Churches Show Support For LGBTQ Community On Ash Wednesday

(CBS4) – Several churches in the U.S. are adding a little sparkle to the Ash Wednesday tradition, mixing purple glitter into the ashes that religious leaders spread onto Christians’ foreheads.

It’s called “Glitter+Ash Wednesday”, a movement started by the non-profit Parity in New York.

The gesture is meant to be a show of support for the LGBTQ community – some of whom identify as Christian.

A pastor in the Chicago area says she wants to make sure the Christian message is one of love and tolerance.

“It’s a way for people to say, in kind of a significant way, that we are together, we all dust together, we’re all people together,” said Pastor Samuel Voth Schrag of St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship in St. Louis, Missouri.

Glitter+Ash Wednesday comes as some states consider “religious freedom” bills that opponents say target LGBTQ people.

Ash Wednesday is a ceremonial day when Christians usher in the Lenten fasting season.