![]() ![]() Conner was an initiate and practitioner of both Jaitian vodou and Regla de Ocho (Santería), studying primarily with Mama Lola, a well-known Haitian American Manbo/priestess. He also co-curated with Sparks the El Mundo Surdo poetry series at Small Press Traffic in Noe Valley, created by Gloria Anzaldúa, his "hermana espiritual," and participated in Mainstream Exiles organized by San Francisco trans-activist Tede Mathews.Ĭonner's spiritual path was focused on LGBTQ+ spirit and people found since antiquity and across cultures, especially as related to European Neo-Pagan, Indigenous, and African Diasporic traditions. After moving to the Bay Area in 1978, he became a member of Bay Area Gay Liberation, campaigned against the Proposition 6 Briggs initiative, and for social/political justice for the queer and people of color communities. To donate, click here.Īs an activist for LGBTQ+ rights, he testified in the mid-1970s at the Texas State Legislature for inclusion of gay and lesbian student organizations on campuses for which he was fired from his graduate teaching position. In honor of Conner, a scholarship has been created in his name to support LGBTQ+ students studying in the fine and performing arts program by the Moraine Valley Community College Foundation. He was most recently associate professor of multicultural humanities at Moraine Valley Community College near Chicago, where he created a very successful LGBTQ+ humanities course. ![]() He taught humanities and LGBTQ+ studies at several other colleges including Florida State University, Austin Community College in Texas, Los Medanos College, and the College of Alameda in the Bay Area. He also served as fiction editor for RFD magazine and taught a course in gay spirit at the Harvey Milk Institute in the mid-1990s. He was a contributor to several LGBTQ+ publications including the Advocate and the old San Francisco Sentinel. He received his doctorate in humanities and religion in 2007 from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, where he also taught courses in LGBTQ+ and women's spirituality. in English literature/composition from the University of Texas at Austin, where he also taught in the 1970s the first gay and lesbian workshop at the Student Union. He passed through the Veil in the night at home in the arms of David Hatfield Sparks, his longtime companion and husband of 43 years, with his Bast (ancient Egyptian cat god) kitty at his side guarding him.Ĭonner was a gay spiritual seeker, activist, author, artist, and teacher. Conner, Ph.D., (1952 -2022) went to ride with Charon to the Otherworld on Cinco de Mayo.
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