Darlene Garner
Encyclopedia
Darlene Garner is an American clergyperson and LGBT
activist, and a co-founder of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays (NCBLG). She was the first African American elder in the Metropolitan Community Church
and she helped create (and now leads) the denomination's biannual Conference for People of African Descent (PAD). In 2008 and 2009, she served as MCC Vice-Moderator. She is a nationally recognized speaker on LGBT religious issues; for instance, she was invited to join several other nationally known speakers to announce the "American Prayer Hour", an gay-affirming alternative to the "National Prayer Breakfast". For her work in the LGBT community, Garner was credited in The African American Almanac as "contributing
to the visible image of gays in society" and in 2010 was named a "Capital Pride Hero" by Capital Pride.
A native of Columbus
, Ohio
, Garner was brought up in the National Baptist Convention
; she later attended the Episcopal Church and eventually joined the Metropolitan Community Church
in 1976.
Before entering the professional ministry, Garner worked as the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Mayor's Commission on Sexual Minorities, beginning in 1987. She has served as the chaplain for an AIDS
hospice
and as President of the Board of Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry. Darlene has also served as a member of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (hearing complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender, and national origin) and the West Hollywood Business License Commission.
From 1977-1980, Garner worked to help found the NCBLG, then known as the National Coalition of Black Gays (NCBG). She has described that experience as follows:
Garner was ordained as Metropolitan Community Church clergy in 1988. She has served as Associate Pastor of MCC in Philadelphia, PA, and as Pastor of MCC in Baltimore, MD and MCC of Northern Virginia from 1991 to 1998, during which time she was used as a source by U.S. News & World Report
for stories on LGBT issues. Garner served MCCDC as Church Treasurer and Lay Delegate and later served MCC's former Mid-Atlantic District as assistant district coordinator. She now presides over MCC Region 6, which covers Latin America and the Southwestern United States.
Garner also sits on the Diversity & Inclusion Council and on the Religion Council of the Human Rights Campaign
.
On 3 March 2010, Garner and her partner Candy Holmes were one of the first couples to apply for a marriage license under the Religious Freedom And Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act 2009, allowing Same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia. On 9 March 2010, Garner and Holmes were married along with two other couples at the Human Rights Campaign building.
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
activist, and a co-founder of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays (NCBLG). She was the first African American elder in the Metropolitan Community Church
Metropolitan Community Church
The Metropolitan Community Church or The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is an international Protestant Christian denomination...
and she helped create (and now leads) the denomination's biannual Conference for People of African Descent (PAD). In 2008 and 2009, she served as MCC Vice-Moderator. She is a nationally recognized speaker on LGBT religious issues; for instance, she was invited to join several other nationally known speakers to announce the "American Prayer Hour", an gay-affirming alternative to the "National Prayer Breakfast". For her work in the LGBT community, Garner was credited in The African American Almanac as "contributing
to the visible image of gays in society" and in 2010 was named a "Capital Pride Hero" by Capital Pride.
A native of Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Garner was brought up in the National Baptist Convention
National Baptist Convention
National Baptist Convention may refer to:One of several historically African-American Christian denominations:*National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., the oldest and largest denomination using this name, formed in the late 19th century...
; she later attended the Episcopal Church and eventually joined the Metropolitan Community Church
Metropolitan Community Church
The Metropolitan Community Church or The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is an international Protestant Christian denomination...
in 1976.
Before entering the professional ministry, Garner worked as the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Mayor's Commission on Sexual Minorities, beginning in 1987. She has served as the chaplain for an AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
and as President of the Board of Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry. Darlene has also served as a member of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (hearing complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender, and national origin) and the West Hollywood Business License Commission.
From 1977-1980, Garner worked to help found the NCBLG, then known as the National Coalition of Black Gays (NCBG). She has described that experience as follows:
At that point in LGBT history, the needs and points of view of African Americans were not reflected in the agendas of other national organizations. We created the National Coalition of Black Gays and Lesbians (NCBGL, originally NCBG), organizing several chapters and transforming those chapters into a national organization. We knew that we were making history. What we were doing had the capacity to change the face of history. Our youth and naiveté helped us do it with a boldness. If we had been seasoned activists, we might not have taken it on. We know that if it was not us, there might be no one. So we took it on.
Garner was ordained as Metropolitan Community Church clergy in 1988. She has served as Associate Pastor of MCC in Philadelphia, PA, and as Pastor of MCC in Baltimore, MD and MCC of Northern Virginia from 1991 to 1998, during which time she was used as a source by U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
for stories on LGBT issues. Garner served MCCDC as Church Treasurer and Lay Delegate and later served MCC's former Mid-Atlantic District as assistant district coordinator. She now presides over MCC Region 6, which covers Latin America and the Southwestern United States.
Garner also sits on the Diversity & Inclusion Council and on the Religion Council of the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
.
On 3 March 2010, Garner and her partner Candy Holmes were one of the first couples to apply for a marriage license under the Religious Freedom And Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act 2009, allowing Same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia. On 9 March 2010, Garner and Holmes were married along with two other couples at the Human Rights Campaign building.