“Still Here, Still Becoming: Pride, Faith, and the Sacred Work of Visibility” - A Pride Month Reflection from Rev. Jermell Witherspoon

Pride Month, for me, is both celebration and survival. It is sacred remembrance and embodied resistance. As a Queer Black man, Pride represents the beauty of people who were told they should hide, shrink, or disappear, choosing instead to live loudly, lovingly, and truthfully. Pride is not simply a parade or a party, though joy itself is holy. Pride is what happens when a people pushed down for generations refuse to remain buried beneath shame.

In many ways, Pride reminds me of a volcano. There has been so much pressure, silencing, marginalization, rejection, and ostracizing placed upon LGBTQ+ people, especially Queer and Trans Black and Brown people, that eventually what erupts is not only pain, but color, glitter, music, dancing, beauty, tenderness, and truth. Pride becomes an explosion of humanity. Rainbow and glitter become prophetic symbols. They declare: “We are still here.” They say that despite systems trying to erase us, we will be seen in ways we may never have imagined possible.

In the past, I have celebrated Pride through community gatherings, worship services, marches, storytelling, and creating spaces where LGBTQ+ people can encounter both spiritual affirmation and communal joy. Some of the most meaningful Pride moments for me have not been on stages, but in quiet conversations where someone whispers, “I didn’t know church could feel like this,” or “I didn’t know God could love me too.” Those moments are sacred.

My hope for the Church is that it becomes less concerned with tolerating LGBTQ+ people and more committed to liberation alongside us. I long for a Church that understands inclusion is not charity; it is justice. A Church that moves beyond statements and into transformation. A Church where Queer and Trans people are not merely welcomed into pews, but trusted in pulpits, leadership, theology, and imagination. I hope for a Church that understands our lives are not obstacles to ministry, but vessels through which God continues speaking.

At AllianceQ, our work centers around helping congregations and communities move toward radical inclusion, equity, and affirmation. We walk alongside churches discerning what it means to truly embody welcome and justice for LGBTQ+ people. We help create spaces where faith and identity are no longer forced into conflict. Our work is deeply relational, deeply spiritual, and deeply rooted in the belief that liberation belongs to all of us.

As Executive Director, I carry both urgency and hope. I know the harm the Church has caused many LGBTQ+ people, because I have lived parts of that story myself. But I also know the transformative power of communities that choose love over fear, curiosity over judgment, and liberation over exclusion. I believe another Church is possible. In many places, it is already being born.

This Pride Month, I remain grateful for every elder who survived long enough for us to gather openly, every young person daring to live authentically, and every faith community courageous enough to keep growing. Pride reminds us that visibility matters, joy matters, and our lives matter.

---

Rev. Jermell Witherspoon serves as the Executive Director of AllianceQ, a ministry committed to supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion, justice, and affirmation within faith communities and beyond. A Queer Black minister, preacher, and community organizer, Rev. Witherspoon is passionate about creating spaces where liberation, spirituality, and authenticity can coexist. Through preaching, advocacy, and relationship-building, he works to help communities embody radical welcome and transformative love.