William Stringfellow | LGBTQ+ History Month

“Stringfellow’s activism, whether anti-racist, anti-war, or for the preservation of human rights or the environment, was deeply rooted in his vision of the Bible as an essential part of the wholistic Word of God that also included the person of Jesus, the Spirit, and all of Creation.”

- Lin Melone

William Stringfellow – an attorney and Episcopalian lay theologian who marched with Martin Luther King Jr.,  traveled with a circus, and sheltered the fugitive Daniel Berrigan, to the annoyance of the FBI - influenced my theological and political development profoundly when I was an undergraduate in the 1980s, and continues to challenge me today.

After reading several of his books, I heard him speak in person once, and my first impression as he stepped into the pulpit of the Episcopal church hosting the event was how small and frail he was. (I later learned that he would die less than a year later, at 56, from complications of diabetes.) My second reaction was disappointment that he seemed an unimpressive speaker, soft-spoken and dryly factual about the blasphemies of the Reagan era. Then he would punctuate his lecture with something remarkably radical, or scathingly witty, and I realized that under that flat delivery was the sharp social critic and prophet of the Word I’d been expecting from his writings. His quiet public manner undoubtedly contributed to his ability to remain “almost but not quite not out” (as one friend described him) as a gay man in 20th century religious circles.

I was first impressed by his theological memoir, My People Is the Enemy, describing his experiences as a street lawyer in Harlem in the 1950s and ‘60s, which he placed in the Biblical context of recognizing and resisting “the powers and principalities.” Racism and classism weren’t just human failings, but also spiritual forces to be confronted by the proclamation of Christian hope and the struggle for justice. An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land helped form my growing sense that Christians were called to be engaged politically. Stringfellow’s activism, whether anti-racist, anti-war, or for the preservation of human rights or the environment, was deeply rooted in his vision of the Bible as an essential part of the wholistic Word of God that also included the person of Jesus, the Spirit, and all of Creation.

It wasn’t until after I came out to myself as gay years later that I learned about his personal life and support for the queer communities of his time. While never publicly identifying as gay, he spoke out against homophobia and supported the Mattachine Society and the George Henry Foundation, though he also criticized elements of the gay culture of his time and considered sexuality as an idol overemphasized by our society. He spent 18 of the last 23 years of his life with his “sweet companion,” as he described Anthony Towne, (who also died young, predeceasing Stringfellow by 5 years), in a relationship described by Stringfellow as “essentially monastic.” The more I’ve read lately of their life together of hospitality, activism, and fidelity to the Word, the more I admire them, as I live into my own “essentially monastic” community and vocation.

LGBTQ+ History Month: Connected

This month, as our community highlights stories of LGBTQ+ ancestors who inspire us to be more faithful; we’re inviting you to be a part of the next generation of LGBTQ+ history by making a donation to QCF.

Whether you're making a first-time gift or continuing your support, your contribution, whether it's $25, $50, or $100, will continue to build vital connections for our community.