Darlene Onita Garner is an American minister and

LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...

activist, and a co-founder of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays (NCBLG). She was the first African-American elder in the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) and she helped create (and now leads) the denomination's biannual Conference for People of African Descent (PAD)."Diversity & Inclusion Council"
, Human Rights Campaign website; accessed 24 February 2011. In 2008 and 2009, she served as MCC Vice-Moderator. She is a nationally recognized speaker on LGBT religious issues; for instance, she was invited to join several other nationally known speakers to announce the "American Prayer Hour", a gay-affirming alternative to the "National Prayer Breakfast". For her work in the

LGBT community The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ people, LGBTQ individuals united by LGBTQ culture, a common culture and LGBTQ movements, social movements. These Community, comm ...

, Garner was credited in ''The African American Almanac'' as "contributing to the visible image of gays in society" and in 2010 was named a "Capital Pride Hero" by Capital Pride."Capital Pride Heroes and Engendered Spirit Awards"
June 8, 2010, MetroWeekly.com; accessed 24 February 2011.

Career

From 1977 to 1980, Garner worked to help found the NCBLG, then known as the National Coalition of Black Gays (NCBG). She has described that experience as follows:

At that point in LGBT history, the needs and points of view of African Americans were not reflected in the agendas of other national organizations. We created the National Coalition of Black Gays and Lesbians (NCBGL, originally NCBG), organizing several chapters and transforming those chapters into a national organization. We knew that we were making history. What we were doing had the capacity to change the face of history. Our youth and naiveté helped us do it with a boldness. If we had been seasoned activists, we might not have taken it on. We know that if it was not us, there might be no one. So we took it on.

Before entering the professional ministry, Garner worked as the Executive Director of the

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Mayor's Commission on Sexual Minorities, beginning in 1987. She has served as the chaplain for an

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life b ...

and as President of the Board of Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry. Darlene has also served as a member of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (hearing complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender, and national origin) and the

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. History Most historical writings about West Hollywood be ...

Business License Commission. Garner was ordained in the Metropolitan Community Church in 1988. She has served as an associate pastor in the MCC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and as an MCC pastor in

Baltimore, MD Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-larges ...

, and northern Virginia from 1991 to 1998, during which time she was used as a source by U.S. News & World Report for stories on LGBT issues. Garner served MCCDC as Church Treasurer and Lay Delegate and later served MCC's former Mid-Atlantic District as assistant district coordinator.Bio
, accessed 24 February 2011. She now presides over MCC Region 6, which covers Latin America and southwestern United States. Garner also sits on the Diversity & Inclusion Council and on the Religion Council of the

Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...

Personal Life

Early childhood and religious influences

Garner is the oldest of five children. She is of African,

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, and Irish descent. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Garner was brought up in the National Baptist Convention.David J. Hoffman
"Heroic Distinction Very Humbling"
''Washington Blade'', June 10, 2010; accessed 24 February 2011. She was baptized at age 7 at Union Grove Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio.As a child, she attended public schools, was an active

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, and participated in the All-State Orchestra. Garner graduated from East High School in

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...

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in 1966.

Adulthood

Garner studied at the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

, Samaritan College, and

Lancaster Theological Seminary Lancaster Theological Seminary is a seminary of the United Church of Christ in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1825 by members of the German Reformed Church in the United States to provide theological education for prospective clergy a ...

. Having been raised in the Baptist church, she later attended the Episcopal Church and eventually joined the

Metropolitan Community Church The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), also known as the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), is an international LGBT-affirming Christian denominations, LGBT-affirming mainline Protestant Christian denomination. The ...

in 1976. Garner married and had three children with her first husband. In 1973, she came out as a lesbian, at which point she relocated to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

with her three young children. She moved back to Ohio, married her second husband, and had her fourth child while identified as a lesbian. On March 3, 2010, Garner and her partner, Rev. Candy Holmes, were one of the first same-sex couples to apply for a marriage license in the

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

. On March 9, 2010, Garner and Holmes were married along with two other couples at the

building.Adam Serwer
"First Same-Sex Marriages Celebrated in D.C."
, March 9, 2010, TheRoot.com; accessed 24 February 2011. Garner and Holmes live in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

with their dogs Joey and Micah.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garner, Darlene Living people African-American LGBTQ people LGBTQ Protestant clergy American LGBTQ rights activists Metropolitan Community Church clergy Activists from Columbus, Ohio Clergy from Columbus, Ohio African-American Christian clergy American Christian clergy African-American activists LGBTQ people from Ohio Year of birth missing (living people) American women civil rights activists 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women 21st-century American LGBTQ people