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Toward Pride (formerly known as Pride in the Pews) has spent years partnering with communities and institutions to advance LGBTQ+ inclusion. These articles and features document our journey, impact, and ongoing work of repairing care.

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A panel of seven people seated at a table in a church with stained glass windows behind them. The table has a black cloth with a logo and text that reads "Pride in the Pews." Audience members are sitting and clapping.

How these queer spaces are creating safe havens for LGBTQ communities

USA Today
June 14, 2023

Where do we belong? And where can we go to belong together? These existential questions linger for many who crave real-life kinship more than ever.

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  • Portrait of Rev. Don Abram smiling, wearing a white shirt and a maroon blazer, against a blue background with text that reads 'PRIDE in the PEWS: Rev. Don Abram' and a world map outline.

    Righteous Rage and Holy Hope: Rev. Don Abram, Pride in the Pews

    Religion News Service
    June 15, 2024

    State of Belief host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush talks with Rev. Don Abram, founder and executive director of Pride in the Pews.

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  • From left: Florida State Rep. Michele Raynor, Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones and journalist Gerren Keith Gaynor at the “State of The Black Church Symposium” in Atlanta on Feb. 2, 2024. | Source: Dr. Ralph Basui Watkins/Pride in the Pews

    Florida State Rep. Michele Raynor Talks LGBTQ+ Community’s Intersection With Religious Spaces

    Newsone
    February 10, 2024

    The “State of The Black Church Symposium” in Atlanta included a Pride in Politics Fireside chat.

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  • Man with dreadlocks sitting in a mostly empty auditorium with purple seats, speaking during an interview.

    Chatham church partners with LGBTQ+ organization to provide free HIV testing

    ABC 7 Chicago
    February 7, 2024

    Wednesday is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. A South Side church has partnered up with local LGBTQ+ organizations to provide free HIV testing.

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  • A group of diverse people attending a conference or religious service, with some standing and engaging passionately, others seated and listening attentively.

    ‘Pride In The Pews’: Religious LGBTQ+ Reform Efforts Explore State Of The Black Church

    Newsone
    February 7, 2024

    "We are inviting you to be introduced to the facets of God that you may be unfamiliar with," Pride in the Pews founder Don Abram said.

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  • Actor Nicholas Ashe (left) and theologian Ciarra Jones (right) in conversation during Pride in The Pews’ State of The Black Church Symposium at Spelman College on February 2, 2024. (Image: Darian Aaron)

    Actor Nicholas Ashe Talks LGBTQ Inclusion in the Black Church, Storytelling at Spelman College

    GLAAD
    February 7, 2024

    For the average Black Christian in the South, choosing which church to attend on a Sunday morning might come down to membership or if the mass choir or male chorus will sing on that particular Sunday.

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  • A man with glasses and a beard smiling, standing next to a portrait of another man with a serious expression, wearing a suit and resting his chin on his hands.

    Atlanta gathering focuses on LGBTQ inclusion in Black churches

    The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
    February 3, 2024

    Pride in the Pews holds first symposium at HBCU.

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  • Poster for the State of the Black Church Symposium titled 'Lighting the Torch', held at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, February 2-3, 2024. Features headshots of speakers and participants, including pastors, reverends, doctors, and community leaders, along with a burning torch graphic and registration info at www.prideinthepews.com.

    Pride in the Pews announces Lighting the Torch: 'State of the Black Church' Symposium 2024

    Religion News Service
    December 18, 2023

    Pride in the Pews, a nonprofit with local and national reach recognized by prominent platforms such as the Chicago Tribune and NPR, is excited to announce the monumental “State of the Black Church” Symposium 2024.

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  • People attending a conference or event with a stage at the front, featuring four speakers and a large screen, in a room with wooden organ pipes and decorated with pink and green fabric.

    Program works with pastors to bring LGBTQ inclusion to church

    Scripps News
    December 12, 2023

    The Black Church Equality Fellowship is a nine-month-long leadership development program for Black faith leaders.

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  • Pride in the Pews’ session on the “State of the Black Church,” hosted in partnership with Union Theological Seminary in March 2023 Courtesy of Pride in the Pews

    Pride in the Pews Is Blazing a New Trail for HIV Ministry

    TheBody
    December 5, 2023

    The Black Church has long been a site of spirit uplift, political organizing, and public health support. In Black communities, many people know that their church will be there for them in times of need―especially when their elected officials are too busy to pay attention.

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  • Panel discussion on stage with three speakers and audience in a conference room.

    Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson honors Rev. Don Abram and Pride in the Pews with 2023 Chicago Proud Award

    Religion News Service
    June 30, 2023

    Just ahead of Chicago Black Pride, Mayor Brandon Johnson bestowed Rev. Don Abram and Pride in the Pews with the 2023 Chicago Proud Award during the annual Pride Reception.

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  • A panel of six people sitting at a long table in a church with stained glass windows behind them. The table has a banner with a cross and the text "Pride in the Pews." One person is speaking into a microphone, while others are clapping or listening, with audience members seated in front.

    How these queer spaces are creating safe havens for LGBTQ communities

    USA Today
    June 14, 2023

    Where do we belong? And where can we go to belong together? These existential questions linger for many who crave real-life kinship more than ever.

    Read More
  • A large framed sign on a white brick wall features a rainbow with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple colors and the text 'LOVE IS LOVE' in bold black letters. There is also a small message in the top right corner that says 'WE LIKE YOU TOO'.

    Pride in the Pews encourages Black churches to welcome LGBTQ people

    NPR
    May 15, 2023

    An African-American minister in Chicago is traveling the country holding workshops called Pride in the Pews in an effort to make Black churches more welcoming to the LGBTQ community.

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  • Pastor Don Abram presents the Pride in the Pews workshop at Second Baptist Church in Evanston.

    Pride in the Pews pastor seeks more inclusive Black church that welcomes LGBTQ+

    Chicago Sun-Times
    April 10, 2023

    “The church that loved me, and that raised me and reared me, nearly turned its back on me,” Pastor Don Abram, who identifies as queer, said of his journey.

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  • Pastor Don Abram (left) and Calvin Taylor (right) chat while they present the “genderbread” person, which visually explains the components of gender as an umbrella term: sex, gender identity, gender expression, and attraction.

    How Pride in the Pews builds inclusivity in the Black Church

    WBEZ Chicago
    March 31, 2023

    Pastor Don Abram went to church reluctantly as a child. “I grew up in a hand-clapping, toe-tapping Black church on the South Side of Chicago,” he said.

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  • Audience seated at round tables listening to a presentation in a conference room.

    Pride in the Pews honors Black LGBTQ+ faith leaders and allies

    Religion News Service
    October 18, 2022

    Pride in the Pews, the Office of State Representative Lamont J. Robinson, and Trinity United Church of Christ will host a virtual event on Wednesday, October 19th, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time to honor the contributions of Black faith leaders to the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

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  • Close-up of two hands with multiple rings, resting on a surface, illuminated by rainbow-colored light.

    'Pride in the Pews' event hopes to bridge gap between church and LGBTQ+ community

    Fox 32 Chicago
    July 7, 2022

    Rev. Don Abram previews tonight's "Pride in the Pews" event that aims to engage the LGBTQ+ community with Black churches.

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  • Two men with glasses smiling and recording a video or making a video call, viewed through a camera lens.

    'Queering the Black Church': Chicago nonprofit collects stories of LGBTQ+ Christians

    ABC 7 Chicago
    March 18, 2022

    A Chicago non-profit is hoping to transform Black churches into a more welcoming place for LGBTQ+ Christians by sharing their stories.

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  • Two women sitting on outdoor stairs, smiling at the camera. The woman on the left is showing her engagement ring.

    For Black LGBTQ Christians, storytelling is a tool of resilience

    The Christian Science Monitor
    January 27, 2022

    Terria Crank had grown tired. She was tired of hiding her sexuality, of running around with fake boyfriends and keeping secrets from her mom.

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  • Abram preaches at Greater New Mt. Eagle Methodist Baptist Church. Provided by Abram

    Pride in the Pews: from storytelling to mobilizing Black LGBTQ+ leaders of faith

    Windy City Times
    December 21, 2021

    Storytelling, justice and community—these core values drove Pride in the Pews when it began in March 2021 as a campaign to collect 66 stories from Black LGBTQ+ Christians across the country.

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  • Inside a church with three large stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes and a central figure, possibly Jesus, near the top. There are hanging pendant lights on either side, and wooden pews in the foreground.

    'Pride in the Pews' seeks acceptance for LGBTQ Christians in the Black church

    FOX 32 Chicago
    May 3, 2021

    Don Abram, founder of 'Pride in the Pews,' elaborates on the importance of inclusivity in places of worship.

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  • Three men in extravagant, colorful costumes with wigs, jewelry, and dramatic makeup, standing in front of a decorative background with mannequins and Christmas decorations.

    Lil Nas X is inviting the Black church in with 'Montero'

    Religion News Service
    April 6, 2021

    'Montero' is the anthem of a Black gay man roaring back from years of self-hate caused by anti-LGBTQ+ theologies. As a queer child of the Black church, it’s an anthem that resonates with me.

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  • News anchor standing in front of a screen displaying a church interior with pews and a cross, with a headline that reads 'Pride in the PewS'.

    Chicago man celebrates 'Pride in the Pews' within the Black Church, calls for queers to share stories

    ABC 7 Chicago
    March 18, 2021

    A Chicago man, who identifies as a queer Christian, has launched a nationwide campaign called Pride in the Pews in order to celebrate people like him within the Black Church.

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  • Three people smiling and shaking hands inside a church with red chairs, flowers, and stained glass windows in the background.

    Column: ‘From 11 to 2 on Sundays I was straight’: After Harvard, young Chicagoan has new campaign to change Black Church attitudes toward LGBTQ people

    Chicago Tribune
    March 12, 2021

    Don Abram calls himself a queer church boy. Back when he really was a boy — a shy child, small for his age — he didn’t use the word queer.

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  • Promotion for a program called 'What God Looks Like' presented by The Collective Table, hosted by Don Abram. Features images of two smiling women and one man in the center.

    What God Looks Like

    The Collective Table
    June 21, 2021

    Don and the team at Pride In the Pews are actively working to give voice through story telling to Christian Black queer people.

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