An Open Letter to the LGBT Community from the Episcopal Churches of the Central
Erie Deanery, Episcopal Diocese of Western New York:

We leaders of Episcopal congregations in Buffalo offer our apology and ask forgiveness from the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender community.  For centuries the institutional church and organized religion have slandered, tortured, disenfranchised and sometimes murdered members of the community.  We ask forgiveness for using our Sacred Scripture to wrongly justify hatred, bigotry, prejudice andviolence against those of different affectional orientation and gender identification, both in the past and, unfortunately, some still today.

As leaders, some of us openly gay and lesbian, we are humbled and vow to use our influence to change not only our religions but our laws that seek to marginalize the LGBT community.  If you would like to seek an institutional religion, we would urge you to attend as many different denominations and spiritual journeys as you can.  There are several denominations and spiritual paths that will welcome you.  If you wish to seek an Episcopal Church, the Church of the Ascension is a safe place for you, and/or your partner and your children.

The Episcopal Church: Challenging fundamentalism since 1789