Pride Month Is Here

Over the past year, I have dived deeper into my faith and connection with God. Some of you may have noticed this on my social media platforms. Faith and spirituality has always been a topic in my writing and social content especially from a LGBTQ perspective. Recently, there have been so many struggles and blessings that pulled me even closer to God. My mother-in-law's cancer battle and the worldwide pandemic certainly contributed to that as well. Also, it is important to my husband and I that we express our love for God and have a strong sense of faith with our future child. Being parents is something we are still considering, but as we celebrate our 14-year anniversary together, it got us thinking about our community and options of where to practice our faith.For many LGBTQ people, it is difficult to find a church that is supportive of us, or that does not have some kind of mixed messaging such as 'everyone is welcome,” but 'you are considered a sin.” I personally have been to numerous churches where all my boxes were being checked, until I approached representatives of the church to get some clarity of their stance on LGBTQ people. They all had some very disappointing and what I consider to be hypocritical views to share. However, I am very much a spiritual student and want to always strive to find a positive takeaway. It was actually refreshing to have a dialogue where both of our perspectives were heard, and there was not any kind of ugliness in tone. They have their right to express their views and I have mine. Let's just say my decision to not go back was easy. We both can walk in the light of God, agree to disagree, and wish each other well.With that said, being around like minded people with zero judgment on how God made you is key when it comes to faith. That loving community feel, support, and powerful faith focused conversations can move some big mountains on the personal front.  Having a church to worship is important to many of us, but we must remember that we can still have a strong connection with our faith at home. God is always around us, and his unconditional love can be felt from anywhere.Pride Month is here and I am thankful it continues to help raise LGBTQ awareness and be a symbol of equality. Its history and freedom fighters should also be honored. This time should also be a reminder that there is still work to be done. The type of messaging and representation of the LGBTQ community needs to be stronger especially when it comes to faith. Here are some points I try to communicate when someone is battling negative (and, interpreted) faith verbiage that goes against God's love and acceptance for all:

• God created us all just the way he wanted us to be.
• Organized religions are not the judge and jury of life.
• There are indeed some churches our there that recognize everyone. Do your research online, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
• Rejoice your love for God. Your love for him will wash out any hate.

Faith is not always the easiest issue to discuss on such a large platform. However, it is this very social space that can reach so many people that are looking for that one message – God loves everyone (and, I mean everyone!).