Notes From Pride

Last weekend I had the joy of helping staff the Christ Church booth at Tacoma Pride, and it got me thinking about the role churches can play in building relationships with the LGBT community. We were there handing out sunscreen, water bottles, and ear plugs to those enjoying the festivities. Alex French put in months of hard work behind the scenes, even organizing a collaboration with Mount Cross Lutheran Church to make sure we extended the opportunity to participate at our booth to as many people as possible.

Over the course of the day we had joyous, and sometimes emotional, interactions with those who stopped for conversation at our booth. Some people passed by quickly. Others stopped and stared at us with confused looks on their faces – I don’t think they were expecting to see a church group decked out in rainbows. Others told us how much it meant to them to see us there living out a message of love and care for all people.

A frequent topic of discussion was our sign apologizing for the hurt the church has historically caused to the LGBT community. While organizing the booth, we ourselves had stopped to reflect on the meaning of this sign and wondered how it would fit into the joyful atmosphere of a Pride festival. Many people at Pride stopped to thank us for displaying the sign so prominently, which sparked fruitful discussions and got several people interested in learning more about Christ Church.

Seeing the great turnout from our parish volunteers, I am so glad to be in community with such joyful and welcoming people. I look back on our day at Pride with gladness knowing we put our best foot forward and extended a loving hand the local LGBT community.

Kat Queirolo