Disappointed in These Christians, and in PRIDE FEST.

Heather - Man, given the disclaimer at the top, I was waiting for MUCH worse than that! I think that given the circumstances, you did a great job at staying PG-13.

To those who don’t like the “pandering to a special interest group” I have to say that sounds like something that would have been said in the 1950s and 60s. Maybe I’m way off base since I’m neither black nor lesbian, but that’s what came to my mind.

And you’re also right about the judgmental attitude turning many away from God. My personal thought is that if God is perfect and doesn’t make mistakes, then being Gay is not “a choice” or “a mistake” or “a lifestyle” it’s what makes you you!
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Tracy - I can’t even attempt to understand the hate. I grew up in a Christian family. My mother, one brother, and one sister are evangelistic and spew this hate. On my father’s side I have a gay uncle. Guess which side I choose to support the beliefs of. Yeah, not my mom. I can’t wait to finish school so I can help the youth and young adults in the LGBTQ community learn to deal with these bigots and other issues. Hugs to you and your family, you are all adorable!

Mindy - I’m new to your blog and enjoy reading your posts. My husband and I openly support the rights/beliefs/growth of the LGBTQ community. I’m super disappointed that the ‘funky’ stuff was a let-down to you and your children (but honestly that stuff can happen ANYWHERE – there were some gems at the REO concert on Friday), but at the end of the day you know what PRIDE means to you, and that’s what is important.
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Tia - I completely agree with you on everything you said. I have friends that are gay and came from a traditional home and friends that are not gay that came from a gay family. Everyone is entitled to love and family and it is no ones place to judge. Much love to you and your family. Your kids are absolutely adorable. Oh and I live in Ellington, Mo so not that far away. Also want to say that Jen from Life with Levi and I think you are AWESOME!

Karen Burch - I have been attending Pride Celebrations since the early eighties. We stopped going two years ago after having a young-20-something man strip in front of us and wind a boa around his hips and groin. My 10 year old son was pretty freaked out. At some point the uncontrolled sexual behavior, the S&M crowd, the Man/Boy Love Float, the nudity, the pot smoking, the poppers, drag queens and all of the other outrageous behavior the gay community has doted on and promoted needs to change. More and more gay and lesbian couples are using adoption, IVF, Insemination and surrogacy to create families, families they would love to be able to celebrate with friends in a family-centric, family-friendly environment. Until then, I won’t be going.

Jaimie - I am ALSO digusted with some of my fellow Christians. I couldn’t agree more. It makes me sick that people can sit there and say “What would Jesus do?” and then turn their back and say “Gay’s are GOIN’ to HELL!” Really? When some of these Christians have some FUCKED up skeletons in their closet, they have the NERVE to sit there and judge people they don’t even know?

I fully support the gay community, and I will ALWAYS defend them. Much love!
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Kelly Kipper - I am so sorry that you are confused about Christ. I am also sorry that you do not understand salvation. My prayers are with you, and I also pray for my gay friends, and my selfish friends, and my fat friends, and my greedy friends, and my stealing friends, and my murderous friends, and my friends who do not honor their parents, and my friends who have cheated on their spouses, and well………… all my friends who do not know Christ and chose to live for self. I also pray for my christain friends b/c it is not easy dying to to the selfish desires of the flesh. I am a sinner also. Christ has come to save those who are sick…. those who are not sick do not need a doctor. Check out this website and let me know what you think. There is a few sides to every story… but only one truth. I did not judge anyone…. they have judged for themselves. —— I was upset that the ‘RAINBOW’ has been turned into a blasphomous symbol. It is actually a symbol that God will never judge the world again with a flood because all the people have turned to their own way and gone to practice evil without consideration of their sin. If the christains has stole a symbol from the ‘GAY/HOMOSEXUAL’ pride representations, christains would get slack for that — don’t you think? The rainbow is not for homosexual pride, it is a symbol that God had made a promise not flood the earth again because if the people’s wickedness. Check out the link: http://exodusinternational.org/about-us/mission-doctrine/

Kelly Kipper - Also, it is not hate I have spewed on anyone. It is a voice of truth that you have been offended by. I am sorry that you do not understand and I am also sorry that you are confused.

Sarah Welte - wow. really, that is all I can say right now until I can collect my thoughts.

okay, I think that these incredibly idiotic and ignorant women are doing just as much harm for us Christians as the speedo- and tassle-wearing men and women are doing for the Gay community (not that I think there is anything wrong with that expression; it just needs to be in the right place and time).

Please let me say that this is NOT how every, or even most Christians feel. It makes me sick to my stomach to read that anyone, but especially someone claiming to live a “Christian” lifestyle. I was raised that being a Christian meant to live by the “golden rule”….do onto others as you want done onto you.

It’s like even if she doesn’t agree with or even accept the GLBT community, then keep your trap shut! Does it really make her feel better to spew out such incredibly hurtful words about people you don’t even know? In a way (a very small way), I feel sad for her, because clearly her life is so sad and lacking anything good that she feels she needs to belittle people in order to feel better about herself!

So, I know that my comment isn’t really organized. sorry. But, I still am in shock.
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Becky Ryan-Willis - I honestly think Kelly, it is you that is confused. — The use of rainbow flags has a long tradition; they are displayed in many cultures around the world as a sign of diversity and inclusiveness, of hope and of yearning. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag) So God used a rainbow to show us hope. The gay pride rainbow is most likely used to symbolize diversity & inclusiveness , of hope and yearning-probably yearning for people to just let them live their life and leave them alone.
A person like yourself makes me wonder if you had a family member, child or friend that was gay-would you turn on them? try to heal them? How hard is it to love unconditionally? Wickedness is murder, children being abandoned, children being assaulted, women being assaulted, men being assaulted, (i think you get the idea). I personally feel if the Lord had an issue with the gay community he would have gotten rid of all of them by now. The Bible was written so long ago, and even then it was interpreted. Just like we aren’t a “Leave it to Beaver” society anymore or “The Brady Bunch” doesn’t mean we are wrong; just means life changes. I love a person for who they are; not by whom they love. I would rather be friends with a gay man or woman who is a good person than be friends with a straight man or woman who are an ass.
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Monique - I could not get through all that vile. How incredibly repugnant these people of “faith” are. On a lighter note, I am so sad that there’s no Pride event out here, I miss big cities with parades and festivities!
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Johannah - I am sorry it wasn’t a fun family friendly event. However maybe even sadly, people will always be people… no matter what day or issue.
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Heather Beyant - From birth to 10 I was a Pentecostal and was brain washed to believe all of the people different from me would go to hell. At 11 I went to different churches with friends and found that there are many different types of people and God loves them all, period. At 30 something I know that it is the persons character that determines where they will live for eternity and I fully support those different from me because even if I do not fully agree with what they are doing they have something to teach me. My own mother wanted my son genetically tested for a “gay gene” because his fathers brother is gay. That day forward I knew that I needed to understand as much as possible about different people and except them with open arms. I have done just that and have gained many friends, one in which is the owner of this blog. I will continue to support Sadie and her family, period!
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Mary Jo - Hi Sadie! :)
I “kind of” met you at BBSummit yesterday.
ANYWAY, I have to say that I am a Christian and 100% very proud of it. I believe in God and Jesus as my savior. OK, now that I have said that… I also believe that God is the one and ONLY judge. Just because I don’t follow your lifestyle or “agree” with it (not quite sure what the correct wording is on that…lol) doesn’t mean that I don’t like you as a person or wouldn’t like your girlfriend. I think there are LOTS of ignorant people in our world and I am SO sorry that you have to put up with them. Just because you have a different lifestyle than I do, doesn’t mean that you are really any different than I am. And ya know what? That’s Gods job to handle. NOT MINE! OR ANYONE ELSE’S! AND I am SO happy that you know that and you (hopefully) don’t let those narrow minded “Christians” hurt you in any way with their words OR their actions.
I once heard someone say (on a Christian Moms yahoo group that I USED to be a part of), that she had gay neighbors and wouldn’t let her kids talk to them and she would never talk to them. They would approach her and she would be civil and say HI, but that was all. AND refused to even strike up a convo or invite them over when they would have their other neighbors over.
Sad. I know.
I replied to her and said something like this… How can we call ourselves Christians when we shun God’s children? We are ALL God’s children. We ALL Sin. Sin is Sin. Who is to say what is more of a sin than Sin A or Sin B? OH… that’s right… NOT US.
GOD. I can’t believe you wouldn’t even give them the time of day? What is that teaching your children? OH, let’s find out if John or Jenny is Gay… THEN we can be nice to them? Really? What if your neighbor was super awesome? What if they had something amazing to offer to you, their neighbor? You didn’t even KNOW them or take the time to get to know them? Nice.
What God would want us to do is love them. They are people, like you and me! We are just people, God’s children. It is people like you who bring about hate in this world.

So, yea. I unsubbed from that group.
ANOTHER thing that bothers me is people boycotting companies because they support LBGT. That is the MOST ridiculous thing EVER. EVER. You are gonna go and boycott Gap because Old Navy made a “pride” shirt with a rainbow on it? Seriously?
You are not going to shop at Target because they support the LGBT community. Nice.
You aren’t going to drink Coke products because of the same thing… Super.
But really, they will have to soon start boycotting EVERYTHING… It’s just dumb. Plain stupid. If you haven’t done so already, you should write up a post about all that stuff…LOL!

SO, yea. I am a Christian. I love Jesus. I love God. And ya know what? I love you, Sadie! :)
Even though we didn’t get to talk much, you really seem like a fricken hilarious person, super fun and pretty darn intelligent.
Do NOT let the (fake) Christians get you down. You seem strong enough to just wipe their BS off anyway… so that’s good! :)

I hope we can meet again, someday. You have gained a new fan/loyal reader :)
Love you bunches!

Mary Jo (AKA Savin’ Green Mom)
:)

Mary Jo - HOLEY CRAP! SADIE!!!!!!!! LOL!
I THOUGHT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ME ON YOUR FB! AND YES, I AM YELLING (LOL) IN A SURPRISED (ok, in a OMG I am a moron voice) VOICE! LOL! OMG!

Anyway… I fb messaged you a LOOOOOOOONG message. You are prob going to read it and be like…WTF? WOW. This chick is like spilling her life at me! LOL! OMG!
I AM REALLY LAUGHING MY ASS OFF feeling like a moron! OK, really…someone put the Loser “L” up on their forehead and look at me! PLEASE! LOL!

What I wrote in that message… well, maybe it was meant to happen because I would love some advice, if you have any to give to me. Privately. lol…of course.
Dude. me…such a moron! WOW!
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Bill Myers - Hi, Sadie. As usual I’m a bit late to the party. I don’t have a lot of time but I wanted to make a brief comment (or at least “brief” by my standards).

It’s funny, I remember about 11 years ago my girlfriend and I watched a gay pride parade in our hometown. There were guys in drag throwing out beads. My girlfriend was disappointed that I didn’t flirt enough with them and get her more beads. Sigh… I told her, “Honey, I fully support gay rights. I really do. But I’m hetero, OK? I can’t help it. I was born that way. Don’t judge me.” :)

As I have stated in this blog before, I used to be prejudiced against gays. I was also a devout Catholic. I am no longer religious and no longer believe there is anything wrong with being gay, but I can understand what is motivating many of the bigots because I used to be one of them. I can’t get angry with them. I empathize with them, and feel badly for them. Perhaps they weren’t lucky enough to have had the life experiences I’ve had that allowed me to grow and change.

I realize this is easy for me to say, being a heterosexual who has never faced discrimination based on my sexuality (or anything else for that matter), but you can’t change bigots by insulting them or getting angry with them. If someone had gotten in my face back before I had “seen the light” it wouldn’t have changed me one bit. It would probably have hardened my stance. What helped me change was a combination of education and getting to know and befriend people who are part of the LGBT community. I think that’s our best bet to rescue people from the dark side.

Don’t get me wrong. I understand your anger. If I were gay I’d probably be pissed off at these people too. I just think we’re better off finding ways to persuade people to come to our side, where there is acceptance and understanding. (I hope you don’t mind my saying “our side.” I’m not gay but I think we’re on the same side: we both want to end the bigotry.)

It’s unfortunate that the gay pride parade in your area is dominated by lewd behavior and drug use. These parades can and should be an opportunity to for LGBT people to provide the kind of education and persuasion that helped me to change.

I’ll conclude by saying that casting off my own prejudices was extremely liberating. It allowed me to make friends that I otherwise couldn’t have. I can only hope that my experience can serve as an example to others, and that I can help others to see that acceptance is the way to go.

Just my two cents worth.

Bill Myers - Sadie, I hope you don’t mind the question but I’m curious: when you say you used to be “one of them,” what do do you mean? If you don’t want to explain I’ll respect your wishes.

I forgot to mention, I love your family photos. Your children are beautiful and the whole family looks so genuinely happy.

My sister and I were both adopted. Our family was otherwise “traditional,” with a mother and father. But if I’ve learned one thing from being an adoptee, it’s this: biological ties do not a family make. A family is defined by caring, nurturing and love. My mother and father worked hard to provide me with a good home in a safe neighborhood, they taught me right from wrong, they taught me to remember how lucky I am and how some others are not so lucky, and they provided for my education. That’s what a true family does. As an adopted child, I have never felt “different” or anything like that. I have a family. I have parents, a sister, aunts and uncles, and cousins; and I had grandparents (who have passed away). That we’re not related by blood makes no difference whatsoever.

This is why I have never had the urge to search for my birth parents. I have no hard feelings towards my birth parents; I am sure they gave me up so I could have a chance at a life they couldn’t provide. My adoptive mother and father, however, are my real parents. In fact, I never refer to them as my “adoptive parents;” I’m only doing so now to distinguish them from my birth parents. (If you really want to set me off, ask me if I’ve ever thought about finding my “real” parents. You’ll get an earful, at the very least.)

My girlfriend works for the social services department in the county where we live, and she has seen how biological parents neglect and abuse their children. Some of the stories she has told me are so horrific I don’t even like to repeat them. It’s obvious to me that biological ties alone aren’t enough to create a stable, loving family. If there is a choice between a child being raised in a stable, loving home by parents who adopted him or her, or that same child growing up in a neglectful and/or abusive environment, I say give that child a chance with the adoptive parents, hands down. Even if the adoptive parents are homosexuals. That makes zero difference to me. None. Nada. Zip. If two gay men or two lesbian women have the desire to love and raise children in a good, nurturing environment then LET THEM. Because there are children who NEED that.

This long and rambling post is my way of saying: to HELL with anyone who criticizes gays adopting children! As an adopted child I can tell you: it’s not blood, it’s not biology, it’s not sexuality that makes a family. It’s LOVE and CARING and PROVIDING. That defines a family.

I suppose I’ve just contradicted my earlier post about trying not to give in to anger towards people who are prejudiced. But adoption is a topic near and dear to me for obvious reasons. Thank you for giving me a platform for saying so, Sadie. And good on you and your partner for providing to your children what my parents provided to me.

Bill Myers - Aw, man, could I be any more insensitive? I made two really bad assumptions. The first is that you never gave up a child for adoption. It should have occurred to me it’s possible that you or someone else reading this may have done so. The second was that the children you and your partner are raising are kids you adopted. I know a lesbian woman who got pregnant using modern medical technology. I suppose it’s also possible for a bi or lesbian woman to have children from a past relationship with a man (particularly if she hadn’t come to grips with her identity until later). It’s really none of my damn business anyway and it doesn’t matter. Your children are your children. If you love them and care for them everything else is irrelevant.

I hope I didn’t sound callous. Please understand, mine was a closed adoption and the only thing I know about my bio parents is that they were two college students. My guess is I was an “oops” and my birth parents didn’t feel capable of raising me. I was given up for adoption at birth and placed with my family at the age of two months, so my adoptive parents are the only family I’ve ever known.

Anyway, the whole point of my post was not to dredge up anything painful for anyone, and I’m really sorry if I did. I was simply trying to express support for “non-traditional” families like yours. My comment was a response to the remark you made in your post that “…the gays are adopting babies that straight folks abandoned…” I guess I wish I had simply made the point that no one should be opposed to gays being parents. There are lots of hetero parents who are completely unfit, yet no one is yammering about preventing hetero couples from raising children. If two lesbian women or two gay men can give a child a safe, loving, nurturing home, what could be wrong with that?

From the photos you’ve posted and the things you’ve written it appears your family is a very happy one. I hope that’s the case and I wish you, your partner, and your lovely daughters the best.

For my part, I will endeavor to keep my foot out of my mouth in the future… or just keep my damn mouth shut if I can’t.

Bill Myers - Sadie, thank you for being so nice about it. Given the amount of crapola life has thrown at you, you could be forgiven for being sensitive about some of these things. Yet you are able to talk about them with openness and grace. I admire that. As I’ve said before I wish these conversations weren’t necessary. I suppose instead of always gravitating toward the really intense discussions I could participate in one of your cinchspiration threads. But I weigh 2,434,896 lbs and am afraid to look at anything related to weight loss. (Actually my girlfriend and I are going to try Weight Watchers again starting this weekend. Wish us luck!)

Shannon Goldschmidt - My partner and I have not been together as long as you and your partner have but we have been together since the end of December and we have an 8 year old little girl along with 1 indoor cat, 1 indoor dog, and 2 outside kittens.

I just wanted to tell you that I am proud of you for taking a stand; for not being afraid to say how you feel. I believe in freedom of speech but I also believe that there is a fine line that needs to be drawn and that hate is never acceptable for any reason.

I did read your whole post and I liked and agreed with all of it. I think that just because someone is a Christian does not give them the right to judge, criticize, ridicule, put down, condemn or any other negative thing. Judgement can only come from our creator and although someone may not like something such as gays and lesbians it does not mean that your opinion needs to be voiced. Some opinions are hurtful, rude, hateful and are better left unsaid.

Without people like you standing up against hate and bigotry; there would be a lot more of it in this world.

Kudos to you and a big hug to you and your family.

Ginger - I was going through past blogs because a friend had asked a question and i was looking for something in particular. In the process, I ran across this post, which i hadn’t seen before. OMG, I couldn’t agree more about Pride Fest! My husband and I were just discussing this after this year’s fest. But, it’s not the first year I’ve seen this, and I HATE it!

Last year, I wasn’t thrilled by the people who seemed underdressed. I laughed at the girls who wore shorts and duct tape over their nipples, quickly clearing out of the park when a cold rain hit. Only the die hard people, who don’t think of pride as a joke, hung around,

This year, there were just SO many things I was ashamed of. There were again the numerous girls running around in shorts, topless, with duct tape over their nipples. And when I say girls, I mean it. Many of these were underage. I have two girls. They would never be allowed out like that! There were guys running around in just their tighty-whiteys. There were more states of near-nakedness than I can recount.

On top of that, there was a feely booth–basically a box that a person could go into, with fabric lined holes that allowed random people outside the box to grope the occupant through, sight unseen.

And, there was the pot smoking you mentioned, and who knows what else that I didn’t see.

Leading up to the festival, the gatherings and events during Pride Week were held in bars, at night. This made them exclusionary. People with jobs that they had to arise early for weren’t able to attend. People who just aren’t into the bar scene didn’t attend. LGBT teens couldn’t attend.

It angers me. It’s beyond offensive. So many people are fighting for their right to be taken seriously–to be accepted into society. Things like this hurt our cause. We aren’t fighting for pretty colors and flamboyance, nor are we fighting for public debauchery. We’re fighting for people to have the right to marry, to make their family a fully, legal unit, for insurance benefits, for rights over each other’s healthcare, palliative care, the right to be considered family at a hospital–so you can be in the room with your loved one if that type of situation arises. We’re fighting for the rights to start families–where both parents (however that child came to be) are considered to be equal, legal parents to that child, and where they can start families period.

There’s so many important things we’re fighting for. Pride Festivals need to be taken seriously–as a time to band together and make a stand for our rights. When they’re treated this way, we’re not taken seriously. We’re seen as degenerate, perverted party animals, who are bar hopping on week nights and stripping down in public. And, when we behave that way, who’s to blame?

Ginger - Isn’t that gross? What happens when some mom presses charges because her underage daughter was molested at this unattended booth?