Inclusion

Imagine a pre-teen who awakens every morning, hoping that God has answered their nightly prayer, but realizing that, no, they are still “different."  As they enter their teen years, they continue to recognize they are not the same as others. They feel like a misfit and can’t find where they fit in. They “come out” to friends and family members but are then confronted with a whole different world in which a label comes before their name and they are judged by their honest admission of what they know to be true. This is the face of LGBTQ individuals and other sexual and gender minorities today.  They are real. They are not a statistic or a headline or a proposition or a supreme court decision. They are people, loved by God.

 

LGBTQ children around the world sense a difference in themselves long before they come out to family and friends.  They are met with varied responses, although in recent years, they have found broader acceptance by those who are straight. However, there remain organizations and groups of people who do not understand and therefore show no love toward the gender and sexual minorities – people whose gender, identity, orientation, and attractions are not in the majority.

 

Unfortunately, the main-stream Christian church is one place where unaccepting views remain. This is in spite of the global love that Jesus demonstrated to all people when he walked on earth.  While many members of these churches are fully accepting of gender and sexual minorities, the churches and Christian organizations are either silent or condemning. Organizations may choose to avoid the topic in order to not stir up controversy or negatively affect contributions.  Change is coming but is slow, and in the meantime, it is important for people to speak up, especially those who take seriously the Great Commandment to “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

Parents can be blindsided by the news of the coming out of their child, a friend’s child or some other young person they know.  Where do parents go for support, particularly in light of the negative connotation and unsupportive atmosphere in the church today? Where do their children turn, particularly when they have heard that their church doesn’t approve and they fear the response of others?

 

This site offers resources to those confronting these situations today.