Father Robert Clement, a pioneering LGBTQ+ activist and community leader, has died at the age of 101. The entire Center community mourns the loss of a pillar of the LGBTQ+ movement and a beloved member of our Senior Services program.
Father Robert was an early leader in the LGBTQ+ movement, helping to forge the path that we walk today. In 1969, while living in New York City, he witnessed the Stonewall uprising firsthand and committed his life to making the world a more inclusive place. He later recalled having a profound sense that a new world was on the horizon, a conviction that would fuel his lifetime of activism and ministry.
As an openly gay priest, Father Robert worked to create spaces where LGBTQ+ people could find the acceptance they were often denied in other religious settings.
You stand up for what you believe, and if it means shouting, go ahead and shout
Father Robert Clement
In 1970, he founded New York’s Church of the Beloved Disciple—the city’s first “gay church.” The groundbreaking congregation had openly gay clergy and an overwhelmingly gay membership. The church also served as a community center, giving LGBTQ+ people a safe place to organize and build connection. “Our purpose was to be open to the community,” he told the LGBTQ History Project. “We didn’t care about your position; everyone was free to use our church hall for meetings.”
Decades before marriage equality was written into law, Father Robert performed “Holy Unions” for same-sex couples. He viewed these ceremonies as an affirmation of both love and human dignity. When city officials challenged his right to officiate these ceremonies, Father Robert organized a protest at City Hall.
“You stand up for what you believe, and if it means shouting, go ahead and shout, let the people who hear you be convinced that you believe in what you’re saying and what you’re doing,” he said.
Senior Prom: LGBTQ+ Seniors Get the Prom of Their Dreams
Senior Prom: LGBTQ+ Seniors Get the Prom of Their Dreams
In his later years, Father Robert made his home at the Center’s Triangle Square apartments in Hollywood, the country’s first LGBTQ+ affirming affordable housing complex for seniors. He was a cherished member of the Triangle Square community, bringing joy and laughter to everyone around him. His spirit remained as vibrant as ever, including at the 2026 WeHo Pride parade, where he was spotted proudly proclaiming himself to be “Gay AF.”
As we remember Father Robert Clement, we honor not only his 101 years of life, but also the countless lives made fuller and freer because he chose to stand up, speak out, and love openly. His legacy lives on in the movement he helped build and the future he helped make possible.
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