GLSEN Remembers The Rev. Peter Gomes

Crossposted at blog.dayofsilence.org. The Rev. Peter Gomes, an openly gay American Baptist minister and theologian at Harvard University’s Divinity School, passed away Monday at the age of 68. Gomes, whom GLSEN honored as a Black History Month hero last month, was a strong advocate for wider acceptance of LGBT people in America.

Said GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard, who met Rev. Gomes while working on the award-winning documentary Out of the Past, which Dr. Byard co-produced:

"I am deeply saddened to hear of Reverend Gomes' passing. Reverend Gomes is featured in Out of the Past, discussing Michael Wigglesworth, a 17th century minister, author and Harvard professor whose Day of Doom was a bestseller of the time. Reverend Gomes brought his trademark mix of thoughtful gravitas and wry humor to the interview, and his dramatic reading of selections from the Day of Doom has always been one of my favorite parts of the film. I was also privileged to hear him preach on several occasions.

"His death is a loss for all of us who value respect and have an appreciation for difference."