods.
Perry is also the co-founder and co-chair for End Gun Violence in Michigan, a political advocacy organization. She’s married to the Rev. Dr. M. Susan Harlow, a pastor at United Church of Christ.
BridgeDetroit caught up with Perry to talk about her expectations for the new group and her perspective on the intersections of faith, sexuality and gender.
Editors note: This transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
BRIDGEDETROIT: What do you expect the commission will be focused on in its first year? Why is it important to include someone like yourself who represents welcoming religious communities?
PERRY: It’s the early days. I know the governor is interested in looking at how we are making Michigan a place where people who happen to be queer are welcomed and people can make use of their skills and find a place to have a home.
In a time when Christian nationalism is on the rise, (I want to) be really clear – that is a political ideology, that is not Christianity. (I want) folks in the LGTBQIA community to know there are a good many places of faith where they are completely welcome, longed for, needed, and where people in the LGBTQIA community serve in the highest parts of leadership.
We are better when all folks are representative. We have to be very proactive about that. It’s a big part of my work over my 35 years of ministry.
BD: The commission was formed amid what the Human Rights Campaign called a broad legislative assault on LGBTQ+ people participating in public life. Part of the concern is that a lot of these bills are justified with a version of Christian ideology. How do you talk with your congregation on issues like this?
PERRY: It’s never going to be about conservative narrow-minded folks who are always saying no to queer people. It’s not about responding to that, but rather saying all children are made in God’s image.
There’s a number of bills against trans and non-binary people and I think it reveals folks’ fear of the unknown. This is like 1 percent of society and the number of bills that are being profligated, it’s like what are you doing guys? It’s about scapegoating. I’m going to say no to scapegoating anywhere.
his is a very small part of our community getting an inordinate amount of attention. I point out how in other points of history, when folks were scapegoated, what was going on and how that might be a distraction from other things happening politically.
I see this as not theological. This is political. It’s polarizing. Folks who follow Jesus Christ love your neighbor as yourself. Don’t go after them. That’s not what I believe Christianity is about.
BD: I wanted to ask you about the perception that being LGBTQ or being an ally is incompatible with Christianity.
PERRY: Yeah, I think that’s patently false. It’s a false choice.
If you look at Ralph Reed in the early 80s, the Christian right was doing this with women’s issues. It’s not a new tactic. It’s come as folks have come out and people have begun to realize that their children are members of the community. People’s perceptions have changed when we stopped hiding.
Jesus said the truth shall set you free. When we stopped hiding, people couldn’t continue to alienate us and make us seem like something other.
There’s been a backlash while the vast majority has said “I get it.”
I believe the (same thing has happened with the) rise of trans and non-binary folks with people, largely young people, saying that gender is a construct. Sex isn’t a construct, but what we attribute to someone’s chromosomes – you know, you have two X chromosomes and therefore you are a woman, therefore you shall act this way – that’s a construct.
People have been questioning those constructs. Other folks have just become afraid.
For me, it’s about listening to people, understanding their perspectives but also creating safe spaces. That’s what the commission can be about, creating safe spaces for people to be who God is calling them to be.
BD: How do you create safe spaces?
PERRY: One way is by creating non-discrimination laws. There are legal repercussions if you discriminate. Another, and some might argue it’s more important, is about connecting with people.
It’s about listening to people’s stories and understanding them as a human being, not an issue – that prejudicial way of viewing someone is not taking into account their whole humanity.
The Ruth Ellis Center is certainly one place that does amazing work in the city. Equality Michigan is another way to get connected.
