Rev. Troy Perry Picnic Salad

Our summer picnic salad today is to honor one of the greatest LGBT spiritual leaders: The Rev. Troy Perry. His impact both politically and religiously can't be denied. If the LGBT's ever have a Saint, surely it will be this wonderful sexy man of God!

Rev. Troy Perry Picnic Salad

Ingredients

• a head of cauliflower
• 6 hard-boiled eggs-chopped
• 3 stalks of celery-chopped
• 1 small red onion-chopped About ½ cup
• ½ cup sweet midgets cut finely
• 2 tablespoons of that sweet pickle juice
• ½ pkg bacon--cooked and crumble

• 1 5oz carton Greek yogurt (then fill cup measure w/mayo)
• 2 tablespoon yellow mustard
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Wash the head of cauliflower and break apart into small florets. (just the part that looks like a bush.)

Steam these for 6 minutes. Slave used a vegetable stock, you can use chicken stock or just water works fine.

Cook up and crumble the bacon.

Boil the eggs, shell and chop them into a small bowl.

Chop the red onion and the celery also.

When the cauliflower is done spread them on a plate to cool while you get everything else read to assemble. (they don't have to be ice cold, just not still cooking)

Slice and chop the sweet midget pickles.

Spoon out the yogurt into a 1 cup measure, add the mustard, then top off the measure with a light mayonnaise. Scrape this into a medium bowl and add the pickle juice and taste, you might find a teaspoon of sugar provides what you like, or maybe salt and or pepper. What ever you prefer.

Now, assemble in a large bowl: the cauliflower, pickles, onion, celery, eggs, bacon bits and of course the dressing. Stir gently with a big wooden spoon. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and better, overnight.

This is a great alternative to the traditional potato salad that you find at picnics everywhere. This year for Your Pride Picnic, honor this truly great LGBT leader!

slave admits, he hardly feels qualified to write about the Reverend. However at my Master Indy's encouragement, slave gives it his best shot.

I am so very lucky to serve my Master:



socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

There have been many leaders who have fought for LGBT's to be granted their basic civil rights under the law. We have seen leaders fight and demand we be treated as humans. We have seen leaders fight to change the way LGBT's are perceived by the public in general. Now slave wants to introduce you to a leader that some feel has done more for us as humans than any other.

Organized religion had led the way for our repression for nearly 900 years. (Not much longer than that by the way!). They had managed to erase us from their histories, condemn us to death, but far worse, they convinced us that God hated us. The separation from our higher power, or whatever term you wish to use, has to be the most despicable act ever perpetrated on a people. Hundreds of thousands came to believe: “Not even God loves you, So die faggot!”

Then, out of nowhere, came a voice out of the wilderness! “God Loves Gays!” Here was this sexy hunk with a neat trimmed beard. The most sexy eyes that looked deep into your soul. And with a deep southern drawl said “God loves you, and so do I”.

Troy Perry was the oldest of 5 boys, His father was killed when he was eleven. He described his dad as “the biggest bootlegger in Northern Florida”.

Troy felt called to preach. His aunts had been preaching in the streets, (even snake charming). He started to join in giving sermons while still in grade school. Perry was a licensed Baptist preacher at 15 years old. He then attended Midwest Bible College and Moody Bible Institute. He was the preacher at a small Church of God at 19 years old with a wife and 2 children. Then somebody told! It was reported that he had sex with a man. The church administrators forced him out of the church.

The young family moved to California and found a position pasturing a Church of God of Prophecy. There his wife found a secret stash of books about homosexuality he had hidden. In 1965, they were divorced and she took the kids. After a two year hitch in the Army and a failed boyfriend relationship, depression hit him hard.

Sure that God no longer wanted him and had taken away his kids, that even his sexual partners could not love him, he tried suicide. His friends broke in and rushed him to the hospital. Still feeling lost himself, a friend was arrested at a gay bar. After Troy bailed him out of jail, his friend said that he wanted to kill himself. 
 

Something finally broke through. After hours of once again praying to the only God he knew, He asked: “Lord if you want me to reach out to my people and to preach to them, tell me when to start”. The answer Perry received was: “NOW”!
12 people showed up in response to his advertisement. From that first Sunday, the Metropolitan Community Church rapidly grew into a world wide organization. It has over 300 congregations in 18 countries. The MCC reaches into every culture with its message of Love: “God doesn't have step children!”
From the very first the Rev Troy Perry let it be known that this was an activist church. He led marches and held rallies. When “the Briggs Initiative” was put on the ballot in California, he held a hunger strike and fasted on the court house steps until they had raised over $100,000 for a war-chest to fight the proposed law. 
 

It was around that time, slave got to meet Rev. Perry. He had come to Saint Louis to preach at the local MCC Church. I had a t-shirt printed up with an orange that had a bar through it. It said: “Save Our Children FROM Anita Bryant”.

Perry then joined Robin Tyler in 1979, planning what became known as the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Since then, Perry has been a featured speaker at all of the LGBT Marches on Washington: 1979, 1987, 1993, 2000 and 2009. Perry has become an internationally recognized spiritual leader and one of the world's leading activists for the civil rights of gay/lesbian/bisexual and transgendered people. He is known for his ability to go head to head with anyone. He is able to use great reason to debate any time, anywhere.

Today the Rev Troy Perry and his legally married husband, Phillip Ray De Blieck, are officially retired. However he is still ready at the drop of the hat to spring into action. GOD BLESS Rev, Troy Perry!