BISHOP O.C. ALLEN & RASHAD BURGESS
Last summer, Bishop Oliver Clyde Allen III and Rashad Burgess tied the knot again. Before same-sex marriage was legal, the couple wed 20 years ago and for two decades became tireless advocates for advancing LGBTQIA+ acceptance in Black churches and raising the issues of Black health equity. Attended by some 600 guests, the wedding was exclusively covered by People magazine. Allen told the magazine, “In a world with such division, we seek to be the bridge that brings people together through the power of love.” Bishop Allen is Senior Pastor and Founder of Vision Cathedral of Atlanta and CEO of iElevate+TV, while Burgess is Vice-President for Advancing Health and Black Equity for Gilead Sciences Inc. The power couple was also honored during the Native Son Awards during Pride Month 2023. We salute Allen and Burgess for being a courageous and beautiful example of the power of Black gay love and fierce advocates for our community. —K.M.