By Rev. Daniel Miranda
For several years, I have enjoyed Spokane’s Pride Parade from a distance. This year, with the leadership of Spokane Covenant, I was overjoyed to participate fully in the Spokane Pride Parade. The Manito, Spokane Valley, and Covenant United Methodist Churches each participated, showing our faith and support for inclusion in our community. The parade was loud, festive, colorful, and joyful, and I’m running out of adjectives to describe the pride of this year’s Pride event.
The following morning, at a clean-up event, I had the opportunity to chat with some of the board members who planned the parade and events. Two important things I heard brought both sadness and joy.
First, I learned that during the planning of Pride this year, some had asked that churches not be allowed to participate; thankfully, that was voted down! In the second part of that conversation, I learned that nearly half the financial support for Pride events was from churches and religious institutions.
As I said, the first conversation made me sad, and the second made me feel proud of our greater church body here in Spokane. Faith communities have been, and some continue to be, places that have harmed members of the LGBTQIA+ community. And a (thankfully) growing number of faith communities are becoming places that seek to offer support and true welcome.
Our witness matters, and our continuing work to offer truly safe spaces matters. I am grateful that we have an opportunity to seek a better future together.
Rev. Daniel Miranda serves as district superintendent for the Inland and Seven Rivers Missional Districts of The Pacific Northwest Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.
