I send this out to friends and strangers, to souls in pain over decisions made by organized religious groups. As you grieve and restructure, remember that religion is not God, rituals are not in fact the true practice of faith, and the errant cruelty of a misguided few cannot overshadow the beauty of love, kindness, and connection to the wondrous diversity of humanity. 

You are who you have always been, and light shines mightily for you, in this world and in whatever realms may lie beyond.