Friends of St. Aelred

The Friends of St. Aelred is a group of LGBTQ+ Episcopalians and their supporters and friends. The Friends started nearly 20 years ago as a support group for gay people and gradually became a service organization whose contributions to Cathedral life include the annual Christmas Giving Tree, delivery of lilies to our homebound members at Easter, and activities and Easter food baskets at Resurrection House.

The Friends also put on community-building events including a brunch and our Spiritual Pride dinner (postponed for several years now because of Covid), and are involved in St. Pete Pride activities every June. They also enjoy socials and outings throughout the year.

St. Aelred was a 12th-century Cistercian monk, abbott, and author who taught that friendship is a gift from God and allowed his monks to hold hands and give other expressions of friendship.

New Convenor of St. Aelred's Draws on the Past, Seeks New Members and Initiatives

Jonathan Soots is the newly-elected convenor of The Friends of St. Aelred, the Cathedral's organization for LGBTQ+ Episcopalians and their straight allies. Meet him and learn about next steps for St. Aelred's.

Q. Why did you want to take on the leadership role as convenor of St. Aelred's?

A: Many of the new attendees and members of the Cathedral may not be fully aware of the mission or activities of St. Aelred's. More than a decade ago, I found the Episcopal Church and came home to Christ. The world tells you, as an LGBTQ+ person, that you are less than worthy of God's love. Or they question your choice to exist in the image that you are created to be. The role of convenor allows me to solidify my homecoming and to join a group of souls who serve the parish with a specific fortitude and love for community.

Q. Tell us about yourself -- what you do for a living, your background, your family, how you got to St. Peter's, how you're involved here.

A: I found the Episcopal Church as a homecoming and welcoming place. In 2011 I joined the staff of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Tampa as the youth minister. We did diocesan safeguarding training at the Cathedral. My husband, Dr. Stephen Hawk, and I were married at the Cathedral in 2019 and I now serve as an usher. I am a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services; a test-prep instructor with Varsity Tutors; and I have my own store on eBay, where I sell designer clothing, vintage VHS Disney videos, and a hodgepodge of consignment. I have a Master of Arts in teaching middle grades and a B.A. in Biblical Studies. I have been involved in pastoral ministry and education for more than 20 years.

Q. Where do you see the Friends of St. Aelred moving in the next few years?

A. I see us growing by continuing the activities we've been involved in for many years (see the box for details). The Pride activities in June, along with new initiatives, can increase participation and membership. We want to balance the generations who have brought us to where we are with new and younger people who become more active than they are now. We will thrive as an organization once we find this careful balance with prayer and unity.

Q. What is it about St. Peter's that has attracted many gay Episcopalians? What makes this a welcoming place?

A: First, look at the city. For eight years St. Petersburg has received a perfect score

in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Municipal Equality Index, a nationwide assessment of cities’ commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion in laws, policies, and services. This is a welcoming community. The Cathedral is in a growing downtown area close to Central Avenue and Kenwood, the heart of the LGBTQ+ community. The Episcopal Church is known nationally for its diversity and inclusion.
What makes the Cathedral a welcoming place? The clergy who identify as LGBTQ+ or as allies, both at the Cathedral and nationwide, have created a welcoming vibe. But it is the work behind the scenes for advocacy that has given the Cathedral its brilliant spiritual luster and gift of hospitality for all.

Q. Talk about the importance to LGBTQ+ people of having a supportive faith community at a time when the rights of gay and trans people are threatened.

A. A supportive faith community is crucial to our existence as LGBTQ+ persons. As St. Aelred's and as the Cathedral community, it is our responsibility to be a bridge to those who are rejected because of who they are and to extend our hands with the overwhelming love of God. We are here, as we read in Micah 6:8, to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

When LGBTQ+ people are told that their rights to marry or have a family don't matter ... or when they are told their pronouns are a joke or their gender identity is a lie ... or when our transgender community is attacked .. we must embrace them and affirm their identity. LGBTQ+ people are no different and are loved no differently by God. They are Christ's own forever. We must affirm them in this message of baptism. That is the true work of the Kingdom of God.