We just wanted to help queer youth. Then Placer County was turned against us | Opinion
In 2013, six months before I arrived to serve Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Auburn, I learned that a queer member of the congregation’s youth group had taken her own life. The Del Oro High School student had been bullied, she was queer and she had no language for how to reconcile her religious upbringing and her sexual orientation.
Three years later, when I arrived at the Loomis Basin Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC), my first act as senior pastor was to establish The Landing Spot, a non-religious support group for queer youth and their adult caregivers. We thought giving parents a space to process and talk with other parents would be beneficial, and allowing youth to be with their peers and express the difficulties of coming out could be life saving.
Opinion
The Landing Spot was meant to be a gift we could offer to Placer’s Christian community, who lacked the resources, language and courage to support our queer neighbors and youth. Statistics tell us that a child is 40% less likely to attempt suicide if they have at least one accepting adult in their life. As an out gay man and pastor, it was important to me that we offer young people hope by providing them with opportunities to see healthy, thriving queer adults.
Despite our desire to do the right thing, I had no idea just how much courage we would need until February of 2023.
The full force of hate
In the past few years, Placer’s first ever Pride events have had hundreds of attendees, and Loomis UCC has offered widely attended town halls to educate the community on topics such as LGBTQ+ youth issues. I felt we were seeing a huge shift in our cultural climate and making huge strides forward.
Sadly, last spring, my church and I experienced the full force of hate, bigotry and violence.
After previously hosting two sold-out, family-friendly, youth-led drag shows here in Placer County, we needed a larger venue. We were raising money for our second queer youth summer camp and felt it would be appropriate to use one of the local high school theaters to host our next show (at this point, The Landing Spot operated queer support groups on multiple high school campuses).
We requested to use Roseville High School’s theater for our fundraiser. But when our event flier went public, literal hell was unleashed on my church, myself, my congregants and, sadly, even some of The Landing Spot’s young members. The district asked us to move venues for the safety of our staff and theirs as they had begun receiving threatening phone calls and emails from parents and community members furious about our drag show. We changed venues without hesitation.
Local pastors in the community further stoked community rage — individuals I have never met — who spread harmful lies to their sizable congregations about drag performances and the LGBTQ+ community. In response, misinformed congregants demanded that The Landing Spot be kicked off local high school campuses where we connected teens with peers and resources proving life-saving.
Combating transphobia and homophobia
Despite all that has happened, we stand as strong as ever one year later, still committed to being a place of hope and refuge for all people. Our faith compels us to believe that where the religiously apathetic have turned a blind eye to the plight of God’s people, we at Loomis UCC are called to act through acts of radical welcome and inclusion.
Last August, investigations by the West Placer School District and Placer High School District concluded that our organization was a life-saving service.
If there is any danger or threat to our communal well-being, it is caused by institutions that would provoke its mass to unleash havoc on a minority group — Placer’s queer community — while claiming that Loomis UCC and the work we’ve done are inherently dangerous.
How many more lost lives?
Every day our youth have no place to talk about what is happening in their lives in a safe and affirming space is another day a young person feels more isolated — and perhaps pushed closer to suicide. Our silence and apathy to the plight of queer people in our community is inexcusable.
As an act of healing and unification, I invite the community to a candlelight vigil that will be held on Good Friday, March 29, at Loomis UCC at 6 p.m. We will take time to honor the struggle and strength of queer people in our community.
We will have our queer summer camp this year, and we are continuing to raise money to make sure any youth who would like to attend can. In the past year, The Landing Spot has also moved out from under the church and is now its own 501c3 with the help of community members who have dedicated time and financial resources to help us.
We have come a long way, and there still is so much to do, but through your love and support and willingness to challenge your perspective, we all might grow.
Casey Tinnin is the pastor of Loomis UCC and founder of The Landing Spot, a support group for LGBTQIA+ youth and their parents in Placer County.
