Today, June 1st, is the beginning of Pride Month, a worldwide celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. On the Human Rights Campaign website, it says, “Pride is a joyful celebration of all of the beautiful identities of our LGBTQ+ community. We create spaces where we can bring our whole selves to dance and march in the streets and declare: We are here. We are visible. We are proud!”

In a letter published in the Greenwich Free Press entitled, “It’s Pride Month. Stand up, be loud, and bravely be yourselves.”, Karsten Vagner offered these words of encouragement:

To my LGBTQ+ neighbors, as Pride month begins today, I hope you remember how much power you have. Across the country our community is under attack. Hiding out, keeping quiet, and trying to fit in may feel like the most natural response in this climate. But I’m asking you to stand up, be loud, and bravely be yourselves in every room you step into. Our voices – our very presence – can change hearts and minds.

To my neighbors who are LGBTQ+ allies, I hope you remember your unique power. When others try to chip away at the dignity of this community or think they can opt out of a world in which we exist, your voices have weight. In your daily conversations, in your schools, in your clubs, and in the voting booth, we count on your presence and your support.

The letter concludes with this exhortation: “Now more than ever, visibility matters.”

An article on the Human Rights Campaign website by HRC president, Kelley Robinson, highlights both the progress that has been made, as well as the challenges still ahead (and you and I know full well, they are numerous), in the fight for the rights of LGBTQ+ people and, ultimately, the rights of us all. Please read it.

We all can see the level of cruelty being ratcheted up, not only toward the LGBTQ+ community, but also toward any businesses that support them, Bud Light and Target being the highest-profile examples. Washington Post columnist Philip Bump opined, “At its heart, this is a backlash from the right against a feared future. It’s an effort to change the country’s trajectory, blaming the current path on perceived indoctrination.” 

Simply put, they think the queers want to make the rest of us queer, too.

Listen, y’all: What they want, all they want, is to just live their lives in peace, and be treated with dignity and respect, like the human beings they are. Period.

So, Happy Pride Month, everyone! Fly your flags, be free and be beautiful.

Oh, and Jesus has a message for all you Conservative Christians out there: