Invitation to LGBTQIA+ Pride 2026: Called by Name

By Clarence Baney, for Social Justice and Peacemaking

Chicago-born mathematician and Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, Robert Prevost, was chosen to be the heir to St. Peter on May 8, 2025. On that day, Robert ceased to be known by his given name, and the world began to know him as Leo.

That same day, many queer and LGBTQIA+ individuals and advocacy groups noted, on social media, with wry clarity: “And just like that, the world will accept a chosen name.”

In recent years, our nation has been caught in deeply divisive debates over pronouns, chosen names, gender identity, and expression—debates that have reached even into our own congregation. Some of us carry uncertainty about how to speak, how to understand, and how to honor identities that may not match outward expectations. Like the disciples on the mountaintop, we carry questions and doubts. But doubt, too, is holy ground. It is often where transformation begins.

The Church—capital “C” —has always been shaped by transformation, by renaming, and by the unveiling of identity. These moments are not peripheral to our faith; they are foundational. Names in our tradition are never incidental—they are revelatory. They mark covenant, calling, and belonging. As God says in Isaiah 43:1, “I have called you by name; you are mine.”

My hope this Pride is to invite us to see, with a little more clarity and grace, that the journey of identity walked by many queer people is not as distant from our faith as we might imagine. It bears a quiet resemblance to the journeys we already cherish in Scripture—journeys of being called, of being renamed, of becoming. In this light, the stories of our queer siblings are not outside the Christian tradition, but can be understood as part of its living and unfolding witness.

This year, we invite you to our ninth celebration of LGBTQIA+ Pride at First Presbyterian Church of Howard County. Our theme is Called by Name. Together, we will reflect on four sacred stories—Sarah, Israel, Peter, and the Christ—each revealing that identity is not fixed, but discovered, revealed, and claimed in time. These stories echo in the lives of many of our queer siblings, who grow into the courage of becoming who God has called them to be. For many LGBTQIA+ people, this journey includes naming—choosing, reclaiming, or discovering a name that tells the truth.

Join us throughout Pride for worship, reflection, and community events, including bulletin inserts to guide your reflection. You will also be invited to add to the Pride Names Tree which will be found in the Upper Commons. Through our contributions to the Names Tree we will create a shared symbol of identity, healing, and belovedness. As has been our tradition, we also look forward to the return of Mama Bella for our Fifth Annual Drag Queen Story Hour on Sunday, June 7, 2026.

Come and see.

Come and listen.

Come and remember we are all called by name.