If you are navigating your queer identity and your religion, I want you to know that you are seen, appreciated and loved here – exactly as you are.
Normally, resource lists for LGBTQ+ people consist of organisation names and contact details, and maybe a sentence explaining their work. In this resource list, I’m sharing 3 helpful articles that you might like to read on your journey.
Navigating LGBTQ Identities and Religion by The Trevor Foundation
This medium-length article is set up like a question and answer. It reminds me of an agony aunt column in a newspaper, but better! The Trevor Foundation has taken a statement from a young Catholic girl who is questioning her sexuality.
It breaks her complex concerns up into three commonly relatable questions with three separate answers. Each answer is lengthy and informative. They include encouragement, well-researched facts, and links to access helpful resources that respond specifically to the problem at hand.
This Q&A format is great because it feels like a conversation with a friend. It also teaches us a good technique to break problems down into their separate elements to address them more calmly.
Click here to read the article "Navigating LGBTQ Identities and Religion".
10 Reasons God Loves Gay Christians in The Times
Matthew Vines is the author of God and the Gay Christian and is the founder of The Reformation Project, a Bible-based non-profit organization that seeks to reform church teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity. In his article featured in The Times, Vines gives 10 well-researched reasons why he believes God loves gay Christians..
For example, in his first reason, he points out that the term homosexual didn’t exist until the late 1800s. Therefore, the Bible, which was written 3000 years ago, could not possibly have said that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. This proves that Bible-backed hate is based on new, less accurate Bible translations.
If you want to read 10 solid reasons why it's okay to identify as both LGBTQ and religious, I think you’ll really enjoy this article.
Click here to read the article "10 Reasons God Loves Gay Christians".
LGBTQ+ Theology 101 by Q Christian
This article will take you longer (not that long, don’t worry!) to read but it's fascinating and full of great guidance and information for those who want to learn more about LGBTQ+ theology. After giving a brief overview of the concept, it dives into 8 common questions about the relationship between queerness and theology.
It gives in-depth definitions of affirming and non-affirming theologies and some advice on how to read the Bible. It then deep dives into a few Bible verses and how different theologians have unpacked those verses. It introduces the concept of “Clobber Verses” which are the verses used as ammo in anti-LGBTQ+ conversations.
There is also guidance for pastors and parents who want to learn more about supporting their LGBTQ+ congregants and children respectively.
Click here to read the article "LGBTQ+ Theology 101".
Bonus resource: My cartoons
I draw a cartoon every single day – many of them dealing with the relationship between Jesus, the church, and LGBTQ. If you want to see art that will help you laugh through the pain and help you see that what you are experiencing is relatable to an entire community, follow me on social media. You might even make some new friends.
Click here to visit my Instagram.
Thank you for reading my list of helpful resources for those navigating their relationships with Christianity and their LGBTQ identity. I hope that these articles help you feel more supported on your spiritual journey.
Remember, it doesn’t matter how your relationship with religion turns out. What matters is how you feel about yourself. If religion makes you a better version of yourself, great I’m happy for you! And if it makes you feel shameful or sad, good riddance.
If you are looking for a list of organisations you can reach out to, please see this list from the Human Rights Campaign. Its got resources for multiple religions from Christianity to Islam.
