Today in church, I cried.

Two young ladies (twins – that I do not know) were called up front so we could recognize their high school graduation. Their dad is a choir member at our church. He stood up with them as did their grandma.

I don’t know them…why did I cry?

Because a gay man was able to stand in his predominately “gay church” with his daughters and mom and celebrate their graduation.

It wasn’t that many years ago such a thing would have been unheard of. In the past you would never take your children to a church labeled as “gay” and its highly unlikely you would invite your parents to such a church.

So, why did I cry?

I cried for all of our gay brothers and sisters that didn’t live to see this day.
I cried because we stand on the shoulders of so many people who would not sit and be quiet…we owe them our tears and our laughter.
I cried because we still have to march in the streets to make sure our government knows we haven’t gone away.
I cried because there are days I fear we are slipping backwards.
and…
I cried because there is a generation of young people, following right behind us, that don’t understand what the big deal is…because they haven’t known a time when it wasn’t ok to be gay…I pray they never will.

A father, a grandmother and twin teenage girls…celebrating a high school graduation and I cried.