Pastor Jeff Hood delivers a sermon at Denton’s only gay bar, Mable Peabody’s Beauty Parlor and Chainsaw Repair, on Easter Sunday. (Patrick Hoffman/Dallas Voice)
Members of the Church at Mable Peabody’s are launching a book written by more than 20 members about their experiences of being queer and having faith in God.
The book, “Stories from the Church at Mable Peabody’s: The Spiritual Experiences of a Queer Church,” focuses on the tales of “wounded healers,” the Rev. Jeff Hood said.
Hood said planning for the book started after the church started meeting at Denton’s only gay bar on Easter Sunday. It was recently self-published and will be released tonight with a cover unveiling and readings.
“We are a church that is full of persons who have been told that God hates them. The question for us has consistently been, ‘How do we use the wounds inflicted on us to shape a better and more equitable world?’” Hood said. “We have made a choice to love those who have persecuted us and to heal the hurting by sharing our stories. This is a proactive step meant to take the evil things that have been done to us and turn them into help for others. Our congregation refuses to live and not love.”
The book launch begins at 9 p.m. tonight at Banter Denton, 219 W. Oak St. in Denton. Books will be available for $20 and will begin being sold here next week.
