How Should Christians Handle Pride Month?

Every June, our culture enters into what is now widely recognized as Pride Month—a time when LGBTQ+ identities, experiences, and rights are publicly celebrated. For many Christians, this month can feel complicated, even disorienting. There’s a tension between what the Church teaches about human sexuality and the messages being promoted in the broader culture. So how should Christians respond?

Let me start by saying what the response probably shouldn’t be.

It shouldn’t be an opportunity to post condemning social media rants. I’ve seen plenty of those already this month—angry, sarcastic, and self-congratulatory posts that seem more about scoring rhetorical points than showing the heart of Christ. I read some of them and wonder, “What good do they really think this is doing?” No one has ever moved closer to love or understanding because someone insulted them online. No one has ever softened their heart in response to mockery.

We have to remember: snark isn’t a fruit of the Spirit.

In fact, I would argue that in most cases, there doesn’t even need to be a “response” at all. For many of us, Pride Month doesn’t directly impact our daily lives. You don’t have to respond just because someone posted a rainbow flag or attended a parade. If your first instinct is to debate, critique, or draw lines in the sand, pause. Ask yourself what your goal is, and what posture you’re taking. If it’s not love, it’s not from Christ.

But that doesn’t mean we stay silent out of fear or apathy. It just means we begin with a better question.

Instead of asking, “How do I fight back?” or “How do I correct them?”—what if we asked, “Why are they celebrating this to begin with?”

The truth is, many LGBTQ+ individuals carry deep wounds. Rejection. Isolation. Shame. For some, Pride Month is not just a celebration of identity—it’s a survival mechanism. It’s a way of pushing back against years of being told they’re not wanted. It’s a declaration that they matter, even if they’ve never heard that from their family, their community, or their church.

It’s no surprise that suicide rates among LGBTQ+ youth are heartbreakingly high. That fact alone should move Christians not to indignation, but to compassion. If someone is celebrating Pride, chances are they’ve walked through real suffering. Their story—whether or not you agree with the choices in it—is still a human story. A story marked by longing, searching, and sometimes deep pain.

So what should our response be?

Surprise them with love.

They may be expecting a fight. They may be bracing themselves for judgment. But what if they got kindness instead? What if you looked them in the eye, saw their humanity, and treated them with dignity—without compromising your convictions?

What if your presence reminded them that they are fearfully and wonderfully made, just like you? That they are more than a label, more than a headline, more than a theological debate?

Jesus saw people. Not just their sins, or their choices, or their rebellion—but their worth, their wounds, and their potential to be restored.

Pride Month doesn’t have to be a battleground for Christians. It can be a moment to live out what we say we believe: that every single person is made in the image of God. That grace is real. That love is stronger than fear.

So no, you don’t need to post that hot take. You don’t need to win the internet. You just need to be a living witness of Christ’s compassion—the kind that meets people where they are, and treats them like they matter.