BLOG BELLA

Me & Tom Bridegroom on his birthday

I kiss my fiance when I come home. I fall asleep with him in my arms. I hold his hand when we go hiking. If he was taken from me it would hurt. If he was taken from me and I wasn’t allowed to attend his funeral because his parents didn’t approve of our relationship that would hurt even more. That’s what happened a day ago to my friend Shane who was not allowed to attend the funeral of the man he’d been with for six years who’d died suddenly at the age of 29. His partner, Tom Bridegroom, was laid to rest in Knox, Indiana, where Tom’s father banned Shane from the services. Mind you, Tom’s father is allegedly Christian and took great issue with his son being gay. I grew up allegedly Christian as well, with my bearded dad who loudly voiced his own anti-gay sentiment while also preaching Jesus’ love.

Which made me wonder, how many times in the Bible does Jesus say to mistreat gay people? None, of course. Jesus, who Christians believe to be God’s own son in human form, himself hung out with people considered the lowest form of sinners such as prostitutes and tax collectors, to show love, humility and mercy. Which inspires me to be compassionate towards Tom’s dad, who in his own state of grieving for his lost son, ostracized the man his son loved most in the world, while also completely ignoring one of the main two things Jesus wanted to get across.