Reflections on Pride and Personal Identity

June 2019: Recognizing Pride Month

It's June 2019, and this period has been marked as Pride Month—a time dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. While I have no issue with individuals who find their attraction lies with someone of the same sex or identify as LGBTQ+, I must express my thoughts on the concept of pride associated with such identities.

The Complex Nature of Pride

If someone identifies as homosexual and believes they are made this way by God, the question arises: why take pride in it? Shouldn't the glory and honor go to God for creating us as we are? The issue with human pride, perhaps, lies in its opposition to God's principles. Pride can be at the core of many human problems, leading us to exalt ourselves unnecessarily.

Awareness vs. Exclusive Identity

Awareness of mistreatment and discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community is important. However, the movement seems to have appropriated symbols like the rainbow—a symbol given by God—which now represents the pride movement. I struggle with the idea that we should be proud of traits inherent to our being. I'm not proud of being Scottish, my physical attributes, or my abilities. Why should we focus on something that's part of our inherent makeup?

If the goal is to embrace LGBTQ+ individuals, perhaps they should not separate themselves as a special group with parades and exclusive identifiers. Embrace who you are within the community without the need for separate celebrations. Just as there is no need to celebrate my identity as a heterosexual male, why orbit around the concept of pride?

Humility, Not Pride

Building a relationship with God, regardless of one's sexual orientation—heterosexual, homosexual, queer, lesbian, transgender—requires humility. We must approach our creator, broken and humble, for who we are. I, too, must be humble and broken before God for the things that define me.

The emphasis should not be on changing one's sexual orientation but on nurturing a heart that's open to understanding others, even those who disagree with us. This world needs less pride and more humility.

Conclusion

This isn't about being against the LGBTQ+ community; it's about addressing pride. I may be showing my age, but perhaps there's value in re-evaluating what pride means and where our focus should lie.