On the Saturday just gone, my city (Southend) held its annual (LBGTQ+) Pride event and most of the reports coming back have hailed it as a roaring success. I would have attended for a multitude of reasons but decided given my own issues around disability it was wiser not to. I don’t want to rewind the gramophone record, but if you want to know more check out here for my reflections on the 2024 event, my thoughts on preaching and pride and why I would have attended this year’s event if I could. See also my “Why (And How) Christians Should Celebrate Pride“, I wrote in 2018.

A number of friends involved in charities serving the marginalised, e.g. the homeless and those with mental health issues had stalls and I could see why partaking in an event such as this would help raise their profile and gain support. One friend wrote on her Facebook page concerning some folk preaching just outside Warrior Park, where the event was held: “‘Christians’ standing outside pride with microphones screaming at human beings they’re going to hell & calling themselves Christians are the reason people don’t want to come to church” and later added “they were not carrying the gospel they were hating on people”. Someone else who was there, whose views I respect, said much the same thing when I enquired.

It got me thinking concerning the appropriate response to this group of preachers’ response to the Pride event. I do so with the big caveat that, since I was NOT there, I could not judge roundly the appropriateness or otherwise of their approach. Yet as one who has preached the Gospel in the Open Air myself, who has sought to positively engage with LBGTQ+ folk, who believes open air preaching can be a useful vehicle for spreading the Good News and who notes a current trend of suppressing free speech, making Open Air preachers a target, I have, let us say, an interest! A number of points spread readily to mind, and with three of these I end:

Firstly (and unequivocally): I get why such events are held, e.g. in the light of past and present discrimination and hatred toward LBGTQ+ folk, providing an enjoyable day out and opportunity to meet other members of Southend’s diverse community (why in the past I organised Community-in-Harmony events), and as far as my friends promoting their charities goes – a perfect vehicle for doing so. Yet, and there has to be a yet, I cannot endorse what God doesn’t, i.e. relationships of a sexual nature with members of one’s own sex are ok, that it is ok for a man to identify as a woman or a woman as a man and children (especially) should be sold the lie that such behaviour is normal. I further regret that some of the Christians that latch on to Pride events like this may well have betrayed their calling to earnestly contend for the true faith, if endorsing sin.

Secondly: I subscribe to the adage not to p*** on someone else’s parade, and if one does want to reach out to LBGTQ+ folk and their supporters (and do so in the way that matters – motivated by love and in the knowledge they have a message that meets human needs and applies equally to gay and straight people – for all are sinners who need to be saved) they are wiser to do so elsewhere. If one does engage with such events and do so with the Gospel message – why not take a different approach? Back in the day of gay pride marches, I dreamt of having a stall, ideally set up with the knowledge and approval of the march organisers, giving out useful freebies such as cups of cold water (appropriate because this recent event was held on a hot day). I would also make freely available Bible related literature, e.g. gospels, and other related items. I would say to my Southend Pride organiser friends (some I know and respect) that if the event is about inclusion and diversity, since you allowed the Green Party in (so I am told) promoting a political agenda not all will agree with, why not allow the Christians in too?

Thirdly (and this is the biggie): I confess to being disturbed by my friend’s comments about Christians spouting hate at Saturday’s event and ran those concerns by a preacher friend who has done more than his fair share of open air preaching, sometimes to hostile audiences. He pointed me to St. Paul and his involvement with the Corinthian Church found in the Bible books of Acts and 1 and 2 Corinthians. He made the point that during Paul’s eighteen month stay in Corinth, where he did a fair amount of open air preaching, his message was always about the Cross of Christ and there was no evidence of gay or any other bashing, even though Corinth was rife with all sorts of sins, including a wide range of sexual immorality (and this included homosexuality) – concerning which members of the Church he was addressing in his letters had once partaken. We agreed that Paul’s was the right approach to follow. I believe on the day of that event there was another preacher band, operating close by at Southend Victoria Circus, which was relatively and understandably quiet (but am told was productive in terms of engaging with passers by). They helpfully provided a transcript of their preaching from a number of their band. From what I could make out, they (commendably) did what Paul did, and preached Christ. Might I suggest that this may provide a model for engaging with today’s Corinthians, something we are mandated to do, but ever mindful that the preaching of the Cross does offend!