Our Leadership
Founder
Don Abram, M.Div, Harvard University
Don’s shared passion for the Black Church and the LGBTQ+ community prompted him to start Pride in the Pews. Don grew up in a hand clapping, toe-tapping Black church on the Southside of Chicago. Every Sunday, at 11:00am, he was in the pews expecting a soul-stirring sermon. At the age of 14, he was called into ministry and moved from the pews to the pulpit—a paradigm shifting transition. With his new role, he adopted theological positions that mirrored the teachings of his home church. After years of preaching orthodoxy, everything came to a halt when Don realized that he embodied one of the very things that he preached against: queerness.
As a student at Harvard Divinity School, Don was presented an opportunity to critically engage scripture with a focus on marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ community. With rigorous theological training and a heart for justice, Don deconstructed homophobic and transphobic theologies from the perspective of Black liberation theology. As Don’s theological commitments evolved, his love for the Black Church never ceased. In fact, his commitment to ensuring that the Black Church pursued a ministry that centered the needs and voices of marginalized communities grew stronger. Frustrated with the lack of theological nuance and the silence of the Black Church on LGBTQ+ rights, Don launched Pride in the Pews with a $40,000 grant in 2021. Pride in the Pews is a grassroots nationwide non-profit that bridges the gap between the Black Church and the LGBTQ+ community through storytelling, political education, and civic engagement. By equipping churches with culturally responsive tools to create more affirming sacred spaces and to advocate for LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination, Pride in the Pews seeks to create a nationwide network of Black faith leaders advancing LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination.
Since its launch, prominent news outlets including the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, ABC7 Chicago, Christian Science Monitor, and Religion News Service have featured the ongoing work and impact of Pride in the Pews. Don remains deeply committed to creating community for LGBTQ+ Christians and to equipping the church for progressive, 21st century ministry.