Posts Tagged ‘Religious trauma’
Stories Of Resilience From Queer Christian Women
After coming out in her evangelical church, Rachel Murr searched for others who have held onto faith after coming out in non-affirming Christian environments. Using memoir, research, and interviews, she wrote Unnatural: Spiritual Resiliency in Queer Christian Women. Here’s our interview with her: 1. What prompted you to research the experiences of queer Christian women?…
Read More10 Transgender Christians Share Their Journey Stories
Today is the final day of Transgender Awareness Week, which culminated yesterday with vigils around the world for Transgender Day of Remembrance. As an ally to the transgender community, I recommitted myself yesterday to ensure that our conversations about equality always include members of the transgender community. For me, part of this means finding ways…
Read MoreA Christian Calling For Transgender Day Of Remembrance
Trigger warning: discussions of transphobia, violence, and suicide. Last week, a friend sent me a news report about an attack on transgender activist Candice Rose Milligan, who lives in Toledo, Ohio. She has been released from the hospital following two surgeries, including one to wire her jaw closed until it heals. It was broken as…
Read MoreWhat LGBTQ People Need To Hear From Christian Leaders
“Sexual orientation is not a sin. Gender identity is not a sin. We are all created in the image of God.” For me, more than anything else—this statement is what I want to hear from our religious leaders. I want to hear the unambiguous pronouncement that people who are same gender loving, bisexual, transgender, non-gender…
Read MoreAriana Grande Is (Another) Wake Up Call For Faith Leaders
Dear religious leaders: When you tell people that God doesn’t love them as they are, they believe you. And then they act accordingly. Namely, leaving your faith community. In an interview with The Telegraph, pop superstar Ariana Grande shared that she left the Roman Catholic Church after her gay brother shared with her that God didn’t love…
Read MoreAmidst Reformation: Our Chance To Change The Church
As an immigrant, a woman, and a person of color, I know what a public show of solidarity can mean in the face of adversity. Ashamedly, there have been times when I did not offer such solidarity to others. When I first became a Christian, I failed to be a public ally to LGBT people…
Read MoreVatican’s Final Report Disappoints; Discussion Indicates Progress
After signs of progress from the mid-term report of the Extraordinary Synod on Marriage and Family, the Vatican’s final report significantly backtracks on LGBT issues from the promising draft. Despite this disappointment, the synod’s process and openness to discussion provide hope for further development down the road, particularly at next year’s synod, where the make-up of the…
Read MoreSpirit Day 2014: How We Can Prevent Bullying
Four years ago, beginning in October of 2010, we in the United States saw a rash of gay teenager suicides—Asher Brown, age 13, in Houston; Seth Walsh, also 13, in California; Billy Lucas and Justin Aaberg, both 15, from Indiana and Minnesota; and Tyler Clementi, age 18, a freshman just beginning his studies at Rutgers…
Read MorePride From The Ashes Of Pain
“Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. And how else can it be? The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned…
Read MoreOne Church, Two Synodal Gatherings
As this blog goes to press, in two cities more than 5,000 miles from each other, flights will be landing, hotels will be checked into, local hosts will undergo a final flurry of preparations as Church leaders gather to pray, deliberate, and work for the future of our Church. In Rome, Italy, this gathering will…
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