THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

The weekend highlights include words from event chair and long time civil rights and LGBTQ activist and retired clergyperson in the United Methodist church, Rev. Gil Caldwell; event co-chair's Chicago's revered social justice advocate Rev. Greg Dell and recent Boston transplant Dr. Pamela Lightsey, the only out African American lesbian ordained clergy of the United Methodist Church.

Kicking off the celebration, Friday October 19, 6-9pm at The Joynt, is author/spoken word artist/ & touring performer, Phenomenon, an accomplished young renaissance woman emerging from Chicago. Phenomenon will be hosting "The Justice Jam: Poetry with a Purpose!" interspersed with stories of the justice journey of the Church Within A Church Movement.

Saturday events include "Transgender Law and Liberation" workshop by Chicago transgender attorney with the Transformative Justice Law Project, Owen Daniel-McCarter. Saturday evening programming includes the CWAC Movement's Gil Caldwell Justice Award will be given to Austin, TX based life-long justice-seeker Inelle Bagwell and North Carolina Triangle area activist, Lea Salas CÃ"rdova, an influential transgender advocate and voice in the Duke community and the broader Triangle area. Entertainment will be provided by Windy City Gay Chorus under the artistic direction of Jeremiah Selvey, and DJ Maria Puentes.

The legacy event of the weekend is the launch of the Movement's "My God is not a Bully" video project with Chicago's E3Radio innovator, Anna DeShawn. CWAC Movement executive director, cathy knight says of the project, "the Church Within A Church Movement wants LGBTQ youth to know there is another side to the story. We want to share a message that God loves them and that however you define God, in all traditions, God is Love, not a bully. With Anna's collaboration and enthusiasm for the project, we will begin the video making in October and launch one video each day of the month in June 2013."

All 10th anniversary information and registration can be found at the CWAC Movement's website link: http://www.cwac.us/celebrating-ten-years-faith-community-justice

The Church Within A Church Movement is a grass roots response to specific discriminatory actions of the United Methodist Church's General Conference. This movement recognizes the systemic racism and heterosexism of the institutional church and therefore finds its energy in supporting and forming avenues for the inclusive and just church to flourish now.