The first Gender, Sexuality and Faith Forum held in Windsor shared ways local places of worship, schools and homes can create safe spaces for LGBTQ youth.
The forum was a Run for Rocky Legacy Project, in honour of Rocky Campana, a local man who took his own life as he struggled with society’s acceptance of gay youth.
Keynote speaker of the forum Reverend Cheri DiNovo says it's important for youth and everyone in the LGBTQ community to know they can find support in the Christian faith.
"The fundamentals of the Christian faith are love thy neighbour as yourself and that God is love and whoever lives in love lives in God and God lives in them, that a direct quote from first John," says DiNovo.
She says its important for leaders in the faith community whether that be in a place of worship, or in schools to show their support to the LGBTQ community and to keep the youth safe.
"You're dealing with an oppressed minority of the population, that could be our own children in our own churches and our classroom and if we really profess to be loving we will look after them and we will keep them safe," says DiNovo.
Crystal Fach with the Windsor Pride Community Education and Resource Centre says she hopes the forum held Tuesday will help people in the community start conversations about creating inclusive spaces.
"We have a lot of folks who come to us that feel like they have to choose between their LGBTQ identity and their faith and that's something that no one should have to choose. You can have both and you can live within those walks of life equally. But it's just trying to come together as a community and trying to create more of these inclusive and affirming spaces in Windsor and Essex County," says Fach.
She says there are many resources through Windsor Pride to help church communities become more inclusive and many churches that have already opened their arms to the LGBTQ community.