A note from Steve McKiernan, the Membership and Outreach chair for Montclair Presbyterian Church:
Our community’s experience at Pride on September 10th was best described by Martha Smith when she was interviewed by ABC, channel 7: “It’s not just a pleasure for us to be here, it’s a sacred responsibility”. We marched, smiled, waved, handed out leis and bracelets, and generally displayed our love and acceptance to the LGBTQ+ community. For my own part, I kept reminding myself what MPC member Deborah Brooks had told me: some of the folks watching us march had never heard a kind word from a churchgoer, or felt anything but rejection from the Christian community. So we were on a serious mission, but we also had a great time. And who wouldn’t — in a joyous crowd, on a beautiful Oakland day, with rainbows everywhere.
Full Oakland Pride coverage: 2023 Oakland Pride Parade: Watch full ABC7’s coverage here – ABC7 San Francisco (abc7news.com)
See the ABC-7 interview with Martha Smith below!