You would think, in this day and age when anyone who suggests that a gay or LGBT lifestyle is wrong is universally vilified, that no one would come to a packed public meeting and declare that the homosexual lifestyle is immoral.

However, that definitely turned out not to be the case at the Board of Commissioners Thursday, June 6 meeting, when several speakers from the floor passionately asked the commissioners not to adopt a resolution, brought by Commissioner Brandon Gray-Hill, one that declared June as LGBT month.

Before every regular county commissioners meeting, anyone who wants to speak gets three minutes to state what’s on their mind and, on this night, several speakers spoke against the resolution.

One woman told the board and the large audience that people’s religious liberties are just as important as other liberties.

“We can’t celebrate what is not a virtue,” she said. “The lord should not be mocked. Please understand that people’s religious liberties are important, and in some cases, they feel more important than any other right. If we don’t have a right to worship God with our bodies in the way he intended us to be – then we have nothing. It grieves my heart that you want to champion certain things.”

Another speaker, the woman’s husband, stated. “We have placards up there [on the wall in the commissioners’ meeting room] of the Ten Commandments, the first of which is that you shall have no God before Him.  He’s the one who has prescribed how man should live. We all depend on Him. I, too, stand in opposition to the resolution to make Guilford County residents be a part of this.”

He added that one reason there was so much chaos in the country and in the world was because man has turned away from God, and he said, “Guilford County should not be a part of this.”

He also said, “This is where many residents of Guilford County stand.”

The speaker said to everyone listening who is not living in the way God prescribed, “Repent of your sins and turn to Jesus Christ – He Is Lord and Savior.”

In addition to objections voiced at the commissioners’ June 6 meeting, leading up to that meeting a good number of people posting on social media sites expressed their opposition to the resolution as well – sometimes in an extremely vitriolic manner.

The motion, brought by Commissioner Gray-Hill – who was sporting a rainbow-colored tie that night – called for the board to “Receive a resolution recognizing June 2024 as Pride Month in Guilford County.”

The resolution reads as follows:

“Whereas Guilford County supports the rights of every citizen to experience equality and freedom from discrimination; and Whereas, the County accepts and welcomes people of diverse backgrounds and believes a diverse population leads to a more vibrant community; and Whereas, Guilford County recognizes that all people, regardless of age, gender identity, race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical challenges, make significant contributions to the cultural and economic successes of this community; and Whereas, all Guilford County citizens should be able to live without fear of prejudice and discrimination, and should continue to seek educational and awareness opportunities that champion the civil rights of all people.

“Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved that the Guilford County Board of Commissioners recognizes June 2024 as Pride Month in Guilford County and encourages all residents to respect and honor our diverse community, and to participate in relevant activities that build dialogue, strengthen alliances, and advance the equal rights of all individuals.”

While there were some in the audience and some speakers from the floor opposed to the commissioners adopting the resolution, the commissioners did so unanimously and, when they did, there was loud applause from the audience making it clear that the vast majority of them believed that adopting the resolution was the right thing to do.

Later in the evening, several commissioners commented on the importance of respecting inclusivity in Guilford County.

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