By Colette Aikema

A few weeks ago, I looked out my back door at the busy traffic behind our new home. Suddenly, all I saw was hundreds of people journeying through this life alongside me, each bearing the image of the Divine, yet so far removed from my Savior and myself. A question gripped me then and did not let me go; “How many unbelievers do I know by name?”

A few days later I came across a Facebook ad for the fifth time, an ad for a fashion show fundraiser put on by several prominent members of the LGBTQ community in Lethbridge. As I looked at the ad God convicted me clearly and instantly—I needed to get to know my queer neighbors. That meant I needed to find out several things. First, I needed to know what trans people value. For example, if I were to ask them about their hopes for their kids’ futures, how would their answers differ from mine? My heart overflowed with God’s love for these wandering ones, and as an act of obedience I decided to visit the LGBTQ culture to see what I could learn.

The fashion show I attended was organized to raise awareness about harm reduction surrounding HIV/AIDS. While there I gathered as much literature as I could, opting not to take the graphic flipbook stocking stuffer demonstrating “sexy (and safe!)” condom use for both straight and gay couples. I learned a lot about HIV/AIDS and what a terribly destructive disease it is. I learned about what harm reduction looks like from the LGBTQ perspective, and much more than I had hoped about gender-inclusive words for genitalia.

I arrived at the LGBTQ fashion show not knowing what to expect, but as I mingled with hundreds of people for whom this was simply another fundraiser among many (a typical university crowd), I was struck by the superficial normality of it all. Another thing I learned that day, amongst the members of the LGBTQ community my ordinariness stood out. I have only felt blatantly exposed as a minority once before, when my very white friends and I attended a Black Baptist church in Miami. I realized the exposure that I felt was something trans people feel every time they go out their door. I think such empathy crises are generally healthy experiences, and I encourage everyone to seek them. 

The program was better than I expected. I was captivated by the amount of laughter and the irresistible escape that any drama can offer, but most of all I saw this; everyone around me genuinely enjoyed seeing individuals come alive in unexpected ways by pretending to be someone else. That is something I think the child in each of us can relate to.

My goal with this post is not to give answers or responses designed to “fix” trans people, or to try to refute all the misconceptions and lies about the “straight” world that were promoted at this event. Instead, I want to encourage all of us to open our hearts’ doors to our trans neighbors and try to see what they see. I believe that instead of expressing fear and disgust toward these fellow human beings, we need to open our hearts to them, to serve them and, where possible, develop genuine friendships. Is this not the very definition of God’s love? Is this not the very thing Jesus did for all of us when he emptied himself of heavenly glory and became one of us in order to make God’s love concrete?

Let’s face it. We have more in common with our LGBTQ friends than we might think. Every single trans or homosexual person is a son or daughter of Adam bearing in themselves the image of God. But like Adam, and like me, they are sinners who need the grace of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Their trans-gender lifestyle has become their particular expression of the same fallen nature that afflicts each of us. But, like all sinners, they can be forgiven and healed through faith in the Saviour we proclaim. Let’s learn how to journey alongside these precious souls like Jesus did with the first disciples, never compromising our commitment to truth and purity, but always empowered by the love of our Lord for lost souls. 

The next time you are in a public space and want to start a conversation with someone “different” remember this: it only takes a few friendly questions to show interest in someone else’s life and what they value. If a door seems to open, start with the basics and follow God’s lead on sharing the Gospel. Sometimes a simple, ‘May I pray for you?’ or ‘Do you know who Jesus is?’ is all it takes for barriers to come down and a meaningful relationship to begin. Never forget, God can change the trajectory of a person’s life through simple conversations. We should thank Him for that!