03/06/2025
Pride is about resilience, love, and joy. 🏳️🌈
But if you grew up in non-affirming families or religious spaces, Pride can kick up trauma responses. With the increase in dialogue and the backlash that often comes from q***r people being themselves unapologetically, that can fan the flame of hate in some people.
In harmful religious communities, they cling to only a handful of Bible verses they interpret to be about our community. Never mind the hundreds of verses about caring for the poor. Wealth doesn’t seem to make them very angry. Ironic, lol. Even the most traditional communities overlook verses all the time that don’t make sense in today’s context (I.e. owning people, food laws, etc).
That’s why I say the homophobia comes first, THEN the religious justification for it.
Many LGBTQIA+ people have lost their lives to religious trauma.
LGBTQIA+ people who have experienced conversion efforts (including religious therapy, sermons, or any attempt to impede someone from living fully into their q***rness) have a higher risk of su***de, mental health issues, homelessness, and drug or alcohol addiction.
The reason for this is a double bind between belonging and wholeness. To belong in a community that doesn’t affirm you, you have to fragment yourself. To be whole in who you are means losing that belonging. It leaves no good options.
That’s why PRIDE MATTERS. Belonging and wholeness can coexist, whether that’s in your chosen family, your q***r friends, or even affirming faith communities.
Community that centers affirming acceptance is life-saving. Addressing religious trauma in our community is crucial.
Follow me . I’m a therapist based in Dallas, a le***an, and specialize in trauma.
***rhealing
