Prayers for a Different Kind of Pride Month

Pride 2025—What’s Changed?

These past several years entering June Pride, I’ve often wondered, “What is the point of this event?” Pride used to simply be a weekend in June. Now Pride is a month long. I also counted on GLAAD’s calendar, another 48 LGBTQ holidays of remembrance. This includes another 31 days in October for LGBTQ History Month.  Apparently, visibility isn’t the problem like it was in my time. Decades later, Pride still seems like a LOT of partying, a place of belonging, dignity and, I imagine, many speeches for those impatient to get to the beer bust.

But this year Pride Month is genuinely different—What’s changed?

Here are just a few current influences:

Shifts in Administration

Since the beginning of 2025 the new administration has issued these Executive Orders regarding Transgender People:

• The government (and government documents) will only recognize two sexes-Male and Female
• Transgender women removed from woman’s sports and prisons
• Dismantling DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives in the government
• Defunding federal monies towards gender affirming care for those under 19

On the Homefront—Denver

• Funding for the 2025 Denver Pride Parade is down 62% from last year. Sponsors and corporations are cutting back or dropping out all-together due to rollbacks of DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) budgets possibly caused by national legislation—Denver 9 News April 10^th 2025
• Bill HB-1312 , also known as the “Kelly Loving Act” expands Colorado’s antidiscrimination laws to include a person’s chosen name and pronouns. Those laws apply to workplaces, schools and other places of public accommodation. Colorado Newsline, May 20^th 2025
• Parent groups sue Colorado officials over transgender rights expansion of anti-discrimination law. Sara Wilson, Colorado Newsline, May 20^th 2025
• Camp IdRaHaJe sues Colorado over new transgender rule which requires accommodation for those who identify as different than their biological sex.

So, what’s happening federally and locally are opposites of one another—one is dismantling previous laws, while the other is ramping up in response.  It’s easy for one’s head to explode as things continue to unfold.

Concerned or Celebrating?

These are just some of the topics and headlines gracing this year’s Pride Month. As well as the World Pride gathering in Washington DC.  Looking over these items, are you celebrating “this is a very good thing” in agreement?  Or is your heart troubled and anxious as various people being affected come to mind? Perhaps it’s a little of both.

My friend circle is wide and diverse in thought, lifestyle and political stance. They too, are navigating the tension between federal and state with equal head explosions. I hear from worried or relieved parents with trans kids—their emotions appropriate to where they land on the belief spectrum.  There are some LGBTQ friends afraid of diminishing rights. Many sincere Christians feel a sense of reassurance with some ongoing concern for how people are treated as laws are enforced.

Meanwhile, where is God’s heart in this chaotic turmoil? A good way to start the search is with prayer. Would it prayerfully be possible to put yourself in the shoes of someone you find very glaringly of the opposite opinion?  My views on gender and sexuality are conservative, especially in the way I am living those out personally. Yet, my heart is expanded by hearing the myriad of fears, concerns, relief and celebration of those around me.  This expanded heart aids in finding the delicate balance of God’s grace and truth, because it’s outside my own echo chamber. It’s a beginning place to pray.

God’s constant heartbeat is reconciliation, and we get to join Him in this sacred work!

“So, from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone the new is here!  All this is from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”  2^nd Corinthians 5:16-18 NIV

Prayers for the Community in June

One couple in our Family & Friends group has started a yearly prayer effort surrounding Pride month and the annual parade here in Denver. A few days before the event, we’ll show up at the park where the parade will begin. In groups of twos and threes we’ll spend about a half hour or so walking around and praying for various things and people surrounding the weekend. Here’s the “prayer acronym” we’ll be using this year.  Will you join us in spirit?

P—Protection of Participants (violence has occurred over the years)

R—Restoration of Relationships (many families are at odds over these issues)

I—Included and Surrounded by Believers (and Jesus)

D—Desire Relationship with Christ (many LGBTQ folks grew up in Christian Homes)

E—Enveloped by Christ’s Love (yes, please)

Roger Jones once wrote an article entitled “Prayers During Pride Month” —he ends this article with a lovely suggestion: “This month, as you see a rainbow flag flying in your neighborhood or in a commercial on TV, I’d like to ask you to pause and pray. Pray for reconciliation in families. Pray for loved ones to be able to truly communicate what is in their hearts and their love for each other. Ask God to intervene in the church, that His purposes will be accomplished and that the enemy’s purposes will be thwarted.”