Members of the Church of Freedom in Christ Ministries in the Philippines made a big splash at Manila Pride for their sign and their message of love. They apologized to LGBTQ people for their fellow Christians horrendous treatment of the community in the heavily Catholic country.
Carrying banners that read “We’re here to apologize for the ways that we as Christians have harmed the LGBT community,” church members stood on the parade’s sidelines as part of their “I’m Sorry” campaign.
One man’s sign read “Can we hug you?” and according to CNN, many attendees took them up on the offer of genuine human compassion and love.
“It was so genuine and most of us got teary eyed when we saw them,” said parade-goer Kohlin Lallabban.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
“We do not need the recognition of people but the heart-warming response of those who accepted our sincere apologies motivates and encourages us to continue doing this mission of our church,” the group wrote on their Facebook page. Their “I’m Sorry” campaign is aimed at apologizing for religious persecution of LGBTQ people.
“It was just so empowering to have that kind of support from the very people who shunned us away,” Lallabban said.
