Pride

 “Gay pride or LGBTQ pride is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people as a social group. Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBTQ rights movements.” – Wikipedia.org

June is officially designated as LGBTQ Pride month in the United States this year. You may read the White House proclamation here. It is important to note that only three Presidents have recognized the importance of this acknowledgement – Clinton, Obama, and Biden.

Since June 1969, when patrons of Stonewall Inn in New York dared to stand up against the bigotry and abuse of the police and demand respect, LBGTQ persons have been inspired and have continued to stand up, speak out, march and demonstrate for dignity and equality.

While great strides have been made on many fronts, such as marriage equality in 2015 and non-discrimination laws in some states, there are many states that offer limited protections, and still others that offer no protection. In these states, LGBTQ persons can legally be denied rights and fired from their jobs simply because of who they are.

Additionally, the epidemic of hate crimes in the United States continues with attacks based on sexual orientation and gender identity lagging behind only those motived by race or religion. Fatal crimes against transgender persons is at an all-time high so far in 2021.

Further, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24 with LGBTQ youth being five times more likely to have attempted suicide than heterosexual or cisgender youth.¹  This is an alarming statistic regardless of age, sexual orientation or gender identity.

While it is at times challenging for me to do so, I can have empathy and compassion for those who feel fear when they do not understand or judge others who look or act different or present in ways that do not conform to conventional understanding of ‘woman’ or ‘man’ whether that is reflected in sexual attraction, gender identity, or gender expression. We often fear what we don’t understand. We judge what we have been taught to judge whether our prejudice is based in our religious beliefs or other cultural influence.

Obviously, there remains a great deal of misinformation and misunderstanding when it comes to LGBTQ persons. We need more education. We need more compassion. We need more understanding. We need places where LGBTQ persons know they are welcome, included, and celebrated.

This is where we come in. By “we” I mean all of us. Each of us individually and we as a human family are responsible for creating spaces, within ourselves and in our world, where all people are accepted, included, and where they know they belong. We can do this only when we know in our heart of hearts that regardless of any personal identity or expression, we are all created in the image/likeness of God. In Truth, we are all One.

I am also specifically addressing the members and friends of Unity Spiritual Center Denver who are reading this. We can be one such place! In service to that, we will be offering opportunities in the coming months that will assist us in educating ourselves about the issues and concerns facing LGBTQ persons and how we can lovingly and compassionately respond.

The first opportunity will be on Sunday, June 27, from 12:30 - 2:00 as we host a workshop facilitated by Maren Scull, Ph.D., Associate Professor at UC Denver. Maren specializes in gender and sexuality studies. She is preparing a presentation specifically for us. Her presentation came about because the organizing committee of the Feminine Identity Retreat made the conscious decision to open to all who identify most strongly as feminine, include those who identify as cisgender, transgender, or who are feminine in their gender expression. We all agreed that education would be advantageous, not only for the team, but for all of us. I hope you will join us. Additional information and details will follow.

I am also in conversation with a transgender female and a transgender male about offering presentations along with question and answer sessions. These will be offered in follow up to Maren’s presentation. Both have expressed an open and eager willingness. We have yet to set dates, but will share that information as soon as it is established.

In addition, you may notice LGBTQ Pride flags adorning our hallway when you enter. We want people to know when they enter our doors that this is a safe and welcoming place for them. As a gay man, I know from personal experience how scary it can be to walk into a church for the first time not knowing what to expect. It is important to display our openness and acceptance in a visible way.

Further, with the aid of Ken Rinehart’s expertise, we have created a video (linked below) that will be prominently placed on our website, on our Facebook page, and on our YouTube channel. I encourage you to share it on your social media accounts, as well as with family and friends.

I invite you to join me in envisioning Unity Spiritual Center Denver as a spiritual community that not only espouses inclusivity, but also lives it. Let us make this commitment to ourselves and to all who are seeking a place where they can explore their spirituality in a community that celebrates our Unity in our diversity. I encourage all to join us in this endeavor - wherever you are, in whatever way speaks to you.

¹ The Trevor Project