OnePinky sister, Sara, recently wrote this testimony in honor of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month and I wanted to share it with you all:

I like to say that I’m straight, but not narrow. I’m married to a man, but I can appreciate the curves of a woman just as much as I can the broad torso of a man. I might have a crush on Will Smith—but I’ve also had a little thing going for Rosario Dawson for a while (yes, Seven Pounds just made my entire year). And while I’m all for getting married if you want to—or not if you don’t!—for straight couples, I’m completely the same for gay and lesbian couples, too.

In other words, I’m straight but not narrow-minded.

My husband and I think we’re pretty warped people. We are completely in love with President Obama (whom our three-year-old is also smitten with; she even has his trading cards). We believe in science over organized religion—but believe that personal faith, as long as it’s separate from the government, is A-OK. We think it’s cool for boys to kiss boys, boys to kiss girls, girls to kiss girls, and kids to kiss dogs. (But kids shouldn’t kiss turtles. I hear there’s a salmonella risk.)

Why does this have to be “warped,” though? (Besides the fact that it’s a cool word.)

Why do we have to feel so out of place smack in the middle of the Bible belt, attending family reunions filled with country-music crooning and hillbilly hollering and glares and jeers at our bumper stickers and offhand remarks about anyone who isn’t white, straight and a follower of Jesus?

Instead of warped, shouldn’t our views be the norm? More and more states are ratifying gay marriage (what the heck is up with you, California?), and we finally have a President who believes in stem cell research and does not want to overturn Roe vs. Wade.

Yet the only places I can feel really at home with how I feel are online—including www.OnePinky.com.

At OnePinky, my “sisters” all accept everyone no matter their creed, sexuality, color or any other factor. Some of us are Christians; some are rather pagan; some prefer to remain nondenominational. And it’s all okay, because if there’s anything we learn at OnePinky, it’s to love ourselves no matter who we are, just as we are, warts, fat, bi polar, astigmatism and all.

“Live and let live” is what we learn, and that doesn’t apply to just ourselves—it applies to the world at large.

OnePinky.com reinforces the idea of tolerance—and most importantly to ourselves! Acceptance is what we should always strive for, here and now and always.

And we are responsible for owning the loveliness that we are. So it is time that we cease letting anyone make us feel that we are wrong with being who we are.

OnePinky, the community opens the door to talk about religion, politics, and all of the issues that people typically shy away from because of the divisiveness. Why should we fear each other so much? Should we not learn from one another instead, and embrace diversity in all of its beautiful forms?

Let’s celebrate being different. And like we’re learning to love ourselves “one pinky at a time,” perhaps the global community can learn to love each other, one person at a time, one difference at a time, until we reach a climate of peace and acceptance.

How has OnePinky.com impacted your view on tolerance and acceptance? Share your thoughts in the comments.