I'm one of the Associate Chaplains at Elon University and an ordained American Baptist minister. If you know me, you know that I'm almost always wearing an Elon baseball cap. I like baseball caps, and I have light sensitivity — bright fluorescent lights often give me headaches — so I always have my cap with me. When HB2 passed in North Carolina last Spring, I started wearing the rainbow bELONg pin on my cap as a show of personal solidarity for LGBTQIA persons hurt by this discriminatory bill.
Wearing the pin has often been a great conversation starter, both on and off campus. Just a few weeks ago a student asked me, "Aren't you a Christian minister?" I said that I was. "Then why do you wear the rainbow pin?" So I explained that not all Christians have a problem with LGBTQIA persons, that I don't think LGBTQIA identity or expression is a sin and that many Christians support marriage equality and LGBTQIA rights. He actually thought that was cool, but was surprised because his church and minister back home think differently.
And that is really why I wear the button. There are so many Christian voices in our culture that are not supportive of LGBTQIA persons. I have many friends who have been deeply hurt by this, and some who have been kicked out of faith communities because of it. So often the voices are hurtful and not welcoming, and honestly, that breaks my heart.
It is estimated that as many as 40 percent of homeless youth are LGBTQIA-identified, and this is no doubt in part because of Christian families who have not embraced and welcomed their LGBTQIA children. One reason I find HB2 so hurtful is that trans persons are among the most vulnerable in our society — much more likely to be bullied or assaulted, much more likely to attempt suicide — and there's absolutely no evidence that trans persons in bathrooms are a danger to women or children. Like all of us, they just want to use the bathroom in peace.
Here at Elon University there are a wide range of views on these issues and many Christians on campus think differently about sexuality, but the more traditional Christian views are well known and often heard. As an associate chaplain on campus, I try to support all students, wherever they are in their faith (or no faith) journeys, but I also feel strongly that it is important to communicate that there are Christians and Christian groups on campus who fully support and celebrate LGBTQIA persons. There are also LGBTQIA persons who are Christian, and LGBTQIA persons with other faith or no-faith identities. I wear the button to say we are all welcome at Elon. We all belong.
I also welcome the students who disagree with me. I don't think wearing the bELONg button means we all have to agree. Many Christians on this campus read the Bible differently than I do, and that's okay. Many, in their own way, are trying to be loving and welcoming to LGBTQIA persons, and I appreciate that. Some support LGBTQIA civil rights in society but hold different beliefs within their faith communities. Part of our commitment to diversity and to multi-faith engagement at Elon includes acknowledging and respecting these differences. It is my hope and prayer that we can learn to dialogue and disagree with love and respect, and that we can work together to create a campus community that is safe for everyone.