Dr. Greg Rabb on the Catholic Church and LGBTQIA+, Sunday, May 8

Dr. Greg Rabb

​Jamestown, N.Y. – “The Catholic Church Must Stop Hurting LGBTQIA+ Catholics” is the message Dr. Greg Rabb will present to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown (UUCJ) on Sunday, May 8.

At the 10:30 a.m. hybrid service, the Jamestown Community College professor of political science will share his personal story of, as he describes, “My efforts to end the hurt based on my own spirituality raised as a Catholic, discovering my own ‘two spirt’ nature based on queer ‘magic’ and influenced by my study of Islam.”

Rabb will include a short reading from the book Queer Magic: LGBT+ Spirituality and Culture by Tomas Prower.

A Canisius College graduate, Rabb earned a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo School of Law. The recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, he chairs the Board of Directors of the SUNY Institute for European Union Studies and Simulations and is summer academic research advisor to college interns focusing on the Nuremberg Trials at Jamestown’s Robert H. Jackson Center. Among other grants, fellowships, and awards, in 2017 Rabb received a Palestine American Research Council (PARC) Faculty Development Grant to study in Palestine and a 2020 grant from Dar al Islam to study Islam. The former Jamestown City Council president now chairs the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities Board of Directors and the Jamestown City Planning Commission. 

Rabb’s presentation relates to all of the seven Principles that Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote, including “The inherent worth and dignity of every person” and “Justice, equity and compassion in human relations.”

A social time follows the service.

While not mandated, vaccines, masks, and appropriate distancing are encouraged for those who participate in the service in person. 

Participation can be either in person at 1255 Prendergast Avenue in Jamestown or online. To join virtually, use the link at UUJamestown.org/calendar.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving the southern tier of Western New York and Warren County, Pa. The UUCJ’s mission is to support and celebrate each other, encourage spiritual and individual growth, and serve the wider community.

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