If you had told me 28 years ago that the largest organization in the world touching the lives of gays and lesbians would be a church, I would not have believed you.

I didn't love her when I married her but I did love her after our first year. The Briggs Initiative was soundly defeated in 1978 due in large part to grass-roots organizing which Perry participated in. Founding the Metropolitan Community Church
In 1968 after a suicide attempt following a failed love affair and witnessing a close friend being arrested by the police at the Black Cat Tavern a Los Angeles gay bar Perry felt called to return to his faith and to offer a place for gay people to worship God freely.

Troy Deroy Perry Jr (born July 27 1940) founded the Metropolitan Community Church a Christian denomination with a special affirming ministry with the lesbian gay bisexual and transgender communities in Los Angeles on October 6 1968.