The Parade Ends in Death: The Consequences of Pride

A couple of summers ago, Mark Cox, Aaron Sabie, and I stood on the hot asphalt of downtown Indianapolis, Bibles in hand, as the Pride parade marched past. The air was thick with humidity and the smell of sunscreen and cheap perfume. Rainbow banners flapped from every float. Half-naked men waved to the crowd. Mothers held toddlers on their hips, clapping as drag queens blew kisses from the back of trucks.

We were there to preach the gospel. To plead with people who, whether they realized it or not, were celebrating their own destruction.

We stood on the curb, holding out tracts and calling out scripture as float after float passed by. A few people heckled us. Some just smirked and looked away. Others stopped to argue. Almost nobody wanted to talk about what this all costs. What it costs the body. What it costs the soul. What it costs a nation.

But at the very end of the parade, there was one float that didn’t dance or blare pop music. It was a hearse. A funeral home had decided to participate, to show their support, and on top of the hearse was a casket draped in a rainbow flag.

That image stuck with me—more than any of the glitter or slogans. Because if there was ever an unintentional confession, that was it. The parade ends in death.

The Sin That Doesn’t Whisper

Our culture wants to pretend that homosexuality is just another lifestyle. That it’s harmless. That it’s loving. That the only sin is to call it sin. But scripture doesn’t whisper about this.

God has spoken clearly:

You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. (Leviticus 18:22)

Romans 1 calls it “unnatural.” Genesis 19 shows that entire cities were judged for it. Church history—from Augustine to Calvin to Spurgeon—called it monstrous, perverse, and worthy of society’s strongest condemnation.

And yet today, the loudest voices are the ones telling us to be quiet. To soften our words. To hide the truth so no one gets offended.

But the truth is still the truth, no matter how many rainbow flags are draped over it.

The Consequences Nobody Wants to Talk About

Behind all the slogans about love and equality is a long record of suffering and brokenness.

Disease
According to the CDC, men who have sex with men account for about 67% of new HIV infections in America—even though they are a small minority of the population. One in six homosexual men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime.

Syphilis was nearly eradicated in the United States, but it has surged back—almost entirely among men who have sex with men. Gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HPV are all dramatically more common in the same group.

Cancer and Bodily Trauma
Anal cancer risk is five times higher among homosexual men. If they have HIV, that risk increases 46 times. The human body was never designed for these acts, and it shows.

Chronic incontinence—yes, needing adult diapers—is also a consequence many face. The American Journal of Gastroenterology found that men engaging in these behaviors are at more than double the risk for permanent bowel damage.

Mental Health and Early Death
Studies consistently show higher rates of depression, substance abuse, and suicide among homosexuals—even in countries where homosexuality has been accepted for decades.

And no, it’s not just because of “stigma.” The Netherlands—arguably the most affirming place on earth—still reports much higher suicide and mental health problems among homosexual men.

Broken Relationships
The myth of the faithful, monogamous gay couple is just that—a myth. Research in The Journal of Sex Research found that only a small fraction of male homosexual relationships are monogamous for more than five years. Infidelity rates skyrocket.

All of this isn’t just bad luck or coincidence. It’s the predictable consequence of defying God’s design. He made male and female for a reason. When you twist that design, the damage piles up—body, mind, and soul.

The Land That Vomits Out Its People

God warned Israel that if they practiced the abominations of the Canaanites, the land would vomit them out. (Leviticus 18:28)

That same principle holds today. A culture that normalizes what God calls perverse does not remain strong. It doesn’t flourish. It collapses—morally, economically, demographically.

You can see it already. Birth rates are plummeting. Marriage is in decline. Children are catechized by cartoons and corporations. Churches are flying rainbow flags instead of preaching repentance.

This is not a minor issue on the margins of life. This is civilizational decay.

But the Gospel Still Saves

Here’s what you must hear: This sin is terrible, but it is not unpardonable.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality... will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you.

“Such were.” Past tense.

Christ does what no human therapy or affirmation can ever do. He washes. He justifies. He sanctifies. He changes hearts.

I’ve known men who once lived in this sin and now walk in freedom. Married. Fathers. Redeemed by grace.

If you are caught in this sin, there is hope. But it isn’t found in self-acceptance. It’s found in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

A Call to Men

The parade will keep marching. The slogans will keep echoing. The pressure to stay silent will only grow.

But you are not called to silence. You are called to be a man. A protector. A truth-teller.

Your children need you to be clear. Your church needs you to be bold. This nation needs men who refuse to trade conviction for cultural applause.

The rainbow casket is the perfect symbol of what this all leads to—death.

But we are men of life. Men who follow the Author of life. Men who proclaim the truth, even when the world hisses.

So stand firm. Speak plainly. Love your neighbor enough to warn him. And never forget—when the parade ends, Christ will still be King.

Men need truth. Men need courage. Men need Christ.
Build. Fight. Protect. Lead. This is The Patriarchy.