Did you know that in Central New York, Pride Day Festival Planning meetings take place in a church building? Some people see churches and the LGBTQ Community as two groups that never come together. But some religious leaders have worked since the 1980's to make sure all people have a place to worship and a church family for support.
“Everybody deserves to have a faith community that they feel comfortable in,” said Susan Bates, a University United Methodist Church member.
Susan Bates' faith is extremely important to her. She has a church home where she and her partner are welcomed to worship and to be themselves.
“Our favorite thing to think about is to love God and to love our neighbor as our self, and when we do that, we are projecting love out and people want to be part of this loving community. At United Methodist Church we are open to all people. This includes of course the LGBTQ community,” said Alicia Wood, the University United Methodist Church pastor.
Pastor Wood says University United Methodist has been part of the Reconciling Ministries Network for 10 years. The network seeks the inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
In the 80s, the creation of Welcoming Congregation organizations began in American Christianity. Wood says they have many members that were struggling to find a place to worship.
“They really wrestled with, ‘how do I be who I am and be a faith-filled person and does God hate me?’ ‘Do I need to not be who I am so I can go to worship and just kind of fake it my whole life?’” said Pastor Wood.
“It’s nice to be able to sit in a pew and hold hands or put our arm around each other or acknowledge that we’re a couple. If I didn’t have a church community, I would be lost,” said Bates.
Liz Stehle is newer to University Church and says she also feels at ease to worship and be herself.
“I’ve never felt any type of side comments or look at them. And I am totally out in my community, and I have been for a long time,” said Stehle.
The LGBTQ community being openly welcomed to worship is still not common practice among churches.
“There are so many people that do feel harmed by the church. There are so many people wounded by the church when faith communities are exclusive. It makes people not really have an authentic walk with Jesus Christ. If they think they need to hide who they truly are from even the Creator who created them, there is no way they could authentically grow in faith,” said Pastor Wood.
"I have a very big spiritual faith. And when I came to this church, it was very welcoming,” said Stehle.
“The stronger my faith is, the more I can get through things in life,” said Bates.
“When we treat our neighbor as our self, we think about how would we accept people that are different than me or us? And if we are accepting them with love, we act it out in love,” said Pastor Wood.