Gwen Hall
Gwen Hall | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 7, 1951 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | August 24, 2007 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Minister, activist, community organizer |
Gwen Hall (May 7, 1951 – August 24, 2007) was an American activist, community organizer, and a minister in the Unity Church. She founded Sojourner Truth Ministries in Seattle in 1995.
Early life and education
Hall was born in Chicago.[1] She graduated from the University of Washington in 1979, with a degree in political science,[1] and earned a master's degree at Seattle University's School of Theology and Ministry.[2]
Career
Hall was a Seattle Pride organizer beginning in the 1970s,[1] and a member of Seattle's Black Lesbian Forum. She was an advertising representative for Seattle Gay News.[3] She co-chaired Marches on Washington for gay rights in 1979 and 1993, and was a fundraiser for the protest in other years.[3] She taught life skills workshops,[4] and she spoke on the impact of HIV/AIDS in Black communities.[5] In 1995, Hall founded the Sojourner Truth Unity Fellowship Church (also known as Sojourner Truth Ministries) on Beacon Hill in Seattle. She said, of her work, "I made a commitment, a personal commitment, to do my part so that no one would ever die feeling that God didn't love them."[2] In 2003 she was the first openly gay person to give the opening prayer at Seattle's Martin Luther King Jr. Day event.[6][7]
Personal life and legacy
Hall was married and divorced as a young woman, and had a son. She came out as a lesbian, and had a longtime relationship with Trina Banks.[8] She died from heart failure in 2007, at the age of 56.[9][10] The Reverend Gwen Hall and Lois Peterson Scholarship supports college-bound high school seniors in the American Northwest, including Alaska, who are leaders in the LGBTQ community and have demonstrated financial need.[11]
References
- ^ a b c Freeman, Thomas Mitchell (1988-03-18). "Freedom Day Committee Elects Cochairs". Seattle Gay News. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-05-28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Rev. Gwen Hall" Lesbian and Gay Black Lives Northwest Lesbian and Gay History Museum Project.
- ^ a b Reade, Alan (1987-09-25). "Couple of Contributors to the March". Seattle Gay News. p. 11. Archived from the original on 2025-06-01. Retrieved 2025-05-28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Dragon (1988-01-29). "Life 101: How to make your life work better". Seattle Gay News. p. 8. Retrieved 2025-05-28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Detman, Dennis (April 30, 2000). "Coalition Sends Message: AIDS Hasn't Gone Away". The Living Church: 6.
- ^ "Rev. Gwen Hall to give opening prayer at MLK Day march". Seattle Gay News. 2003-01-17. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
- ^ "Rev. Gwen Hall of Sojourner Truth Unity Fellowship Church". Seattle Gay News. 2003-01-24. p. 14. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
- ^ "SGN Interview: Trina Banks, Pride Foundation scholarship recipient". Seattle Gay News. 2016-06-24. p. 84. Retrieved 2025-05-28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Turnbull, Lornet (2007-09-01). "Gwen Hall, 56, pastoral backer of gay rights". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2025-05-31. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
- ^ Meyer, Liz (2007-08-31). "Rev. Gwen Hall dies Aug. 24--many mourn the loss of a leader". Seattle Gay News. pp. 1, 22. Retrieved 2025-05-28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Reverend Gwen Hall Scholarship". CollegeXpress. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
External links
- Unity Fellowship Seattle Senior Outreach, History Timeline