Remembering San Diego LGBT icon Rev. David Farrell (RIP)

[left-of-center2012]

San Diego lost Reverend David Farrell, an LGBT member, and important faith leader on July 20, 2018. He passed peacefully according to the Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego (MCCSD). Reverend David, served the community as Senior Pastor of the MCCSD for 20 years but was also a trailblazer who embraced his community at a point in history when gay people were only beginning to find their strength.

Rev. David's work helped the community navigate to the safe space of he MCCSD through the tumultuous times of the LGBT civil rights movement of the early 70's and throughout the AIDS crisis. He started World AIDS Day observations which have gone from intimate vigils to nationwide reflections that remind the world to remember those impacted by HIV and AIDS.

He led the effort in challenging Anita Bryant's homophobic campaign called "Save our Children" in 1977, and the Briggs initiative; a referendum on the 1978 California state ballot to ban LGBT people from working in schools.

After 20 years at the MCCSD, Rev. David stepped down in 1995 and ... relocated to Palm Springs, California to enjoy the sun and the company of his husband Gil Caldwell. In a social media statement from MCCSD, they say they are currently working with MCC officials and Mr. Caldwell on a date and time to honor Rev. David's legacy, allow the communally to grieve, "and celebrate the limitless testimonies of the impact of his life."

http://sdgln.com/news/2018/07/25/remembering-san-diego-lgbt-icon-and-faith-leader-rev-david-farrell

[AllaN01Bear]

1. silent key

thank you.

[SHRED]

2. RIP

[FreeState]

3. RIP - not really an icon though

I’ve lived here for twenty years and had to look up who he was.


That being said SGLN is owned by a right wing gay guy and it’s not reliable usually (they often don’t disclose their conflicts of interest and will send you nasty personal messages when you point them out in the public comments).

[left-of-center2012]

4. "I've lived here for twenty years"

He retired 23 years ago,
but was definitely a big name in the San Diego and national gay scene during the early days of AIDS and post-Stonewall fight for gay rights.

Sadly, too many of our heroes get forgotten.

He was the pastor at San Diego’s Metropolitan Community Church (gay church),
which was the 2nd MCC in the nation, after the 1st was begun in L.A by the MCC founder Troy Perry.
It was David Farrell who led the San Diego Metropolitan Community Church’s congregation through the AIDS outbreak as it escalated during the 1980s.

David Farrell helped defeat the California Briggs initiative that would have barred gays from being school teachers.

He was one of the major leaders of San Diego’s fight for gay rights.
I lived in San Diego during from the mid-70‘s to 2001.

It’s sad people today are unaware of his contributions.

[FreeState]

5. Thanks for the information

Yep I’ve never heard of him - I even attended the MCC on 30th before it moved when I first moved here. (It’s now a Buddhist Temple).

I miss the GLTimes - best paper SD LGBT community ever had.

[left-of-center2012]

7. Sad how they get forgotten

[left-of-center2012]

6. From a non SGLN website

Reverend David Farrell served the San Diego LGBT community as Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego for 20 years, providing a safe, caring environment where people could come for support in the early days of the LGBT civil rights movement and throughout the AIDS crisis. As Senior Pastor, Rev. Farrell also helped unify the LGBT community into a political force.

He was involved in raising awareness and gathering support in California for the fight against Anita Bryant and the Briggs Initiative.

When he stepped down as Senior Pastor in 1995, the San Diego City Council declared December 3 to be Reverend David Farrell Day in San Diego for his twenty years of service to the MCC and to the citizens of San Diego.

https://archive.org/details/casdla_000186

[FreeState]

8. Awesome - thanks!

I’ve asked a couple other gay men that have lived here longer than I and neither knew of him. We definitely have to do better with educating our community of our past.