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Who is the head of Cathedral of Hope? Mega-church's 'Drag Sunday' has Internet asking 'this is Texas?'

The church in Dallas hosted a ceremony to bless members of the drag community and a charity organization known as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

DALLAS, TEXAS: The Cathedral of Hope in Texas made headlines recently when it conducted an LGBTQ+ service during which several drag queens were blessed. The Reverend Dr Neil Cazares-Thomas has been serving as the cathedral's senior pastor since May 2015.

The church in Dallas hosted a ceremony on Sunday morning, September 17, to bless members of the drag community and a charity organization known as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. 

Texas' Cathedral of Hope blesses the drag community

"Drag queens are often targets of hate and violence. But we know that they are often powerful and resilient people who show us what it means to be truly authentic and expressive," said the Church leaders, as per the Dallas Morning News.

In a Facebook post, the Cathedral of Hope said, "The term 'family values' has for so long been code language to support misogyny, homophobia, bigotry, and many other ways of hate and exclusion. However, values do have an important role in our lives."

"They inform our decisions and shape our relationships, and we build communities of faith around shared values. Take a journey as we explore values that move towards healthy families, meaningful connections, strong communities, and to see the good news of radical love and mercy embodied in us and our beloved Cathedral of Hope."

Cathedral of Hope slammed after drag event

The inclusive event has sparked protests. Many individuals expressed their disapproval on social media, criticizing the church for what they perceived as becoming "woke."

"So many churches have gone woke... Puzzling that people still go," one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Another added, "This is a church that has been thoroughly corrupted. Christians should not continue to let this happen. Shame on those who organized this farce."

"This is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in a church. #evil," wrote a third, while a fourth claimed, "This is Satanic."

"What a disgrace to humanity," another chimed in. 

A sixth wrote, "Not a true church of God. On the quick road to hell. This is blasphemy and will not go unpunished. Teachers and preachers are held to a higher standard. We need to pray earnestly for these churches."

Meanwhile, some saw no issue with the church's welcoming stance toward the LGBTQ+ community.

One person wrote, "It seems a beautiful love ceremony. Whit respect , all dressed ...I don't see any irrespective behaviour."

Another added, "I’m a libertarian and could careless what people believe. The prayer they said was a positive one I must say. But I would never be at this church."

Texas' stance on LGBTQ+ issues

Texas has a mixed stance on LGBTQ+ rights. The state has not passed comprehensive statewide nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in areas like employment, housing, and public accommodations.

However, some cities in Texas, like Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio had passed local ordinances that provided limited protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity within their jurisdictions.

Texas also introduced a bill that would use public funds to support private schools and also restrict discussions about gender and sexual orientation in public schools from elementary to high school.

This is part of a broader Republican effort to emphasize parental rights in education. However, some people are concerned that these bills could negatively impact LGBTQ+ students and encourage bullying.

Another bill aims to change how schools handle sex education curricula, making sure educators don't offer extracurricular events on these topics without considering parental rights, as reported by Dallas News.