Thoughts on Pride

By Joey Heath

With it being around the time many gay prides are occurring, and having just attended my first real pride event, (or at least part of it) I thought I would offer some thoughts on the subject of pride. For those that don’t know, gay pride is for all LGBTQ people and allies.  It is a time to remember one of the first times the LGBTQ community stood up and said "Enough is enough.  We refuse to continue to be treated as second class citizens."  It is also a chance to come together as a community and celebrate the fact that--despite what many say and think about us--we are proud of who we are and will not apologize or hide in the closet.  One of the things that really intrigues me about pride is the sense of community I feel. I feel like it is a place where I belong and where people understand me. There is a sense of community in which I can be free to be who I truly am without the fear of judgment or condemnation. I used to feel this in church communities. I used to feel like no matter what I did, they would always be there for me and support me. Then I told them I was gay and everything changed.

So why is it I can walk into almost any LGBTQ community and feel like I belong when our only commonality is that we are attracted to the people of the same gender as ourselves, but when I walk into a church community with whom I have almost everything in common, I have to wonder if they will accept me for who I am?  Why do the least Christian people in the world sometimes act more like Jesus than real Bible believing Christians?  What does that say about us as Christians if we are unable to welcome and love all God’s children as He created them?  These are hard questions that may make some people feel on the defensive, but these questions are meant to challenge us to be better and be more like Christ.