Dear Church,
I love June for many reasons– school is out, my porch is ready for sitting, it’s my wedding anniversary, and our Suzie’s birthday. But maybe what puts it over the top is that I really, really love celebrating Pride Month.
Pride Month is not exactly a Liturgical Season in the Church, but I wouldn’t mind if it was. Advocating for my LGBTQ+ siblings has been integral to my faith for as long as I can remember. I think it’s because I grew up in a church that proclaimed a Loving and Liberating God, or it might be because I was the daughter of two 1970s Theater Majors. Either way, I know my heart for advocacy grew in 2005 when I served as a voting delegate to the General Synod of the United Church of Christ in Atlanta. It was just shortly after I felt my call to ministry, when I was one of 800 voting delegates from the UCC across the nation, debating and then voting on a resolution declaring equal marriage rights for all. The vote passed, making the UCC the first major denomination to take such a stance.
That wasn’t the first of the UCC’s resolutions related to gender and sexuality. In fact, the UCC affirmed the ordination of gay ministers in 1973 and invited congregations to become Open and Affirming starting in 1985. Nearly every time the UCC has gathered for a General Synod since 1969, they have affirmed a resolution in support of the LGBTQ+ Community. Still, in Atlanta on July 4, 2005, I watched the conference center flood with tears of joy and affirmation because the UCC made a bold stance, publicly proclaiming the Good News of a Loving God for all people.
Since then, I’ve seen similar tears of joy and affirmation more times than I can count. People cry when they find out they don’t have to make a choice between God and Love: when they come out of the closet and their church celebrates; when the choir sings, “for everyone born, a place at the table;” when a prayer refers to “siblings” instead of just “brothers and sisters;” when I say, “God thinks you’re gorgeous.” (Interestingly, people of all genders and sexualities get teary when I say, “God thinks you’re gorgeous.” Let me know if you want to do a research study on that).
Through the month of June, especially in places that celebrate Pride Month, we see a lot of colorful banners, humor, and general flamboyance, but that’s not the whole story for our LGBTQ+ Siblings. The whole story is really hard. Pride parades and festivals are moments of liberation that give positive energy in the midst of a much larger and more traumatic reality for our queer siblings.
The truth is we have a long way to go. Did you know our openly queer children experience bullying on a daily basis, even in a progressive community like Lakewood? Did you know Ohio does not have a statewide law that protects LGBTQ+ people from discrimination? (Sen. Nickie Antonio is working on that— check out SB 132). Do you know about the debates regarding anti-trans legislation in Ohio?
Celebrating Pride matters to me because it’s a way to turn “mourning into dancing,” in the midst of some really hard stories and ongoing struggles for people I love. I’ve provided pastoral care to my LGBTQ+ siblings in emergency rooms and through episodes of self-harm, through eviction and assault, shame and abuse, codependency and estrangement. Churches have often not been safe spaces for people coming out of closets, and I’m no longer willing to debate the importance of an affirming community. Our hope at LCC is to build up a world in which Love and Belonging are never even questioned.
This year, we’ll celebrate the Liturgical Season of Pride all throughout June. LCC is registered to march in Pride in the CLE again. This year, we will be in the parade next to other United Church of Christ congregations in our area, so we can all march together and provide a unified message of affirmation and celebration. (Click for more information about meeting up for the parade)
Additionally, please consider joining the UCC National Ministries in-person or online for their “Love is Louder” Worship service at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ Sunday, June 2 at 6:30 PM EST.
Thank you for being a church of unequivocal affirmation, ongoing advocacy, and passion for our siblings. It means more than you can imagine.
With gratitude,
Pastor Joanna