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Feb. 14, 2014 – The Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson, the moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches, will give a talk titled “Religion and the Global Struggle for LGBT Rights” at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, February 24 in Ford Chapel at Allegheny College. The talk is free and open to the public.

Wilson, who graduated from Allegheny College in 1972, is the second person—and the first woman—to serve as the MCC’s global leader since its founding. The spiritual leader and spokesperson for MCC, she also leads its governing board and senior leadership team. In addition, she serves on the board of the Global Justice Institute, as well as on the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Her recently published books “Outing the Bible” and “Outing the Church” are reissues of her 1995 work “Our Tribe: Queer Folks, God, Jesus and the Bible.” She blogs on the Huffington Post and is included in The Advocate’s “10 Pro-LGBT Religious Women You Should Know.”

Her lecture at Allegheny College is part of a four-day residency. She will also preach at the college’s Sunday chapel service on February 23 at 11 a.m. in Ford Chapel. During her residency, she will also speak to classes, meet with students and staff, and conduct a workshop as part of the college’s Safe Zone program, which works to eliminate homophobia, heterosexism and discrimination.

Wilson’s lecture is supported by the Harry C. and Madeleine King Winslow Ecumenical Lecture Fund and is part of the College’s Year of Civil Rights, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and explores the state of civil rights, broadly defined, in our world today. More information about the Year of Civil Rights at Allegheny College can be found at www.allegheny.edu/200.

For more information about Wilson’s visit to Allegheny College, contact the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life at 814-332-2800 or rellife@allegheny.edu.