Earlier this week, an Alabama man who was both a pastor and the mayor of his town killed himself. Why? An article had been published online by a website called 1819 News showing Pastor/Mayor Copeland in women’s clothing. Nobody has claimed responsibility for how these photos, taken in his home with his wife, were acquired. The sheriff’s office reported that they had found no connection between the outing and this man’s death. Sure. After the photos were published, Pastor Copeland explained that he did this to relieve stress, and that his wife was fine with it. He then apologized for what he had done. The community is grieving over the loss of someone who seems to have been loved and respected as both pastor and mayor.
I remember when a Colorado mega-church pastor was outed some years ago. The difference is that while Pastor Copeland was minding his own business, the mega-church pastor was actively working to punish people in the LGBTQ community of his state. He was using his power to convince politicians to destroy the very people he belonged to. His secret partner told the world what was going on, and that pastor had to resign. This, however, is far different. This is persecution based on fear and loathing. This is evil hiding behind religion and the press.
I can’t imagine what it must be like for someone like Pastor Copeland; growing up as a person of faith and giving to his community, he was demonized because he liked to occasionally wear women’s clothing. It made him happy and helped him to cope. It hurt nobody. And yet, he was treated like there was something wrong with him. Like so many people in the same position, he was shamed and ridiculed and ostracized. Meanwhile, the same people who abused him support truly bad people. They use their power and authority to reign destruction, rather than bring about wholeness. They use the freedom of the press to foment hatred.
If you are someone like this pastor, please find a community that cherishes you. If you know and care about someone like him, I beg of you, be a safe person for them. There are too many torch-bearing mobs hunting people they are afraid of – people who have done nothing wrong – and we need to be the antidote. Gender and sexual orientation and expression are not binary. There has always been diversity, and that diversity has almost always been defined as wrong, even evil. That kind of bigotry is based on ignorance, warped religion, and power, and those of us who disagree with that kind of judgment need to band together to be allies. Nobody should be alone just because they are defined as different. Nobody who is living their life in peace should be subjected to the fear and loathing of the ignorant. There are some of us who are here for you – there are some of us who care. And God cares too.
Prayer – You, O God, have made us as beautiful creations, uniquely our own people. Thank You. Amen.