Monday kicks off 2020& #39;s #Pride Month celebrations. And even though we won& #39;t be celebrating in person this year, I know that our vibrant community will show the strength, beauty, creativity and resilience that have brought us so far over the last 50 years.

That& #39;s right, this is the 50th Anniversary of the first Pride march. I& #39;m grateful to so many who have walked this path before me including @mccsf, this year& #39;s @SFPride Grand Marshal @revjanespahr, my mentor, @revanniesb, @QTheology, @qchristianorg, @geekyJustinLee & so many more.

Just a reminder: When we celebrate "Pride," it& #39;s not the pride that "goeth before a fall." Rather it is the healthy and important pride that is the polar opposite of shame.

Pride is one of the ways we LGBTQ+ people can own our gender identities and sexual orientations as the good gifts that they are and reject the crippling shame that has been heaped upon us by a broken world.

One of the questions I hear from well-intentioned people all the time is "Why do you have to flaunt your sexuality? I don& #39;t go announcing to the world that I& #39;m straight every day."

It& #39;s a valid question, but it has a really good answer. Representation matters, perhaps especially in the church.

I wrote this post last fall, but I hope it can still be helpful as we head into this important month of celebration, remembrance and activism. Happy #PrideMonth2020, friends! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="❤️" title="Red heart" aria-label="Emoji: Red heart">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧡" title="Orange heart" aria-label="Emoji: Orange heart">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💛" title="Yellow heart" aria-label="Emoji: Yellow heart">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💚" title="Green heart" aria-label="Emoji: Green heart">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💙" title="Blue heart" aria-label="Emoji: Blue heart">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💜" title="Purple heart" aria-label="Emoji: Purple heart"> https://mattnightingale.com/we-get-it-youre-gay/">https://mattnightingale.com/we-get-it...