Proverbs 17:4-5

Proverbs 17:4-5 A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. ⁵Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished (KJV).

Reflection

The New Living Translation states that those who "mock the poor insult their Maker. There applications in this text for both the straight and gay communities.

Gay people are marginalized members of society. You could say gay people are one of our modern poor groups. When gay people are insulted, God is insulted.

There are poor or marginalized groups in the queer community. Beauty and youth are idealized by gay men. Older men and beauty challenged men are not treated with respect by some people in the gay community. When we insult and marginalize the elderly and the beauty challenged, we insult God. In some queer communities, bisexual and trans-identified people are not accepted as well as gays and lesbians. Any time our words or actions insult bisexual and trans-identified people, our words and actions have insulted God.