Take Pride

This last Sunday, for the first time in its history, there was a specifically Mormon section of the Utah Pride Parade. A few hundred people, most dressed in their Sabbath attire, marched at the front of the parade under the banner of Mormons Building Bridges, to show their love and respect for the LGBT community. It was, by all accounts a very moving and spiritual event. I myself was sadly unable to attend, but many fMhers and other friends proudly attended. Several graciously shared their thoughts on their experience. I requested just a few lines, but the experience was so powerful that each struggled to keep the submission short–and I struggled to edit any beautiful feeling or thought out.

Ashley Eddington-Hoopes

I marched in the Salt Lake City Gay Pride Parade today with my family and friends, and I have to say that it was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. Shelby [my 7-year-old daughter] was in to the parade. For her, she couldn’t really quite understand what the problem was to begin with. Of course people like her Uncle David should be able to get married if they fall in love.

When our group had been given the okay to begin, and the group started to finally move, it felt like the waters of a damn had been unleashed and my feet seemed to lift off the ground as I floated next to my brothers and sisters on a sea of shared hope. I had hoped that they would be able to see my sincerity. I had hoped to give my love and support to them.But I can not put in to words how floored I was to discover within the first city block that it was me who was being lifted up with the outpouring of their love and support for me I had tears running down my cheeks as I held Shelby’s hand in my right and my sign in my left, watching the old and young mouth the words “Thank You” to me and my dear sweet waving daughter. She could feel their love and was lifted by it, offering to carry our homemade sign. I watched as gay couples, old and young, held hands with their partners, weeping as they watched us, giving us the hand sign “I love you”. I saw mothers hugging their lesbian daughters, kissing their heads as if to say, “See, I am not the only one who loves you and accepts you.” I thought of my dear brother and all the anguish that he experienced growing up gay and LDS and how lucky I am that he survived his youth where he was constantly receiving the message that something was wrong with him. I almost physically could not go on it was so powerful.

Marion Jensen

I don’t like parades. I don’t like going to them, let alone marching in them. The heat, the crowds, the…social interaction. Give me a dusty bike trail or a small boardgame night with friends and family any day of the week.

But today I stepped way out of my comfort zone, and marched in a pride parade. I marched with a group of Mormons who went to share a simple message, “We love you.”I think my favorite sign quoted a primary song. “I’ll walk with you, I’ll talk with you, that’s how I’ll show my love for you.”

We marched, the crowed cheered, clapped, and at times even roared. I can only hope the love we were trying so desperately to show matched the love they showed us. A few images I will never forget:

A middle-aged woman in a tank top, stood on the sidelines, crying. She kept saying over and over, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” A woman marching next to me went over and embraced her.

A man rode in a wheelchair with a walker on wheels attached to it. The walker was empty the entire time because the woman who supposedly needed it was bouncing back and forth to each side of the parade, waving and waving and waving.

With apologies to Thomas S. Monson: Miles were walked. Tears were shed. Bridges were built.

Jenica

Our decision to walk in the parade was to choose to stand for love, for each persons right to live and love who and how they may. My 10 year old daughter made and carried a sign scrawled in purple crayon: FREE HUGS. She then walked along the parade route finding those that needed a hug most. She did not see anyone through sin-colored lenses, she saw the individuals. For me, I cried through most of it, overwhelmed at the amount of love coming from both sides of the parade lines. This could be a time for great healing in our community if we choose to be Christlike. Christ sought out the broken hearted and he even did it on the Sabbath.

Katrina Barker Anderson

Marching in the Pride parade with fellow Mormon was an experience I will never forget. It was spiritual. I was moved to tears more than once as the crowd cheered for us. To be walking as a Mormon showing my love for my gay brothers and sisters and to be accepted by them in return felt miraculous. The energy of that parade was pure love. I felt the divinity in us all, both marchers and watchers. I felt love and acceptance pour over us. I don’t want to ever forget that feeling of seeing thousands of people cheer for us and accept our offering of love. I hope that this small act helps heal some of the pain.

Jared Anderson

Marching with my wife and five children in the 2012 Gay Pride Parade was both sublime and bittersweet. Sublime in that it was one of the more moving and I feel important experiences of my life. So many images I will remember—two year old Miriam waving her little rainbow flag in her stroller, and my two oldest pressing toward the front of the group, right next to the “Mormons Building Bridges” sign that resulted in them appearing in a few newspapers. And the crowds—thousands of loving, supportive, grateful citizens of the Mormon capital, gathered to support and celebrate the degree of freedom and acceptance LGBTQ individuals enjoy. There were so many tears, and much more clapping and cheers. I broke away a few times to hug some gay friends and my ally uncle. Everyone was so impressed that “so many Mormons” showed up to march in the name of love and acceptance. My children really appreciated it, were glad they went despite the heat and distance.
At the same time, it was bittersweet because the reaction was so disproportionate to the stand we took, and who we were. Why should a small band of self-selective members of the Church garner so many “thank yous” and even “we forgive you?” Do we deserve to bask in that celebration and appreciation when the institutional Church still expends resources to fight against the rights of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters?

It was powerful. It was moving. It was a beginning. And it was far, far from enough.

Sherri Park

I marched in the Gay Pride parade in SLC. For two weeks before the march, I worried about how the crowd would receive us. Many people did not sign up until the last minute, so it looked like only a few were brave enough to do it. I was afraid that we would be jeered or worse.We have no gay relatives or friends. We were motivated totally by the reports of bullying and suicide that occur in our community with some regularity, especially the suicide of Jack Reese.

We made friends with some of the other marchers and people started coming by to say, “Thank you for marching”. We met the Grand Marshall. We sang a favorite hymn and joined in prayer.

When we started marching, a roar went up from the crowd, but they weren’t angry at all. They were cheering for us. Some were crying and a few were sobbing.
It was one of the best moments of my life! I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I want it mentioned in my eulogy.

Debra Jensen

More than 24 hours later I am still overwhelmed by the experience I had marching in the Utah Pride Parade. I approached it unsure of what would be the crowd’s response to our group, including my three children. I love the gospel, but I also knew that the church had caused much grief and heartache to many of my brothers and sisters standing in the crowd and they may hold me responsible for that damage. I could not have been more wrong: There were smiles and cheers and waves and tears… lots of tears. I will never forget a woman in a gray tank top, tears running down her cheeks. We made eye contact and I couldn’t help but run to her and hug her and tell her I loved her. She hugged me back and said the words I heard most often from these people—my people—“Thank you.” Over and over again they yelled it: “Thank you!” It’s impossible for me to tell them now, but I cannot thank them enough for the loving reception they gave me and my family.

Stacey Hadfield Lowe

I went, along with DH and our two youngest kids, ages 7 and 11. DH discussed what might be involved in joining the demonstration. We worried about what our children might be exposed to, what antagonism we might encounter. We soon found that we worried needlessly. All we encountered was love, kindness, appreciation, and acceptance from our LGBT friends. It was very emotional for DH and myself – people cheering, thanking us, telling us they loved us. It was a wonderful experience for us and our children; I feel so privileged to have been a part of it. What a loving, beautiful reception we received from our brothers and sisters!

Meredith Hudson LeSueur

I started crying buying the rainbow streamers that I planned to tie on our stroller. Just thinking about sharing this experience with my two kids, and showing them how important this is, was overwhelming.

But then I realized that the audience might not be that happy to see a bunch of mormons, and I got worried. Not regretting being there, if anything ready for the jears – we deserved it, ready to apologize and take their anger. Somebody should!

But everybody cheered!!!! So overwhelming! More crying. sobbing behind my stroller, behind my sunglasses, dripping with sweat, dripping with tears.

My daughter danced around with her rainbow streamer wings that we made and passed out “love one another” lollipops to any kid she saw without one. People waved and cheered and said thank you. I’m crying too hard to say sorry, but hoping they feel it anyway. It was by far the BEST experience of my Mormon life. better than EFY, better than girls camp, better than graduating from BYU. This was what heaven feels like.

Kate Kelly

I felt an amazing sense of unconditional love and forgiveness from the crowd at the Pride parade in Salt Lake. Onlookers wildly clapped, raucously cheered and many cried. It was wonderful to feel such acceptance and love. After all, who doesn’t love receiving cheers and a standing ovation for taking a stand?? For me personally marching was a small step of defiance and a way for me to assert my agency after living in CA during Prop 8. It was a small way for me to say publicly: I am independent and have my own political views. I disagree with the church’s stance on LGTBQ issues and I cannot be controlled.

I deeply appreciated the warm welcome from the LGTBQ community at the parade. However, the whole time I was wishing that there could be a Pride float in the Days of 47 parade or the Freedom Festival and that they would receive as warm a welcome from our community. I felt that, in a way, we were receiving praise for doing something we should have been doing all along: supporting our loved ones and neighbors. I think true progress will be measured by gay people getting a standing ovation at a Mormon parade & not the other way around.

I hope this event will serve as a political awakening for many, and helps us to speak bravely and in no uncertain terms in other contexts where we will not be cheered, welcomed or appreciated. I hope we will speak up in our wards, in our families and become allies in the truest and most daring sense.

Lisset Stevenson

I marched with my three children yesterday- one in the stroller, one strapped at my back, and one in the womb- and find myself still so overwhelmed with emotion to have shared the experience with these little ones, whom I have the utmost responsibility to teach love and acceptance.

Here I was using this opportunity to put word in to action, to show my children I practice what I preach. But how my example paled to the overwhelming outpouring of love that we received from the crowds! We were so immediately accepted, applauded, thanked, encouraged, forgiven. There was no hesitation on their part, even though it would have been warranted, the way they have been hurt by church policy.

But no. Instead of harboring ill feelings, this beautiful, courageous, misunderstood LGBT community showed more Christ-like love than I have felt in a long, long time. It was hard to feel worthy of it.

What they taught me and my children that day, I will never, ever forget.

Kevin Northrup

I marched with my mom in the SLC pride parade. It was a powerful experience for me to see support from others in the LGBTQ community; however, the greatest feeling came knowing that my mom was willing to publicly support me and show her love. Some of my siblings have been less than happy that she participated but she showed Christ-like love and courage in marching. The example she set was one which will remain with me for a long time. The example of standing (or in this case marching) for what you believe in no matter what others might think.

Chelsi Archibald

Yesterday my husband and I walked in a parade just to say, “I love you. Your love is real and valid. And God will never stop loving you.” It was a simple message that I thought would recieve little-to-no praise, because I didn’t need praise. I witnessed mothers and friends and couples and lone men standing by the side of the road for me, cheering me on, saying “Thank you” over and over and over. I watched them sob because finally someone was walking for them. I was embraced by several people and felt them sob and cry in my arms. And I’ve never felt more love. And I’ve never felt more brave. And I’ve never felt more hope. Those who needed praise for so long, were those that have been in pain, so much so that they’ve taken their own lives or thought about doing so. Those who needed praise were the ones who’ve had much more courage than me, that have chosen to follow their hearts even when it meant everyone in their family and their community and their church has disowned them. My odd, unique faith journey is difficult at times, but it does not compare. I follow the example of others in hopes that my love and the aching of my heart and the sincerest prayers that I give will help someone else feel God’s all encompassing, unconditional love.

Rebecca Elena James

I marched with my two teenage nephews. They were amazed by the powerful sense of love that permeated the parade. My oldest nephew (in his 13 year-old cracking voice) kept telling the crowd, “Hey, I love you!”. I can’t even estimate how many folks responded back saying, “I love you too!” or “good job!”. I wept through most of the parade, due to this reciprocal spirit of love. The goal of this event was to show the LGBT community that LDS people love them. Yet, I was floored by the love that I felt from the LGBT people and parade audience.

What better way to spend a Sabbath, a day set aside for developing a stronger relationship and learning to be more like the God of Love?

*Photos courtesy of Katrina Barker Anderson and Jenica