Sign celebrating 'Pride Month' in front of a church inspires diversity and inclusion

The world may have come a long way in accepting diverse gender identities. However, the LGBTQIAP+ community is still frowned upon by certain religious groups, communities or even individuals who can't stand the progressive world. On the occasion of Pride Month, many supporters wholeheartedly promote and show their support for the queer culture. However, in an unusual yet wholesome twist, a few churches have also hopped onto this supportive bandwagon. For instance, a user u/Spare_Substance5003 shared an image of the front of a church celebrating Pride month and it's quite inspiring.

In the caption, the user wrote, "Didn't expect to see this in front of a church." The picture shows a pride flag and a noticeboard put out by the Old South Church. With a rainbow-colored background, the noticeboard had some uplifting words for the people to see. "Be the church. Care for the poor. Embrace diversity. Reject racism. Fight climate change. Forgive often. Love God. Empower the powerless. Share earthly and spiritual resources. Enjoy this life," it reads. Along with crucial lessons for our lives, the church also promoted an inclusive culture asking people to embrace diverse gender identities. This may not be a common sight in many religious places but this one church vouching for a progressive world could be an inspiration for many.

This rare yet heartwarming spectacle pleased many users and some emphasized how several churches have become progressive. "There's a church by me that has a big rainbowish sign outside saying, 'Our Church is 300 years old but our way of thinking is not,'" said u/Armsmaster2112. "You’d be surprised how many of us churches don’t see the point of judging others. We exist, we just attract less attention," noted u/SnooCrickets2961. "My family isn’t religious, but if our kids showed interest in going to church, this is the one I’d choose," remarked u/AVonDingus. " Progressive faith in action—just what the world needs more of. Kudos to these churches for walking the talk," added u/Top-Letterhead-6026.

Speaking of progressive churches, a Florida church that hosted an LGBTQ+ conference for children aged 12 to 18 needs to be mentioned. The conference provided students with the opportunity to engage in LGBTQ-related issues of today and also empowered them to be confident in all their identities. Organized by an LGBTQ youth advocacy group, the Collier County chapter of GLSEN, the conference was hosted at the Naples United Church of Christ, as per The Blaze. This was served to be a great example of how progressive churches can be in supporting the queer community.

Based on their belief that God wants to love everyone and be welcoming, the church decided to host this conference. The GLSEN staff were quite grateful for the church which created a safe space for the children to attend the conference. Topics such as, "Forbidden Queer Literature," "Political Action & Advocacy" and "Inclusive Sex Education," were discussed in the conference. This opened up a safe and reliable space for children to explore their gender identities and be confident in following their hearts.