California Community Rallies Around LGBT+ Residents In Response To Church's Transphobic Sign About Caitlyn Jenner
Many residents in the city of Weed, California, are rallying together to protest a sign that was recently put up by a local presbyterian church. The sign dead names Caitlyn Jenner (referring to her as Bruce) before rejecting the LGBTQ+ community. Citizens of weed want to be sure LGBTQ+ individuals know this sign doesn't speak for the whole town, and so staged a protest of the hateful church sign.
The sign reads:
Bruce Jenner is still a man. Homosexuality is still sin. The culture may change the bible does not.
After going up on December 31st, activists have begun gathering outside the church in protest. One weed resident commented to KTVL:
"I'm here to support individuals of our community, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or other elements that make people unique. I think that we should show love, respect and tolerance to all individuals as part of our national identity."
A crowd is gathering in front of the Trinity Bible Presbyterian Church in Weed to protest this sign, reading “Bruce… https://t.co/rcLxQ4iiqq— Jennevieve Fong (@Jennevieve Fong) 1546795433
Over the weekend of January 7th, crowds gathered with signs of their own!
"Jesus had 2 dads and he turned out FINE."
Weed resident Robyn Vandiver is here to express her support of the LGBT community https://t.co/5KSo75Zkny— Jennevieve Fong (@Jennevieve Fong) 1546796314
Justin Hoke, pastor at Trinity Bible Presbyterian Church, has defended the sign, writing on Facebook:
"It is not possible to preach the gospel in short pithy statements. I have used this sign for 7 years now to provoke reflection or make a strong point about a single truth. Such as this one: the culture does not determine truth God does."
Organizers say the rally is not only to protest the sign, but to show the “local and national queer community an ou… https://t.co/QD6L8xM4Sp— Jennevieve Fong (@Jennevieve Fong) 1546796939
Hoke regularly posts anti-LGBTQ statuses on his Facebook. Alongside an article about a drag queen being asked to leave a Chicago church, he wrote:
"Yes we are to love all, but come on. A person comes dressed in drag to a church service and they are not there seeking to worship God. They're coming to rub their rebellion in God's face. I don't want my children subjected to such perversion at such a young age."
Imagine being an LGBTQ kid who has to ride past this sign every day. :( https://t.co/HPMCpVdZ6s— Zack Ford (@Zack Ford) 1546955412
Many people online had an important reminder for the church about the Bible:
@PinkNews Funny... how many times has the Bible being altered and edited now?— Stitch Pup (@Stitch Pup) 1546960414
Though many can't be there in person, Twitter users are rallying behind the Weed protests in spirit:
@PinkNews “God is good... all the time.” Parishioners, meh, not all the time. 🙄— ✌️🤦♂️🤔🖖🇺🇸 (@✌️🤦♂️🤔🖖🇺🇸) 1546955451
@PinkNews https://t.co/pahRkkG0q3— Simmy D 💫 (@Simmy D 💫) 1546951035
Acceptance and love shouldn't be conditional upon someone's gender identity.
@PinkNews If you're trans, you don't understand biology. Also, evolution is a lie. --These people, probably— Heather Lockdown 🏳️⚧️⚧️ (@Heather Lockdown 🏳️⚧️⚧️) 1546951243
@PinkNews Seeing churches parading bigotry around like this is atrocious. They are meant to be committed stalwarts… https://t.co/WvmtEf8XNr— Bella Witch (@Bella Witch) 1546948532
The residents of Weed want any members of the LGBTQ+ who pass by the sign to know—their town will not be defined by hate, but by love.
@PinkNews They're right you know- the bible is STILL a collection of short stories written by a bunch of homophobic, misogynistic men— SJR🌈🌊 (@SJR🌈🌊) 1546964149