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ATLANTA BARB-Page 3 Exclusive Interview With Rev. Troy Perry Rev. Troy Perry The Atlanta Barb was priv ileged to interview the Rev. Troy Perry recently during his' visit to Atlanta to dedicate the new building for the Metropol itan Community Church, at 800 North Highland Ave. The former Hilan Theatre was ac quired by MCC M March Their first service .was held March 10th, with Rev. John Gill, the pastor, delivering the message. Rev. Perry is one of the most dynamic men I havemet;areal leader who began in 1968 with just a smallgroup of gay Chris tians, and has since grown to about sixty-two congregations in the U.S. and free world. Interview: Barb: Rev. Perry, welcome to Atlanta, and I must say it is a genuine pleasure to have the privilege of talking with you. Let me begin by saying that you are a very handsomeman, with a persuasive smile. You are not only a beautiful person physi cally, but from within and I certainly admire you for the work you are doing. Suppose you take a minute or so to tell us a little about yourself; how you began, what your goal is, and just exactly how you intend to achieve it Rev. Perry: Alright, well, I am thirty-three years old and I was born in Tallahassee, Ha. July 27th, 1940. I was raised in the Southern Baptist and Pentecostal tradition, here in the South. At the age of thirteen I started preaching, and at the age of fifteen I was licensed to preach by the Southern Baptist Church. Marriedhetrosexually even though early in my life I felt that I was gay. I didn’t have a label for my behavior, and when I heard all of the labels that are applied to gay people; queer,fagot,fruit,Isaid that’s not me. You know I am not a child molester. Barb: That’s very disgust ing, isn’t it? Rev. Perry: Very disgusting. I said that I am not a gutter cretture of some sort I don’t particularly want to wear a dress, and that of course was the stereotype • .the only one I had of a gay person. There is np thing wrong with wearing dresses, but for me. . .that’s just something that I didn’t want to do. I married at the age of eighteen, a monthbefore my nineteenth birthday to my pastor’s daughter. He said that if I got married that would take care of these “fhnny feel ings” I was having. A good woman would do mat Well, that doesn’t happen. I then moved to Illinois and attended Midwest Bible College, a Pen tecostal school. Our oldest son was born in Illinois. Then I went back to Florida where I pastored a small church in Lake Alford where my second son was born. Then I returned to Illinois for more college. Later the firm that I was working for in Illinois, putting myself through college, announced they were opening a new plant in Torrance, Calif. Since both, my wife and I had relatives there, we decided that we Would like to go, so we moved to Cal ifornia. I pastored a church in Santa Ana, California for a year and a half, until I came to terms with my being gay. When I did I had a long chat with my wife; she and I sep«- arated and I moved into Los Angeles, got drafted into the army, and rather than go ora and on, I have a book en titled “The Lord Is My Shep herd And He Knows I’m Gay” and I would encourage people, if they really wanted to know about Troy Perry, read that Dook. I think they will enjoy it. Barb: Rev. Perry, speaking of the book Are you aware of the review you received from a new newspaper in New Orleans, called “C ontact”?. Rev Perry: No. I haven’t seen it I amnotfamiliarwithit. Barb: They said the book represents as boring an autobi ography as could have been written about such a dynamic personality. It stated that it could be compared to a 6th grade essay, and was filled with verbiage. He did say that you deserve respect and that MCC deserved our love Rev. Perry: Let me say that I havehadmixedreviewsonthe bock. I tell my story exactly the way I talk, and Ithinkwhen you read the book, you’ll gath er that after hearing me preach here this weekend; however, Publisher’s Weekly did an ex cellent review on the book. Iwas very pleased with that, in which they called it a “real blow for minority rights.” The El Paso Tines, and the LA. Times, both did really good reviews. They said it was as though you were really living the life of this par ticular homosexual, that he puts you right in the driver’s seat, and they would encour age everyone to read. it. Dr. Walter Alvarez, vyho has a col umn in over 600 newspapers in this country, including theAt- lanta Journal, also reviewed it and said that he suggests every doctor read it, as well as alf laymen, to see what it was like^ being gay in this time, in this period. He said it ends on a happy note and that’s unusual for gay books. Barb: Rev. Perry, many min isters object to having women have a voice in the church, but I understand that you have several women as leaders in your fellowship. What is your v feeling on this? Rev. Perry: Yes. Absolutely the church doors are open to women, period, in MCC. They can hold any office in thefellow- ship. In fact, we have as of this last year awomanontheboard of elders, our highest adminis- trativ embody in the church. She was elected, and not nominated by the uummauom committee. This was one of the most un usual things that happened this last year. She was nominated from die floor, Rev. Frieda Smith, who pastors our church in Sacremento, California. She is a Christian feminist and very much involved in wom en’s rights, as well as gaj rights. Well, she won. I believe women can do any job that s man can, very honestly, i don't believe there is anything in the scriptures that would condemn a woman for serving anyplace in the church. Barb: I believe that there are some religions organiza tions other than MCC thathave ruled that they would accept homosexuals in the church.Do you care to comment on this? Rev. Perry: The United Church ofChristexecutivecom- mittee has ruled that if any in dividual is gay and is qualified, they should be accepted into the ministry. Two years ago, the Unitarian Universalists, in their general assembly, also passed a comparable statement that said they would welcome as ministers and lay-people, homosexuals, and bi-sexuals. However, there are some prob lems with that Bill Johnson was the first young man or dained by* the Church of Christ They ordained him knowing he was a homosexual because he made an issue of it. As yet, none of those individuals are pastoring churches anywhere and that really bothers me While sometimes the denomi national leaders might OK it’s time for a change, they haven’t quite reached the pew yet. And die pew, the man, or woman sitting there, until educational process has taken effect, I am afraid we are still going to see some problems in actually get ting gay people, men and wom en who openly say “I am gay” really pastoring churches in those mainline Christian groups. Barb: I have been reading the Advocate, and other nation al publications about* your in volvement with demonstraxiods- to get gay rights, not necessar ily for gays, but for minority groups; and I would like to ask you now do you fed when you are demonstrating? Iknow mat you take a firm stand and will not back down, and I certainly admire you for this. Rev. Perry: I fed frightened, to be perfectly honest with you, and anyone would lie to you if they said that they didn’t You never know wnat’s out there, or what kind of persons you may encounter. I have been slapped before, spit on, but never been physically knocked down. I did in a dem onstration in San Francisco a couple of years ago have a young man jump up on a plat form where Iwas standing, and broke a bottle. This was out in the open and I have never seen the police materialize so quick* ly in my life. They were watch ing, but we didn’t realize that they were around. This was Union Square, an outdoor rally. But I know this too. . . somewhere along the way you have to take a stand as an in dividual. For mq I have al ways bdieved I’m going to have my human rights, and I’m going to get them. I be lieve you don’t have to demon strate everyday for gay rights, for instance. There have been times when we, yes, we demon strated and I will still demon strate; but it’s something where we are pushed, just as other people are pushed, when wesay ithat we have got to do some hing to at least fetthe general population know what’s going on. The only way wecanaothis is to demonstrate. Of course, when we do, the television cam- eras, the newspapers and radio show up, and we tell them what we are doing here at the police. station or m iront oi tnis bus iness; or whatever it mav be.. But honestly, I still get butter flies because as I said, I am not any more brave than any one else. The whole thing is that again, I am going to stand up for rights. This is my own philosophy, and I anr a great believer that youcan’tbe afraid of dying tf you are going to make any changes. I certainly don’t have a Messiah complex. I don’t want to be crucified tomorrow. Bi?t on the other hand, I am not afraid any more, and whatever comes, comes; but in the meantime, we will win our dignity, and we will win our battle over oppres sion, period. Barb: Do you have more planned demonstrations in the near future? Rev. Perry: Oh yes* I’m sure that probably our general con ference of our. church will be held >in 1976 in Washington, D.C.; and we plan to visit the White House, the Capitol, be cause we think it’s time for our legislatures on the federal level to know that there are gay people. It will be a peaceful demonstration. We believe in non-violence. . .total non-vio lence; and that’s the way we will win.the war. Barb: Do you usually get a hassle from the police or offi cials when you go in tc inform diem you are going to have a demonstration? Rev. Perry: No. It’s very strange I always usually use a lot of humor when I am going in. . .1 have only been arrested once. That was our first gay parade in Los Angeles I wrote the Chief of Police a letter and told him that I was going- to be wn the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Los Palmas after die parade fasting and praying. After the paradethepolicecame along and told me to move but X informed them that I didn’t have to because I had written the Chief of Police a letter and told him that I was going to be there. They arrested mefor first, inciting to riot, then the charge was dropped because I wasn’t inciting a riot I was actually asking the gay people to please leave. So they changed* the charge to viciously and mal iciously blocking the sidewalk with intent to do harm. I said well, if praying for the Chief will do him harm, I guess lam guilty. I had three trials, each time the judges were so preju- diced that die appellate court sent it back and it finally ended in the State Supreme Courtand they ruled in my favor. That ended that It was indiscrimi nate enforcement of die law. But I don’t go to demonstra tions to get arrested. I don’t think that’s important You go there to prove a point. Since then I have never had prob lems with the policedepartment in any city where I have been. I’ve always found them usually very courteous. I usually tell them what’s going to happen, here’s the parade route, and they will usually send someone to even direct the traffic. Barb: I would assume that it’s sometimes diffkultto recruit people to demonstrate, is that correct? Rev. Perry: Well, the only thing I do is make announce ments. Ijust announce therewill be a demonstration and all of you who would like tobeapart of it. come out and be with us. And I never know. . .we get anywhere from two or three hundred to 1200. Barb: Well, Troy, I can cer tainly see why you would be. so successful with that persua sive smde and that dynamic personality of yours. This should not be at all difficult for you. Thankyou very much, Rev. Perry, it certainly was a pleasure spending these few minutes with you andldohope that you enjoy your stay in At lanta. We welcome you back anytime. Congratulations And Best Wishes To "Miss Gay America Winner”