Clearing the Air: Gay Sin is Not a Thing
Hello my fellow people of the inter-web.
As most of us know June kicks of PRIDE season. This is not a protest. It is a celebration. Celebration of life, self love, self expression, and self acceptance. I have only been able to attend PRIDE once in my life, before that experience I was under the false impression that it was a sin to embrace myself for who I am. Growing up gay and Mormon, it does some damage to your self image. You are taught constantly about Gods love, and how he loves all of his children. People will even try and justify why they are so against the LGBTQ community by saying they "love the sinner, hate the sin". I have news for all of you though. That mentality is so unhealthy, inconsiderate, closed minded, and no mater how nice you seem, it is hate. You may have love for some of us in the LGBTQ community but your love is full of conditions.
Recently someone tried telling me about a General Conference talk that was about love. While that topic sounds like a great read, there is underlying hate in so many teachings in so many religions. The church even has a website ( www.mormonandgay.lds.org ). The way it is presented is so loving and full of compassion. However they leave out the truth. If you get married to the same gender they will kick you out. What kind of love is that? It is seriously so deceiving and in no way are they trying to be understanding.
I thought of a new way to describe my frustration with the church and its teachings. Any church that is preaching love and acceptance, while also not supporting the LGBTQ community is similar to a white supremacist racist and sexist man who chooses to adopt a female black child. Makes no sense right? Can you imagine how unhealthy that situation would be? That home would not be a safe place for that child. The father could tell her over and over again how much he loves her, but at the end of the day he still has his unhealthy prejudices that are harmful. He does not accept her. His heart is full of justifications for his bigotry and hate.
Now, I know there are so many good people in the church. There are so many fighting for what is right and trying to make a change in the church for the greater good. I know the church will never change though because they will always see gay sex as "immoral". The church leaders don't understand that love is non-binary. It is believed by so many (even those who claim to be accepting) that when us gays die, they will no longer be gay in the next life, our so called "burden" and struggle will be lifted. Similar to some of the older generations in the LDS church who believe that black people were cursed for with dark skin and when they are "resurrected" they will be made white. It's sickening. In the "after life" I guess everyone is straight and white.
Being gay is not a burden. Being born into a hateful organization and society was a burden that I am in the process of shedding the skin of. We can not afford to keep being blind to the hate that is out there. Hate is smart. It sneaks its way in and manifests its self as a form of love, it's a trick though. Never accept someones conditional love. It is not a valid form of love. We all deserve validation and we deserve equality. We are human and we deserve to be treated as such. It is getting sickening hearing so many religious "Jesus loving" individuals preaching double standards. This will damage your kids. I promise you. If they are lucky like I have been, you will break out of your mold and learn to love your kids no matter how they turn out. You don't fail as a parent if you have an LGBTQIA+ child. You fail as a parent if you choose to treat them as less than everyone else. Go to their wedding, meet their significant others (singular or plural), talk to them about relationships. Don't be a bigot, just be a parent and love your kids without limits, without conditions. Just love.
Until next time,
Zac 💚
As most of us know June kicks of PRIDE season. This is not a protest. It is a celebration. Celebration of life, self love, self expression, and self acceptance. I have only been able to attend PRIDE once in my life, before that experience I was under the false impression that it was a sin to embrace myself for who I am. Growing up gay and Mormon, it does some damage to your self image. You are taught constantly about Gods love, and how he loves all of his children. People will even try and justify why they are so against the LGBTQ community by saying they "love the sinner, hate the sin". I have news for all of you though. That mentality is so unhealthy, inconsiderate, closed minded, and no mater how nice you seem, it is hate. You may have love for some of us in the LGBTQ community but your love is full of conditions.
Recently someone tried telling me about a General Conference talk that was about love. While that topic sounds like a great read, there is underlying hate in so many teachings in so many religions. The church even has a website ( www.mormonandgay.lds.org ). The way it is presented is so loving and full of compassion. However they leave out the truth. If you get married to the same gender they will kick you out. What kind of love is that? It is seriously so deceiving and in no way are they trying to be understanding.
I thought of a new way to describe my frustration with the church and its teachings. Any church that is preaching love and acceptance, while also not supporting the LGBTQ community is similar to a white supremacist racist and sexist man who chooses to adopt a female black child. Makes no sense right? Can you imagine how unhealthy that situation would be? That home would not be a safe place for that child. The father could tell her over and over again how much he loves her, but at the end of the day he still has his unhealthy prejudices that are harmful. He does not accept her. His heart is full of justifications for his bigotry and hate.
Now, I know there are so many good people in the church. There are so many fighting for what is right and trying to make a change in the church for the greater good. I know the church will never change though because they will always see gay sex as "immoral". The church leaders don't understand that love is non-binary. It is believed by so many (even those who claim to be accepting) that when us gays die, they will no longer be gay in the next life, our so called "burden" and struggle will be lifted. Similar to some of the older generations in the LDS church who believe that black people were cursed for with dark skin and when they are "resurrected" they will be made white. It's sickening. In the "after life" I guess everyone is straight and white.
Being gay is not a burden. Being born into a hateful organization and society was a burden that I am in the process of shedding the skin of. We can not afford to keep being blind to the hate that is out there. Hate is smart. It sneaks its way in and manifests its self as a form of love, it's a trick though. Never accept someones conditional love. It is not a valid form of love. We all deserve validation and we deserve equality. We are human and we deserve to be treated as such. It is getting sickening hearing so many religious "Jesus loving" individuals preaching double standards. This will damage your kids. I promise you. If they are lucky like I have been, you will break out of your mold and learn to love your kids no matter how they turn out. You don't fail as a parent if you have an LGBTQIA+ child. You fail as a parent if you choose to treat them as less than everyone else. Go to their wedding, meet their significant others (singular or plural), talk to them about relationships. Don't be a bigot, just be a parent and love your kids without limits, without conditions. Just love.
Until next time,
Zac 💚
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