The LGBT community and the Christian Church don't have the best history with one another. These two worlds don't often mix without some conflict and more often than not there's a silent pressure to pick a side because, to most people, being both doesn't make much sense. I identify as a member of both circles; I'm an LGBT Christian. And although it's taken me a lot of time to realize it, I refuse to believe that these identities contradict one another.

One of the most terrifying parts about coming out publicly was wondering what fellow Christians in my life would think. I feared their judgement. I assumed that they would think less of me. I figured that embracing my sexuality meant that I would be turning away from the God I'd believed in my whole life. I had fallen for the common misconception that these two worlds wouldn't be able to mix. But after I allowed my sexual orientation to become a part of my outward identity, I found myself growing closer to God.

I've experienced a certain level of agape in the LGBT community that I haven't found in many other places. And for the most part, the Christians in my life have been nothing but supportive of my sexual orientation. No one in my life has directly said to me that their opinion of me has changed in a negative way, and a few Christians in my life have said that they are proud of me for being true to myself. Similarly, identifying as a Christian in the queer community was also something I wasn't immediately comfortable doing.

For many LGBT people, the Church has shown nothing but hatred for our happiness. We're told that our lifestyle is wrong, and as a result our love will send us to hell. I know that there are self-proclaimed "Christians" out there who would prefer that I die rather than love a member of the same sex. And my queer friends know that too. So identifying with the same label that those hate-filled people give themselves is not something that's been easy for me. But I had a conversation with a close mentor of mine and he made me realize something:

The people who are expressing hatred and negativity towards members of the LGBT community aren't practicing the same Christianity, or following the same God, that I believe in.

I refuse to believe that my sexuality and my God contradict each other because they're both rooted in the same cause: love. The God that I know shows nothing but unconditional love. His love is not only for the straight, cisgender folks. He loves us queers, too. He is incredibly proud of me for loving the person that I am because He loves every piece of who I am. And if the person I am loves a member of the same sex, well then God loves that gay piece of me too.