# Edith Allen Perry

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**Edith Allen Perry** (September 11, 1916 – May 17, 1989), also known as **Mom Perry*,*** was an American activist for LGBT rights, and mother of [Troy Perry](/source/Troy_Perry), founder and moderator of the [Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches](/source/Metropolitan_Community_Church).

## Early life

Edith Allen was born in [Jasper, Florida](/source/Jasper,_Florida),[1] the daughter of William T. Allen and Georgia W. Driggers Allen.

## Activism and honors

Perry helped her eldest son Troy Perry when he launched the Metropolitan Community Church in Los Angeles in 1968 as a welcoming religious community for LGBT people. "All I know and need to know is that Troy is my son and I love him", she told a Los Angeles newspaper in 1970.[2] In 1969, she co-founded a parents' organization with another mother, Vi Anderson.[1] Perry appeared with her son and his partner in parades and rallies through the 1970s and 1980s, including the first [Pride Parade](/source/Pride_parade), in Los Angeles in 1970.[3] She appeared on the "Human Rights Train" in 1977, the first gay rights organization float to appear in the [Hollywood Santa Claus Lane Parade](/source/Hollywood_Christmas_Parade).[4] In 1980, she was named "Woman of the Year" by [Christopher Street West](/source/Los_Angeles_Pride), a Los Angeles gay pride organization.[1] She wrote the foreword to her son's memoir, *The Lord is my Shepherd and He Knows I'm Gay* (1972).[5] He dedicated a later memoir, *Don't Be Afraid Anymore* (1990) to her memory.[6]

## Personal life and legacy

Edith Allen married at least four times.[6] In 1940, she married Troy Perry Sr., a bootlegger, as her second husband; they had five sons together before he died in a car accident while being chased by police in 1952.[7] She remarried a few months later, but soon divorced her third husband.[8] She died from cancer in Los Angeles in 1989, aged 72 years.[1] For her work, she was described by [Chris Glaser](/source/Chris_Glaser_(activist)) as "a saint in the cause of lesbian and gay Christians."[9]

The Edith Allen Perry Chapel at the Metropolitan Community Church's visitors' center in Los Angeles is named for her,[10] as is the denomination's Edith Allen Perry Award, for parents or family members who are exemplary allies.[11]

### Edith Allen Perry Award

Recipients of the Edith Allen Perry Award have included [Betty DeGeneres](/source/Betty_DeGeneres) (1999),[12] [Marian Schoenwether](/source/Marian_Schoenwether) and [Barbara Chase Wilson](/source/Barbara_Chase_Wilson) (2007),[13][14] the family of [James Byrd](/source/Murder_of_James_Byrd_Jr.) (2010), [Linda Brock](/source/Linda_Brock) of Canada (2005), [Edafe Okporo](/source/Edafe_Okporo), a refugee from Nigeria (2021),[15] and [Nan McGregor](/source/Nan_McGregor) (2003)[16] and [Rev. June Norris](/source/Rev._June_Norris) (1997) of Australia.[11]

## References

1. ["Edith Allen Perry"](http://obit.glbthistory.org/olo/imagedb/1989/06/01/19890601_Perry_Edith_Allen/m19890601_0.jpg). *Bay Area Reporter*. June 1, 1989. Retrieved 2022-06-03. – via Online Searchable Obituary Database, GLBT Historical Society.

1. Stumbo, Bella (1970-06-27). ["A Man, A Minister...a Minority"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103108182/a-man-a-ministera-minoritybella/). *Los Angeles Evening Citizen News*. pp. 1, [5](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103108130/the-reverend-troy-perry-a-man-for-all/). Retrieved 2022-06-03. – via Newspapers.com.

1. Riemer, Matthew & Brown, Leighton (2019). [*We Are Everywhere: A Visual Guide to the History of Queer Liberation, So Far*](https://books.google.com/books?id=G4qRDwAAQBAJ&dq=Edith+Allen+Perry&pg=PA162). Ten Speed Press. p. 162. ISBN 978-0-399-58181-6.

1. ["The Human Rights Train in the Hollywood Santa Claus Lane Parade"](https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/asset-management/2A3BF1OXBJWF7). *University of Southern California Digital Library*. November 1977. Retrieved 2022-06-03.

1. Perry, Troy D. & Lucas, Charles L. (1972). [*The Lord is my shepherd and he knows I'm gay; the autobiography of the Rev. Troy D. Perry, as told to Charles L. Lucas*](http://archive.org/details/lordismyshepherd00perr). Los Angeles, Nash Pub. ISBN 978-0-8402-1249-8.

1. Perry, Troy D & Swicegood, Thomas L. P (1992). [*Don't be afraid anymore: the story of Reverend Troy Perry and the Metropolitan Community Churches*](https://archive.org/details/dontbeafraidanym0000perr). New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9780312069544. [OCLC 1244603187](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1244603187)

1. ["Obituary for Troy T. Perry"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83911256/obituary-for-troy-t-perry/). *Tallahassee Democrat*. 1952-06-29. p. 2. Retrieved 2022-06-03. – via Newspapers.com.

1. Dubose, Renee (2010). [*Two men, two movements and our call to seek justice: Bayard Rustin, Troy Perry and the civil rights and gay rights movements*](http://archive.org/details/twomentwomovemen00unse). Cambridge, MA: The author. pp. 36–37. – via Internet Archive.

1. Glaser, Chris (1990). [*Come home! : reclaiming spirituality and community as gay men and lesbians*](http://archive.org/details/comehomereclaimi00glas). San Francisco : Harper & Row. p. 165. ISBN 978-0-06-063124-6. – via Internet Archive.

1. Meckley, Nathan (August 1996). "Meet the Designers of our new 'Work of Art'". *Keeping in Touch*. pp. 2, 3. [OCLC 1244603187](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1244603187)

1. [A page of family photos of Edith Allen Perry](https://revtroyperry.org/photoAlbum/MomPerry/bio_MomPerry.htm), posted by her son Troy D. Perry Jr. on his website

1. UFMCC (1999). [*UFMCC General Conference 1999 Reports and Directives*](http://archive.org/details/cbpac_000053). p. 52. – via Internet Archive.

1. ["Marian Schoenwether"](https://www.mccchurch.org/marian-schoenwether/). *Metropolitan Community Churches*. Retrieved 2022-06-04.

1. ["Obituary | Barbara Wilson"](https://www.brownandsonsfuneral.com/obits). *Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory*. Retrieved 2022-06-04.

1. ["CONNECT Reminders and Events"](https://www.mccchurch.org/connect-reminders-and-events/). *Metropolitan Community Churches*. Retrieved 2022-06-04.

1. Thomas, Shibu (2022-04-20). ["LGBT Community Pays Tribute To Nan McGregor, Co-Founder Of PFLAG Victoria"](https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/lgbt-community-pays-tribute-to-nan-mcgregor-co-founder-pflag-victoria/212132). *Star Observer*. Retrieved 2022-06-04.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Edith Allen Perry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Allen_Perry) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Allen_Perry?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.