For as long as I can remember, the church, for me, has been a place
characterized by shame and hurt. I remember Christian high school
friends telling me that I would go to hell for being Queer. I remember
hearing sermons from televangelists about the evils of homosexuality,
and church leaders pressuring youth leaders to cast out their Queer
members. I've heard more talk of "love the sinner, hate the sin," and
"God didn't make gay," than anyone should, and I've even received
personalized hate mail declaring that "God hates dykes."
While
I've never believed being Queer automatically counted me out, I've been
unable to find a church community that I, as a Trans person, could
really call home -- a place I could engage in conversations around faith
and sexuality, faith and gender.
Last fall, a co-worker invited
me to meet with a group of leaders from her church who were working to
make their community more open and affirming. As the Director of LGBTQA
Advocacy and Education at the local college, I suppose I was a logical
choice, though this colleague knew nothing of my lifelong struggles with
faith.
Through talking with these people about their desires to
be inclusive and their belief in God's love extending to all people, I
found my mind re-opening to faith, to God. Because of these
conversations, I realized that it is possible for Queer people to feel
welcome and safe at church. Ultimately, it begins with education and
relationships.
Make the jum here to read the 7 things all churches can do to help make Queer people feel welcome.
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