Rev. Troy Perry born 26 July 1940Involved in the church since he was a boy, as a young man, Troy Perry entered full-time ministry in a Pentecostal Church and married a pastor's daughter, with whom he had two sons. He was unable to ignore his homosexual feelings which ultimately brought an end to his marriage and his ministry. He thought that was where his involvement in the church had come to an end but ...
In 1968, before the Stonewall Riots and the Christopher Street Parades, the Reverend Troy Perry founded the Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles to serve the spiritual needs of gay and lesbian people. His action was revolutionary - and transformational - and not without difficulty.
Ever since , the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches has served as a safe haven for those rejected by other religious communities. Rev Perry retired as Moderator of the MCC in 2005, but has remained active as a writer, public speaker and activist and advocate.
Troy Perry married his longterm partner Phillip Ray De Blieck in Canada at the Metropolitan Community Church in Toronto. On their return to Los Angeles, they sued the State of California for recognition of their marriage and won. The State appealed and the ruling was overturned but the law has since changed in California to allow gay marriage.In addition to his work as a gay religious leader and human rights activist, Rev. Perry has found time to write an autobiography, The Lord is My Shepherd and He Knows I'm Gay. Rev. Perry also completed a sequel to this book, titled Don't Be Afraid Anymore, published by St. Martin's Press and Profiles in Gay and Lesbian Courage also published by St. Martin's. He is a contributing editor for the book Is Gay Good? and the subject of another book, Our God Too. In 2003, he completed the text of his latest book, 10 Spiritual Truths For Gays and Lesbians* (*and everyone else!).