An American religious leader will preside over an LGBTQ+ pride service in Ireland on June 13.

The Rt. Rev. Bonnie Perry is the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, which includes metro Detroit. The head of Dublin’s Christ Church Cathedral invited Perry to preach at the suggestion of one of her former parishioners.

Perry, the first woman and the first lesbian to lead the diocese, says it’s an opportunity to nurture Ireland’s support for the community.

“The Church of Ireland is not so far along in including LGBT people as the Episcopal Church,” she says. “I will talk about community organizing and how we moved the Episcopal Church to full inclusion.”

Perry says that movement didn’t happen overnight. It took years to change people’s attitudes. She says people started becoming more accepting as friends and relatives came out to them.

“When we did that, folks began to realize that we’re your daughter, your favorite aunt, your next-door neighbor,” she says. “I think as people began to realize that we’re not something other or strange, but rather people who we love, then attitudes began to shift.”

Oceans divide, people unite

Attitudes began to shift more recently in Ireland. In 2015, voters legalized same-sex marriage. Since then, the republic has expanded civil rights such as allowing people to update their gender on driver’s licenses.

Perry leads the diocese at a challenging time for LGBTQ+ Americans, especially transgender youth. But she says the church will continue to embrace them.

“Sometimes the world will say otherwise, but we are loved by God for who we are, as we are,” she says. “And I think that this is a very important piece for folks to hear from the church.”