Pointing to the Perplexing Paradox of Pride Protest Placards

by Leland Spencer

For several weeks now, I have had another post warming on the back burner of my mind, and just as I thought it was ready to come to a boil, I attended the Cleveland Pride festival and encountered inspiration to write something else. Besides the fact that I cannot resist an opportunity to use alliteration in a title (and "P" is my favorite alliteration letter), I knew the moment I saw the protest placards at Cleveland Pride that I had a blog-worthy response.

I had to walk a few blocks from the parking area to Voinovich park, where Cleveland Pride is held. As I neared the park, I passed a small group (not more than 10 people) of protesters. There were posters with scripture quotations, a poster with images of fire, blood, or burning flesh (couldn't tell exactly from the distance), a very simple poster that stood out to me most clearly. The top part of the poster said, "Homosexuality is a sin," and the bottom part of the poster read, "Christ can set you free." I tried to get a picture of the poster, but I was too far away to get one that was clear.

 

I was neither surprised nor disturbed about the protesters and their placards, and any pain or discomfort I felt was certainly assuaged when I entered the event and saw thousands of people who were able to be authentically real and comfortable in that space. People were laughing, holding hands, and wearing rainbows. People were dressed in drag, dressed in clericals, dressed in very little of anything at all, or dressed as they would dress to go almost anywhere else. People were conversing with old friends and new, enjoying food, and meeting business owners, nonprofit organization leaders, community activists, and church members who hosted booths where people could seek more information.

 

As I looked around Pride, I realized that the people there were indeed free. They were freer than the protesters outside the park could ever understand, and that thought brought me back to a place of ruminating about the sign I saw. Homosexuality is sin; Christ can set you free. I realized I agreed with everything on the sign except for the first word. Change that first word to "Homophobia," and I agree with the sign. Change that first word to "Dishonesty," and I agree with the sign. Change that first word to "Hate," "Judgment," "Close-mindedness," "Arrogance," "Exclusion," "Discrimination," "Falsehood," or "Deceit," and I agree with the sign.

 

I wished I could talk to the protesters and explain this view, but I usually try to avoid having conversations with people who make up their minds first and then work backward from there to find evidence that supports what they already believe. If I could have talked to them, though, I would have explained that Christ has set me free. Christ has set me free from the bondage of believing the lies of prooftexting literalism; Christ has set me free from the tyranny of dishonesty and fear that haunted my life before I came out; Christ has set me free from the burden of the numbness that comes with rejecting one's own capacity to feel as a human being; Christ has set me free from my own sins of homophobia and heterosexism; Christ has set me free from the prison of falseness and untruth that sealed me off from developing authentic and honest relationships with other people. Christ has set me free--not from homosexuality--but from the closet, the place of silence and shame where the fullness of my humanity could be understood only in secret. In the words of our United Methodist communion liturgy, I have been freed for joyful obedience in Christ Jesus. A part of that obedience means recognizing my sexuality as a gift of God and as a part of the creation God calls me to love.

Thanks be to God for that freedom! Amen.