In the post, Summerside Community Church invited followers to a webinar on June 17 that offers “practical tips for parents and grandparents to protect children from what happens during Pride Month.” The event included an interview with the pastor of BC. Kevin Cavanaugh by Wilna Van Beek, author of When Gay Comes Home, who describes her journey against her same-sex attraction by embracing Jesus. Stephen MacIsaac is a member of PEI’s LBGTQ community and has attended Summerside Community Church for several years. He said he was shocked and hurt by the post. “The post that they shared on Facebook is very homophobic in my eyes and leans very much towards conversion therapy,” MacIsaac said. Conversion therapy refers to practices that seek to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual, change a person’s gender identity to cisgender, or change their gender expression to match the sex they were assigned at birth. It has been banned in PEI since 2019 and became illegal in Canada in 2021. “I’m disappointed, you know, that the church leaders that you look to and go to when you need somebody, some comfort — knowing that’s how they see myself and everybody in the community is very disappointing.” MacIsaac said. This post from Summerside Community Church, about a June 17 webinar offering tips on how to “protect” children during Pride Month, has since been removed from public social media channels (CBC) MacIsaac has been sharing his own message of love and acceptance on his social media pages since the post — and even made a shirt to promote that message while out in the community. The t-shirt reads ‘LGBTQ+ or Straight, Jesus Loves All’. He said he is now looking for a new church to join where he will feel welcome for who he is. “If I’d realized that’s how they view people in my situation, I would never have gone to that church,” MacIsaac said. “They can apologize, but I still know how they feel. So they’d be wasting their breath. I’m not coming back.”

“We trust God’s plan”

A leader at Summerside Community Church is not apologizing for the post, which has since been removed from the church’s website and social media. Pastor Tracy Linkletter told CBC News that the purpose of the webinar was to provide a space to discuss sexuality and gender from a Christian perspective. She said everyone is welcome to attend her church. “We’re Christians, so we trust God’s plan for sexuality and gender,” says Pastor Tracy Linkletter, seen in a photo posted on Summerside Community Church’s website. (Summerside Community Church/website) “We understand that, you know, people come from different walks of life. We understand that,” Linkletter said. “But we also understand that, like, we’re Christians, so we trust God’s plan for sexuality and gender. And that’s his plan. But we welcome everyone to hear the life-saving and life-changing message of Jesus.” Linkletter did not specify what she meant by “God’s plan for sexuality and gender,” nor did she share her church’s views on conversion therapy. “There is so much surrounding the topic of conversion therapy that I would prefer not to comment further,” Linkletter said. He said the church has received mixed feedback about its post about the event, and understands that some people — including those outside its church community — are not happy with the post. We always say, “There are many churches, and we encourage you to find a place where you feel safe and at home.” This is very important to us.- Pastor Tracy Linkletter When told that at least one member of her congregation plans to find a new place of worship, Linkletter said that sometimes that happens. “We’re an open community, we’re a loving community, and we recognize that people, you know, at times, you know, may realize that this is not the right place,” Linkletter said. “And we always say, ‘There are many churches, and we recommend that you find a place where you feel safe and feel at home.’ That’s very important to us.”

Confusion and worry

For Scott Alan, youth program coordinator at PEERS Alliance, a group that supports members of the LGBTQ+ community, the tone of Summerside Community Church’s post caused some confusion — and concern.
“We were wondering what they meant, you know, ‘how do we protect the children,’” Alan said. “What do you think Jesus would do?” asks Scott Alan, youth programs coordinator at PEERS Alliance, a group that supports members of the LGBTQ+ community. “Would he cast the first stone? Or would he love and accept our community as we are?’ (Jessica Doria-Brown/CBC) “They are more than welcome to have their beliefs. What worries us most is when they start pushing those beliefs on society and making us all try to follow their personal rules and beliefs. We just like to let people to be who they are and express themselves freely and openly and celebrate that,” Alan said. He said it’s disappointing to see a church imply that children need protection from a celebration of different racial identities. “I always grew up believing that church was a place where people experienced love, community and acceptance. So to see the complete opposite of a church is a bit upsetting,” Alan said. He pointed out that a recent article in the Canadian Medical Journal reported that youth who are transgender and queer are five times more likely to have suicidal ideation than youth who are not. They are also much more likely to attempt suicide, the article said. It’s vital to have safe spaces where people are celebrated for who they are, Alan said. “What do you think Jesus would do?” said Alan. “Would they cast the first stone? Or would they love and accept our community as we are with the hope that the Holy Spirit would work through us? And that’s literally what I would ask of them,” he said.

How to get help

If you are thinking about suicide and need immediate help, or know someone who needs immediate help, here are some resources.

Children’s Helpline: 1-800-668-6868 or send a message through their website. Suicide Prevention Lifeline Canada: 1-833-456-4566 or text (45645) PEI Helpline: 1-800-218-2885.