My name is Kristin Rice (she/they), and I have the privilege of serving as the pastor for Purdue Lutheran Ministry, one of the IK Synod campus ministries.
I was in my mid-30s when I came to recognize that I had an identity in the LGBTQIA+ community. For years I felt like I was lost in a world that values intimacy and romantic relationships, experiences that eluded me. When I realized that there was a growing recognition of people like me, the A had been reclaimed for asexual or aromantic as an orientation (often referred to simply as ace/aro). Like all of the orientations, A is a spectrum of experiences and if you’d like to learn more, please visit www.asexuality.org or check out any of the books in this collection from the Indianapolis Public Library.
The first time I went to a Pride event, and I saw the Ace flag at a booth and instantly felt like I really belonged. Then I saw someone much younger than me with an Ace flag wrapped around them like a superhero’s cape, and I was so proud of them for already having a way to name their experience and identity. I hoped it would make their life feel a little less mysterious.
While taking time off of rostered ministry, I sought out an RIC congregation where I was living. But I didn’t expect to walk into the narthex and see on a table at the sanctuary entrance, a whole bunch of flags representing many of the LGBTQIA+ identities --- including an Ace flag. It surprised me how much I felt so deeply moved to see my identity recognized among all the others, especially in a Lutheran church.
Fast forward five years later, and I find myself visiting West Lafayette for a weekend as I interviewed for this call I now serve. As I walked up to the PLM “Little Yellow House”, I saw clearly in the windows a collection of small pride flags. Though PLM is not (yet) an RIC ministry, in many ways, it is a ministry that already practices the work of inclusion and celebration for Purdue students of the LGBTQIA+ community.
The simple act of displaying a group of flags brings so much meaning and purpose and community identity. It is for us at PLM an outward sign that we are a community of faith who intentionally care for and welcome people who may otherwise feel lost or marginalized or hurt. There have been a number of students who have come into our Little Yellow House looking for someone to talk to, and they trusted we were safe because they saw a flag that represents a part of their identity.
I encourage you to think about what symbols you have around your home or congregation. If you didn’t know there were multiple Pride Flags, an easy Google Search will open up a wider world for you to learn and offer an even wider welcome to your neighbors and friends who need to know where they may feel safe.
