The PRIDE of a Father

Sunday, June 21, 2026 - Third Sunday of Pride Month

The Rev. Iva Joyce-Miesse

LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith

LOVEboldly Board Member

Quote

“And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’”

Matthew 3:17 (NIV)

Devotion

Each year as the third Sunday of June arrives, two observances come into a unique focus and juxtaposition within my consciousness. Both are, at their core, about identity and belonging—one celebrating the freedom to live openly as an LGBTQIA+ individual, and the other honoring the deep bonds and responsibilities of parenthood. And, for many Queer people, this convergence can stir a mix of gratitude, hope, longing, and grief. PRIDE invites us into authenticity; Father’s Day can remind us of the relationships where authenticity was, or is, risky, complicated, or withheld. Holding the hands of each of these truths simultaneously reflects an understanding of God’s expansive love and the call to reconciliation.

Within the Episcopal tradition, my faith teaches me to look for the Image of God—the Imago Dei—in every person, including every father and every child. To be made in the Image of God is to be created for relationship, for mutual recognition, and for love that does not evaporate when challenged. PRIDE, in this sense, becomes not just a celebration of identity but also a sacred act of telling the truth God already knows about us. Father’s Day, then, becomes an opportunity to reflect on how relationships can grow, heal, or be reimagined in light of that truth.

Many Queer people carry two simultaneous stories about fathers: the story of what has been, and the story of what could be. Some have fathers who embrace them fully, becoming living icons of God’s unconditional love. Others experience distance, misunderstanding, or even rejection. Still others find fathers embodied in unexpected places—godparents, mentors, clergy, elders, or the “fathers” we choose in the Queer community who stand by us when biological ties fray and unravel.

During PRIDE, there is an acute awareness of how much healing is still needed between Queer children and their fathers. But, in the same breath and because of my faith, there is a deep hope that reconciliation is possible—not always in the form of restored relationships, but in the restoration of dignity, peace or self-worth. Even when a father cannot understand a child’s identity, we have a God that stands in that gap with a love that does not falter. In this sense, PRIDE then becomes a way of reclaiming the truth that we are beloved, even when human love feels imperfect or withheld.

As Father’s Day approaches during the bright colors of PRIDE month, we hold both celebration and lament, both memory and possibility. In the end, PRIDE and Father’s Day together remind us of this truth: that love—true, generous, courageous love—is always bigger than fear. And in that hope, we find courage to keep living, healing, and belonging.

Reflection

1.    Who are your father-figures?

2.    Where can you make room in your heart to hold the hope of reconciliation within the definition offered, above?

Action

1.    Text, email or call this father-figure with a note of gratitude

2.    Pray the following prayer: Holy and Merciful God, I pray this day for fathers learning to understand their Queer children, for children healing from the wounds of misunderstanding, and for the communities who step in as spiritual parents for those who need them. May we and all we encounter continually widen the circle of love, to see each other as God sees us: wholly, tenderly and without condition—the Imago Dei. Amen.