The bells of Durham’s historic church played the pride anthem and captured the attention of millions

Residents of downtown Durham woke up to the sound of church bells on June 1.

But instead of an anthem, the melody “You Can Take Me Hot to Go!” » » rang out from the century-old bell tower of Duke Memorial United Methodist Church.

Katelyn MacDonald, member and leader of the congregation, played the hit “HOT TO GO!” » by queer pop star Chappell Roan. to celebrate the first day of Pride Month.

MacDonald, who usually plays the bells on Saturday mornings, said she and other members of the congregation with access to the bell tower enjoy the freedom to play whatever they want.

So she played the popular queer anthem, then left for choir practice at 10 a.m.

At 11:30 a.m., MacDonald’s phone was blowing up. She opened it to see dozens of texts from a group chat of her friends.

“Katelyn, is that you?” a friend asked.

Church goes viral on TikTok

It was. A TikTok video of a 116-year-old church bells ringing “HOTTOGO!” in Durham has gone viral. It now has over 7 million views and 1.5 million likes.

Even Roan reposted it.

“I might cry. Total acceptance and appreciation of our queerness from the one place we expected to be rejected,” one user said in a comment.

MacDonald filmed herself playing the bells that morning, so she posted a separate “her point of view” video on her TikTok account. This video has garnered almost 5 million views and hundreds of comments claiming to have seen the original video.

Duke Memorial’s senior pastor, the Rev. Heather Rodrigues, didn’t know MacDonald had performed “HOT TO GO!” ” on the bells until she saw the viral video on TikTok. But Ms. Rodrigues said she was grateful to MacDonald for playing a “song that would be recognizable and supportive of our queer community as she blurred the lines between the sacred and the profane in this important and fruitful way.”

Since June 1, MacDonald has performed other Roan songs, including “Good Luck, Babe!” “Pink Pony Club” and “Red Wine Supernova.” As a queer and transgender person, MacDonald identifies with Roan’s music and believes that young queer people admire the 26-year-old star because of his authenticity.

“It was the first day of Pride Month, so it felt natural to play something that was queer, and I felt comfortable doing it because I had the support of my pastor, but also it was an accurate reflection of my church community,” she said. said.

“A church that would “see” them that way”

When Pride Month decorations that First Presbyterian Church of Durham had erected were vandalized last week, MacDonald said Duke Memorial came together to help replace what was torn down.

Duke Memorial’s welcome statement explains that the Church welcomes “those of any age, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial or socioeconomic status, educational background, and physical or mental ability.”

Rodrigues acknowledged that many members of the LGBTQ+ community have experienced religious trauma. She said Duke Memorial has officiated at queer weddings and advocated for the inclusion of queer church members in church leadership positions. They have also participated in Durham’s Pride parade, among other initiatives.

Rodrigues said a congregant who works at a local gay bar “had customers showing him the video, not knowing they attended a church, much less that they were members of ours.”

“Another member’s brother and his husband in Colorado spoke about how quickly the video spread in their local community — and how proud they were to claim us,” Rodriques said in an emailed statement. “You’ve seen a lot of comments on social media — what surprised and moved me was how many people were moved by a church that would ‘see’ them that way.”

Chappell Roan in North Carolina

MacDonald earned her master of divinity degree from Duke University Divinity School in 2021 and plans to become a pastor. She is the daughter of a second-generation pastor and is in the process of becoming an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church.

But she still wishes the Church would be more accepting and loving of homosexuals.

“It’s ironic because the call comes from the church and resonates throughout the community, but it feels like the people who really need to hear it are the ones inside the building,” he said. MacDonald said.

Rodriques said he received emails from some people expressing concern that the church was playing the song on its bells.

In a sermon she sent to the News & Observer, she answered those questions by saying the song has reached more people “as a message of God’s love and inclusion than any Duke Memorial sermon, service, program or ministry ever has, or probably ever can.”

Roan will be in North Carolina on Wednesday for a sold-out show at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh. Originally scheduled at the Ritz, the show was moved to a larger outdoor venue due to high demand.

Resale tickets for his show cost several hundred dollars.

MacDonald didn’t get tickets to Roan’s show in Raleigh and doesn’t plan on going, but she hasn’t given up hope. She’s leaving town for a conference Thursday and is planning two trips just in case.