Uniting Church LGBTQI+ Trailblazer Honoured with Naming of New Leichhardt Village

When pioneering Uniting minister Dorothy McRae-McMahon came out in 1997 at the Uniting National Church National assembly, she stood shaking and trembling with tears running down her cheeks. The announcement made national headlines and came at a time when the church was debating its position on gay clergy and McRae-McMahon was its national director for mission and an ordained minister.

McRae-McMahon, now 88, who will be honoured with the naming of Uniting’s new Leichhardt Retirement and Independent Living Village on Marion St, recalls sitting in her Pitt St office summoning the courage to tell the world who she really was.

“I was thinking that I must find the courage to come out and I remember sitting there and crying to myself because I felt anxious about doing it and what could happen,” she said.

“Then quite suddenly I thought very profoundly inside myself that if I did come out it would mean I was truly alive and that if I didn’t, I would be hidden and that’s not being truly alive about who you are.

“Gay and lesbian people were a tiny minority in the Uniting Church and these people started joining in a way where they could tell people who they were and were taken in and given responsibilities to prove they were truly received and loved and respected.”

Her action was an inspiration for LGBTQI+ individuals both inside and outside the church. The following year, McRae-McMahon launched the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in her clerical robes.

McRae-McMahon had already been a leading figure in the anti-Vietnam war, women's liberation, and anti-Apartheid movements, among others.

A resident of the Inner West for several decades, McRae McMahon, had previously made the front cover of the Sydney Morning Herald in 1988 when members of the extreme right-wing group National Front “necklaced” an effigy outside of her Leichhardt home as part of a series of attacks following a visit in 1987 by Bishop Desmond Tutu to Pitt St Uniting Church, where she was minister for 10 years.

Uniting’s new retirement village on Marion St will be named Uniting McRae-Mahon Place to pay tribute to the distinguished career of the retired Uniting Church Minister.

“I think my proudest achievement was my work at Pitt St Church.  When I went there it was probably about 20 members and when I left 10 years later there were over 200 and that was because of important issues that we took a stand on. I’ve decided that when I die, I will be carried out of there because those 10 years were my best years,” she said.

“We did a lot of work challenging racism because there was a lot of racism against the indigenous people and Asians in particular. I also advocated and achieved more prominence for women in leadership.”

McRae-McMahon led the way for women in the church and was the first woman to be a Moderator of the World Council of Churches.

McRae-McMahon said it was a fantastic honour for her work with the Uniting Church.

“I can’t believe it’s happening - it’s a really mixed feeling of being proud and grateful,” McRae-McMahon said.

“The lasting legacy that I would like to have left is hope for change. When I was at Pitt St we stood for all sorts of change in society in terms of racism and anti-gay and lesbian sentiment. I encouraged people to take a stand for change even if other people punished us. But it was well worth it.”

McRae-McMahon said she felt so lucky to live at Uniting at another facility in Leichhardt.

“It’s really great to be part of the community around here and within this lovely place. It is kindness and equality for old people.”

Uniting McRae-McMahon Place is a 65-apartment complex across two buildings designed to help maintain the independence of residents without worrying about the continued upkeep of a family home.  It is now under construction and due for completion in 2023.

This welcoming new village will offer the same benefits of privacy, security and independence, plus the support of a caring community, as Hawkins Place by Uniting.

McRae-McMahon Place will be also supported by Uniting aged care services already in the area, such as the seniors’ gym and aged care facility to provide a continuum of care.

Uniting Director of Property and Housing Simon Furness said it was fantastic to be able to honour retired Rev. Dorothy McRae-McMahon’s distinguished service to the church.

“Rev. McRae-McMahon was a courageous minister for the Uniting Church and congregation and the naming of McRae-McMahon place will cement her inspiring and courageous legacy,” Mr Furness said.

“High quality independent living apartments in Sydney’s inner west are in high demand and Uniting has created a village community to cater to the needs of the Sydney’s ageing population. The site is packed with amenities to meet the changing health needs of residents in a community they know and love.”

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