I was saddened to hear of the passing over of my friend Randy P. Conner. Randy was an educator and writer. He was the author of numerous influential books. His studies concentrated on the intersections of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and pursuit of the sacred.
Conner received a Ph.D. in Humanities, Philosophy & Religion from the California Institute of Integral Studies. In addition to the California Institute of Integral Studies, he taught at the University of Texas, Austin Community College, the University of California at Berkeley.
With his husband David Sparks and Mariya Sparks, Randy co-authored Cassell’s Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol and Spirit: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Lore. Conner and Sparks together authored, Queering Creole Spiritual Traditions: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Participation in African-Inspired Traditions in the Americas (2014), an ground-breaking exploration of gender and sexuality in African diasporic religious traditions.
Randy also authored: Blossom of Bone: Reclaiming the Connections Between Homoeroticism and the Sacred and The Pagan Heart of the West (Vol I. Deities and Kindred Beings): Embodying Ancient Beliefs and Practices from Antiquity to the Present.
Randy is survived by his husband, David Hatfield Sparks. Our condolences.
May his journey be peaceful and his memory a blessing to all it touches.