Edith Allen Perry (September 11, 1916 – May 17, 1989), also known as Mom Perry'','' was an American activist for LGBT rights, and mother of
Troy Perry
Troy Deroy Perry Jr. (born July 27, 1940) is an American cleric who founded the Metropolitan Community Church, with a ministry with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, in Los Angeles on October 6, 1968.
Early life
Troy Pe ...
, founder and moderator of the
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches.
Early life
Edith Allen was born in
Jasper, Florida
Jasper is a city and the county seat of Hamilton County, Florida, Hamilton County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,621 at the 2020 census.
The Old Hamilton County Jail and the First United Methodist Church (Jasper, Florida), First ...
,
the daughter of William T. Allen and Georgia W. Driggers Allen.
Activism and honors
Perry helped her eldest son Troy Perry when he launched the Metropolitan Community Church in Los Angeles in 1968 as a welcoming religious community for LGBT people. "All I know and need to know is that Troy is my son and I love him", she told a Los Angeles newspaper in 1970. In 1969, she co-founded a parents' organization with another mother, Vi Anderson.
Perry appeared with her son and his partner in parades and rallies through the 1970s and 1980s, including the first
Pride Parade
A pride parade (also known as pride event, pride festival, pride march, or pride protest) is an event celebrating lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, LGBT rights by country o ...
, in Los Angeles in 1970. She appeared on the "Human Rights Train" in 1977, the first gay rights organization float to appear in the
Hollywood Santa Claus Lane Parade. In 1980, she was named "Woman of the Year" by
Christopher Street West, a Los Angeles gay pride organization.
She wrote the foreword to her son's memoir, ''The Lord is my Shepherd and He Knows I'm Gay'' (1972). He dedicated a later memoir, ''Don't Be Afraid Anymore'' (1990) to her memory.
Personal life and legacy
Edith Allen married at least four times.
In 1940, she married Troy Perry Sr., a bootlegger, as her second husband; they had five sons together before he died in a car accident while being chased by police in 1952. She remarried a few months later, but soon divorced her third husband. She died from cancer in Los Angeles in 1989, aged 72 years.
For her work, she was described by
Chris Glaser as "a saint in the cause of lesbian and gay Christians."
The Edith Allen Perry Chapel at the Metropolitan Community Church's visitors' center in Los Angeles is named for her, as is the denomination's Edith Allen Perry Award, for parents or family members who are exemplary allies.
[A page of family photos of Edith Allen Perry](_blank)
posted by her son Troy D. Perry Jr. on his website
Edith Allen Perry Award
Recipients of the Edith Allen Perry Award have included
Betty DeGeneres
Betty Jane DeGeneres (née Pfeffer; born May 20, 1930) is an American LGBT rights activist. Through her marriage to her first husband Elliott DeGeneres, she is the mother of Ellen and Vance DeGeneres, and the mother-in-law of retired actress Po ...
(1999),
Marian Schoenwether and
Barbara Chase Wilson (2007), the family of
James Byrd (2010),
Linda Brock of Canada (2005),
Edafe Okporo, a refugee from Nigeria (2021), and
Nan McGregor (2003)
and
Rev. June Norris (1997) of Australia.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perry, Edith Allen
1916 births
1989 deaths
People from Jasper, Florida
Metropolitan Community Church clergy
American LGBTQ rights activists