Four LGBTQ+ advocates honored in Yorktown

It is important to me to acknowledge the complicated relationship that I and many other LGBTQ+ people have with organized religion, and do my best to show that there is more to the story than the worst headlines you’ve read.”

Rev. Thomas Stubbs, Yorktown United Methodist Church

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. —The Reverend Thomas Stubbs of Yorktown United Methodist Church was one of four LGBTQ+ advocates honored by Sen. Pete Harckham earlier this week in recognition of Pride Month.

Observed each June, Pride Month celebrates the strength, resilience, and contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals to the history, culture, and progress of the United States. It also serves as a time to raise awareness about ongoing challenges faced by the community and to promote equality and inclusion.

“The Hudson Valley’s greatest strength is its diversity, and the LGBTQ+ community is a vital part of that,” Harckham said in a press release. “At a time when intolerance continues to rise, it’s more important than ever for allies to stand with LGBTQ+ individuals and celebrate their resilience, achievements, and contributions.”

Stubbs was honored alongside Ryan Hontz, director of marketing and communications at the LOFT LGBTQ+ Community Center; Cade Schwark, youth representative on the Westchester LGBTQ+ Advisory Board; and Laurie Doppman, a licensed mental health counselor and board member at CoveCare Center. Harckham called all four “remarkable community leaders” during a commemorative ceremony held Monday (Aug. 11) at Yorktown United Methodist Church.

Stubbs, the lead pastor at Yorktown United Methodist Church and United Methodist Church of Mount Kisco, was described by Harckham as someone who has “consistently worked to strengthen the church’s relationship with the LGBTQ+ community” by participating in local pride events or engaging with students.

Harckham said that “Stubbs ensures that gender identity and sexual orientation are never barriers to full inclusion within the church.”

Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, Stubbs said he ended up in New York “because until recently it was much easier for an openly gay man to be a United Methodist Minister in Westchester County than it was in Knoxville.”

He added, “because of that, it is important to me to acknowledge the complicated relationship that I and many other LGBTQ+ people have with organized religion, and do my best to show that there is more to the story than the worst headlines you’ve read. There is also a vision of faith and community which is welcoming and delights in the great tapestry of human expression and human identity.”

Article includes information provided by the Office of State Sen. Pete Harckham