alvaro

The LGBTIQ+ Christians in Central America: Realities, struggles and advancements from the heart of the continent
Wednesday, March 9 | 7 PM CT | Online & On campus (chapel)

Join us for a lecture from Rev. Álvaro Durán, a theologian and the only openly gay pastor in El Salvador. He will discuss the impact of LGBTIQ+ Christian inclusion efforts, initiatives, and movements in the United States and how they affect the Central American context, the urgent evangelistic stewardship of congruence with God's radical inclusion in Jesus Christ, and the importance of networking and fellowship for the development of an interwoven mission for a fully welcoming and affirming global Church. He takes a multidimensional approach to these experiences to explore and understand the importance of the ecclesiological momentum that arises from the deconstruction of religious prejudices related to human sexuality and the current struggle to forge a liberating, healing, transformative and expansive spirituality and faith communities from the margins.
 

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ABOUT Álvaro Durán

 
Álvaro Durán is a theologian (BA Theology and Religion, Durham University, 2007) specializing in the issues of religions and human sexuality (University of Cambridge, 2008), a Pastor in the Anglican tradition, LGBTIQ+ Human Rights advocate, and the first openly LGBTIQ+ religious leader in El Salvador.
 
Between 2009-2011, by appointment of the late Bishop Martín Barahona, then Bishop of the Anglican Church of El Salvador, Coordinator of the Specialized Pastoral Ministry of Inclusion - Ministry of Sexual Diversity, the first initiative in the Central American region that promoted the welcome, affirmation and full inclusion of LGBTIQ+ people in the Church and society.

Since 2011, he is the presiding religious leader of the ecumenical devotional "Plegaria Rosa,'' the annual national public event commemorating victims of homophobia and transphobia organized by LGBTIQ+ Human Rights organizations in El Salvador.

In 2014, he historically inaugurated El Salvador's XVIII LGBTIQ+ Pride March by leading the participants in a moment of affirmation and prayer. In 2015, he co-founded Libres en Cristo, the first organization of LGBTIQ+ Christians and straight allies in Central America that works educating and empowering religious leaders, faith communities, and Human Rights defenders on issues related to religion, human sexuality, and culture for full LGBTIQ+ inclusion and the eradication of religious prejudices.

Since 2019, he has been the Warden and Precentor of La Comunidad de Magdala, a radically inclusive faith community founded by the late Bishop Martin Barahona, continuing his legacy of full LGBTIQ+ inclusion, Interfaith Actions for Peace and Human Rights advocacy. And since 2020, he has been the Motivator of The National Board of Interfaith Actions to promote Human Rights, Non-Discrimination, and Secularism in El Salvador.