A reader asked on social media:
Why are you an advocate of the LGBTQ community?
I am an advocate of the LGBTQ community because I believe all Americans should have equal justice and protection under the law. That’s it. I expect and demand that LGBTQ people have the same rights as I do. And when they don’t, I advocate for change.
I don’t have to understand or agree with LGBTQ people (or Evangelical Christians) to insist that they have the same civil rights as I — a heterosexual man — have.
This is not a complicated issue for me. Granted, it helps that one of my sons is part of the LGBTQ community, but I was a supporter and defender long before he came out.
Please see:
Bruce, What was Your View on Homosexuality When You Were a Pastor?
What Evangelical Christianity Taught Me About Homosexuality
My Journey From Homophobia to a Supporter of LGBTQ People
Bruce, Were You Transphobic as an Evangelical Pastor?
Bruce, What was Your View on Homosexuality When You Were a Pastor?
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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Here’s an example of the awful stuff Revival Fires tries to post on this site. A violent, vicious, homophobic man, is he —- but he says he’s an Evangelical Christian. Usually I delete his ugly, hateful screeds, but I thought I’d let readers see what this man typically writes.
And my name is Bruce, not Brice.
Uncle Brice was reading a book the story of parlay arlay when Stevie came in.
STEVIE: Uncle Bruce what’s that book about?
Uncle Brice : it’s a love story about two boys from Chicago that meet and fall in love.
STEVIE: (RETCHES 🤢🤮) (hits uncle in the hand with a hatchet axe cutting off three fingers)
UNCLE BRICE: AHHHHHH!!!!!! MY FINGERS!!!!! (CRYING PROFUSELY) GET THAT LITTLE SPAWN OF HELL OUT OF HERE!!!!! (SOBBING IN PAIN)
Why is this not breathtakingly obvious? True justice requires recognizing that every human being has equal value.
Those who transgress laws written to prevent harm to other people or their property have made mistakes, possibly serious mistakes, potentially caused by worldviews that don’t accept that those they’ve harmed have equal value to themselves. Or possibly they do accept that proposition, but suffer from mental health issues that prevent them from seeing their own inherent value.
Then there are [rude adjective intended] people who make and support laws written to punish those whose activities harm no one, but defy some religious dictate, as though a majority religion should be written into law. This includes those who support criminalization of same-sex relationships and adequate medical support for trans people.
What kind of ridiculous screed is that from Revival Fires? It makes zero sense.
As for LGBTQ people, they should absolutely have the same rights as everyone else. Period.
One of the best things I learned during college was that LGBTQ people are people with hopes, dreams, etc, just like me – so why aren’t they treated that way? Befriending a group of LGBTQ students was one of the best things that happened in my college years. I grew so ashamed of my bigoted evangelical upbringing. Know better and do better.