As a gay Christian, Pete Buttigieg's visibility gives me strength

[babylonsister]

https://www.salon.com/2019/05/17/as-a-gay-christian-pete-buttigiegs-faith-and-visibility-give-me-strength/

As a gay Christian, Pete Buttigieg's visibility gives me strength
They said I couldn't be a Christian and gay, but I never lost my faith. These attacks on Pete make me stand taller
Silas House
May 17, 2019 11:00PM (UTC)

snip//

Although there has been progress, all these years later, those with the biggest platforms are still attacking LGBTQ Christians and saying we are not worthy of God. Presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg, who is an openly gay married man and an Episcopalian, is at the center of this conversation. Over the last couple of weeks his faith has been called into question repeatedly because he is gay. Vice President Mike Pence was among the first. “My family and I have a view of marriage that’s informed by our faith,” Pence said about Buttigieg, in essence declaring that Buttigieg’s faith doesn’t matter, or perhaps even that Buttigieg isn’t a Christian.

Evangelist Franklin Graham offered that Buttigieg would be punished by “eternal damnation.” Everett Piper, president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University weighed in by saying “you don’t get to make up your own Christianity.” Talking head Erick Erickson attacked not only Buttigieg but also the Episcopal church. Michael Brown, a leader of the Charismatic movement, put forth that “As an out-and-proud gay man, Buttigieg must discard the entire testimony of Scripture.”

This is not only suggesting that Buttigieg is not worthy of his own faith — it is also homophobia. These men have done exactly what they set out to do: get other homophobes riled up. Recently, Buttigieg was interrupted by hecklers at an Iowa rally who chanted “Sodom and Gomorrah!” and “You betray your holy baptism!” Social media is filled with endless discussion of Buttigieg’s “depravity,” “perversion,” and so on. At another event Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry showed up dressed as Buttigieg and whipped a man dressed as Christ while someone in a Satan costume shouted “Yes, more blood, Peter!” among other taunts. Terry told the Associated Press he was doing it because Buttigieg “glorifies and normalizes a sinful behavior.” Protesters yelled “Repent!” and “Marriage is between a man and a woman!” while the candidate tried to address a packed audience in Dallas last Friday.

The thing that none of them realize is that every time they allow their judgement to rear its head, support for Buttigieg grows even stronger among many potential voters. And every time his sincerity as a gay Christian is questioned I feel as if my own faith is strengthened. Whenever they attack the Episcopal church I’m prouder to be a member. Each time his marriage is held up as an act of depravity I cherish my own marriage even more.

snip//

The boy I used to be could have never imagined the day that a gay man is being seriously considered as a candidate for president. He would have been amazed to know Buttigieg is also standing up for the fire of belief that burns in us both. Sometimes I wonder how we kept going, how we survived it all. Then I wonder if the very people who set out to break us aren’t the ones who ended up making us that much stronger.

[Honeycombe8]

1. An interesting perspective.

You don't hear from gay Christians very often. Good to hear that viewpoint.

[Peacetrain]

2. Pete Buttigieg is in my top group because he does not deny

his faith or let anyone define him by their own issues.. I am a Christian, and my liberal stances are informed by my Christianity.. and I have had battle after battle with people who either want me to shut up or go away.. and you have to stand your ground or the crazies on the right get to define who is Christian.. (And before anyone comes after me again.. I do NOT believe in magic.. I believe in community..and many of us have our communities where we find our strength and my church is where I find mine).. So with all that said.. this man is a man of steel.. because you have to be to face down the those who would kill you rather than sit next to you.. hats off to Pete Buttigieg.. who will be in Iowa City today

[SWBTATTReg]

3. Well spoken/written. I totally agree w/ you, and have seen how the totally uncalled for ...

negative attacks on Mayor Pete is driving his positives higher, as the vast majority of people see through the
ignorant attacks on him and his faith. Hypocrites. What is that moral in that the person without sin throw the first stone, etc.?

The thing that none of them realize is that every time they allow their judgement to rear its head, support for Buttigieg grows even stronger among many potential voters. And every time his sincerity as a gay Christian is questioned I feel as if my own faith is strengthened. Whenever they attack the Episcopal church I’m prouder to be a member. Each time his marriage is held up as an act of depravity I cherish my own marriage even more.