When it comes to wider perception and support of the LGBTQ+ community, many people often turn to public figures and celebrities for support in the public eye.
Whilst some people often feel it is unnecessary for celebrities to openly state their support for LGBTQ+ issues, there is also merit to the fact that having well-known individuals in our media and wider culture that are not only comfortable supporting LGBTQ+ issues, but also advocating and speaking on their behalf whilst having.
However, when it comes to conveying that support in the public conscience, things can get a little muddled and confusing, in very much the same way that people, both in public and private lives, are.
Take, for instance, the discussion around Chris Pratt and his support for the LGBTQIA+ community. The American actor rose to prominence first with his role in the TV Series Parks & Recreation’, before achieving international recognition for his roles in the Hollywood blockbuster films Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World.
Because of these roles, and being a household name, many people feel that it is vital that Chris Pratt’s position on where he stands on these issues is clear to see.
So, where exactly does he stand on these issues? And also, why is there such as discussion in the first place?
In this article, we are going to explain why there are mixed feelings about Chris Pratt’s support of the wider LGBTQIA+ community, and why exactly this conversation was started in the first place.
Controversy Around Chris Pratt & Zoe Church
So, before we go any further into this article, we should probably first explain why exactly Chris Pratt’s support for LGBTQIA+ people has been brought into question by the media.
The beginning of this controversy can be dated back to 2019, when Actor Elliot Page made a post on Twitter, calling out the church that Chris Pratt, an attendee to Zoe Church, located in L.A., for its anti-LGBTQ+ stance.
After Chris Pratt discussed his personal life and his faith, Page would tweet in response to his comments, “Oh. K. Um. But his church is infamously anti-LGBTQ so maybe address that too?”
Page would then go further in a follow-up tweet, stating that as a famous person in the eyes of the media, it was vital for the assurance and, more importantly, the safety of LGBTQ+ people, that his transparency on being tied to an organization that is known for being discriminatory towards people from the LGBTQ+ community is clear. “Being anti-LGBTQ is wrong, there aren’t two sides. The damage it causes is severe.”
Chris Pratt’s LGBTQIA+ Support
So, with the controversy explained, we can now start to look and see if or how much Chris Pratt has shown public support.
The interesting thing to note about Chris Pratt is the lack of controversial stances that he has taken in public discourse, which, up until this point, has helped him to avoid becoming the subject of issues such as this.
Chris Pratt, in response to Page’s comments, would go on to state that whilst he has always been a person of faith, he is also a strong believer in the fact that his faith does not define either him or how he treats others, stating that he believes,”Everyone is entitled to love who they want free from the judgment of their fellow man.”
He has also gone on record stating that while he is a person of faith, he also acknowledges how religion has been used in the past to exploit and oppress other people from many sexual, cultural, ethnic, or racial minorities.
This all paints the picture of a man who, whilst arguably not being a particularly vocal supporter of LGBTQIA+ people, certainly is not comfortable being seen as anti-LGBTQIA+.
Zoe Church & Their Stance On LGBTQIA+
However, if we are on the subject of this controversy, we also need to discuss the church organization that is at the center of this topic.
After all, if Chris Pratt is comfortable associating with a church or organization that does stand against LGBTQIA+ rights, then it casts doubt on whether or not his stance in favor of this community rings a little hollow.
Pratt has gone on record stating that Zoe Church L.A., the church organization in question, is a church that welcomes people from all backgrounds, including LGBTQIA+.
However, Zoe Church itself does not have an official stance on the LGBTQIA+ community on its homepage.
At a time when more and more churches are openly stating their support for these minorities, it does bring into question how openly they support LGBTQ+ people.
There is also the fact that Chad Veach, the church’s founder, and pastor, has produced at least one docudrama, The Heart of Man, that refers to same-sex attraction as a kind of ‘sexual brokenness’, along the same lines as addiction to pornography, which is an anti-LGBTQ+ stance to take.
Whilst some people have noted that a pastor’s policy is not the same as a church policy, Zoe Church is a very young organization, founded by Veach in just 2015. So it is unlikely that their wider stance has changed much from their founder, who still talks at the church.
Plus, Zoe church itself takes a lot of inspiration from the Australian megachurch group Hillsong, which does have a stated stance against LGBTQIA+ people.
Final Thoughts – Does Chris Pratt Support LGBTQIA+ Rights?
So, with all this information out there that we can find, what does this leave us in terms of Chris Pratt’s support? Is he supportive of our rights as both a community and as individuals?
Well, like with many things this complicated, it’s not exactly a simple answer. We cannot know what Chris Pratt thinks of himself in his head or heart.
In public at least, Chris Pratt himself has stated since the controversy began that he believes everyone is entitled to love who they choose without other people casting judgment on them.
This, coupled with his lack of anti-LGBTQIA+ statements or views in the past, suggests that, at least as an individual, he is at least somewhat supportive of LGBTQ+ communities.
However, given the church he attends does seem to at least carry some anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments, and is comfortable being known to go to this church, it does suggest neutrality at best, rather than open support.
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