Pain births creativity, and it has been my experience, as well as the many others who have felt the trauma of religious abuse, that has inspired All Are Welcome.

Places of worship ostracize the LGBTQ community because of their sexual and gender identities. 40% of homeless adolescents are LGBTQ youth. They are exiled from their homes due to their families’ extreme religious beliefs. There are churches that promote All Are Welcome to worship, and while they welcome into the building, they are not all welcome to being their purest selves. There are conditions that come with being a part of these environments. The rhetoric is misleading for souls who are in need of love and true godly connection. And while the intention feels pure, the result of this system breeds self-hatred in LGBTQ believers.

Places of worship must become more aware of the impact of this teaching. The fruit is poignant and dangerous. Our real job in this world is to pursue and learn the highest form of love, so that we can give it to others. All Are Welcome captures this pain of rejection and the beauty of reconciliation of self.