Today is the annual National Day of Prayer. People gathered in Washington, D.C. to “pray” and pontificate about their alleged oppression. They gathered to pray that their efforts to prey on LGBTQ+ people are successful. Moral Majority architects and Moral Majority descendants were, most likely, in that number. Ironically, this year’s theme is “Love one another.”
Watch Trump speak at the National Day of Prayer Event
They’ve gained and maintained political capital, dehumanizing and demoralizing members of the LGBTQ+ family. Anita Bryant and Jerry Falwell helped spawn the Family Research Council and Westboro Baptist Church. How does that model loving one another?
Their fervent prayers have never sprung from a place of love, despite peddling “hate the sin, love the sinner” theological propaganda. They don’t seek to save my fabulous siblings and me from ourselves for our own good.
People gathered at this National Day of Prayer are fervently praying their God will purge our nation of fierce and fabulous people. Let me be clear, LGBTQ+ people aren’t the scourge upon the nation. Historic collective dehumanization, demoralization, and destruction we’ve faced left many fabulous creations of various deities feeling worthless.
Many tried fervently praying the gay away and failed. Sometimes, that failure had fatal consequences. The Rev. Jesse Jackson reminded my Black siblings and me that I am somebody. Here’s a reminder of my fierce and fabulous siblings: You are fierce. You are fabulous. You are worthy of love and dignity.
Unlike those at this National Day of Prayer breakfast, I’m praying that my fierce and fabulous siblings never forget their worth. Forgetting your worth can happen. It happened to me.
Sitting in Faith Crusader Church’s sanctuary, as a young Black queer kid, made me question my values. Sermon after sermon felt like cigarette burns to my soul. Prayers that my allegedly abominable secret wouldn’t be revealed occupied a lot of time.
A still-speaking God answered those prayers when she called me to the ministry — the first time — at age 6. Those prayers were answered again, after 30 years, when God made certain that this now-ordained United Church of Christ minister could, indeed, serve in ministry.
Hearing the Rev. J. Bennett Guess and Bishop Yvette Flunder speak at the 2012 Open & Affirming Coalition (United Church of Christ) National Gathering confirmed my call. A God who truly thought this faith leader was an abomination, wouldn’t have called me to ministry.
None of the dehumanizing and demoralizing messages spewed at me came from God. They came from people like many of those gathered at National Day of Prayer events.
Even though it’s hard, remember God isn’t listening to those biphobic, homophobic, queerphobic, and transphobic prayers. Never forget you are a fabulous creation of God.
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