Pride

Chanell Diaz

Thousand Paper Cranes

Originally, this article was meant to be published in June 2021 on a christian website. The website (instead of saying no) decided to "edit" the article (without asking me first) and made it into a very homophobic piece that had nothing to do with my story. I stopped writing articles for that website and decided to create a space online where I could continue you to write articles and share my creativity. The following is my article as it was written back then. I hope you find it thought provoking.

Pride

I have been staring at my screen for over two hours trying to decide what to write about. I keep coming back to the fact that it’s pride month for the LGBTQ+ community and I really want to write something about that. But, I’m in this very awkward position of being an ally who is also a christian, writing for this christian website.

So, the following is solely my opinions based on my own experiences and my own faith journey. I know some people agree with me and I know some people don’t and that’s OK. I just hope you read it with an open mind and heart and ask God about it.

Full disclosure, I sadly haven't always an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Unfortunately when you grow up and are taught by people that you love and trust that something is considered a “sin” you tend to not question it. I only hope I didn’t hurt anyone with my ignorance along the way.

I’ll take you back in time to 2011. I was 21 years old, Obama was president and YouTube had only been around for 6 years. I don’t even think my parents had a Facebook account yet. Speaking of Facebook, my first faith deconstruction happened when I watched this video from YouTube that had popped up on my Facebook timeline. It was an empathy exercise. The director had “flipped the script” so to speak and told a fictional story of an 11 year old girl who was beaten up at school and bullied for being straight (because in this story being gay was the “normal” and being straight was the “sin”). The girls mum’s were arguing and blaming each other. The poor girl couldn’t take it anymore and I will leave out the rest as it could be triggering for some. I went away from that asking God “is this what you want for your children?” The answer I got was a heartbroken “no”. I went on the next few years not really knowing where I stood on the whole “gay thing” as a christian. I told people that it was between them and God. I heard testimonies of people saying the prayed and begged God since they were kids to make them straight, only for them to still be gay. If I believe that my God is a God who answers prayers, what did this mean?

Jump forward to today. I have spoken to many people and studied a lot and have come to the conclusion that believing God loves everyone equally and there is a place at the table for everyone. I don’t personally think being gay or any other queer identity is a sin. There is a documentary coming out called 1946 that explains why I think this. But, God is a creative God. Why do we put God's creation in such a small box anyway?

At church, we are currently going through the book of Acts. Last Sunday we focused on Acts 10:34

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

We were also told about a dream or vision Peter had. He was hungry and in this vision heaven opened up and food was offered to him, only it was food he was forbidden to eat as a person of Jewish faith (even though he was now a christian- I dunno if they were calling themselves that yet. He was teaching people about Christ either way). He refused the food saying it was unclean.

14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

(Acts 10:14-15 & Acts 10:34-36 NIV Bible)

The whole sermon felt very affirming to me. God is for ALL PEOPLE. Not just the people we like or who think like us.

I don’t believe God wants us to hurt each other the way we have been. I do believe God commands us to love our neighbours.

Happy pride month! God Bless