Queer Cafe

"Where did religion go wrong when gay kids grow up fearing god's wrath but racists don't?"
-Danny James, Facebook

"My sexual orientation is not a sickness to be healed or a sin to be forgiven. My sexual orientation is a gift from my Creator to be accepted, celebrated, and lived with integrity."
-ChristianGay.Com

"It is never legitimate to use the words of scripture to promote a loveless agenda."
-Right Rev. Dr. Peter Short, Moderator of United Church of Canada

"The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals. It's just that they need more supervision."
-Lynn Lavner

“Is being gay a sin? No. Sins are acts that separate us from God and keep us from loving our neighbors as ourselves. Being gay is not a sin. Bullying is a sin. Being hateful to other people is a sin. Putting yourself in the place of God to judge others is a sin. Being gay is not.”

-Rev. Susan Russell, Episcopalian Minister

Queer Youth of Faith Day

Brett Trapp: Growing Up Gay in the Christian South

Brandon Kneefel: Being Gay is Not a Sin

Matthew Vines: The Bible and Homosexuality

Dissecting the Catholic Church's Disrespect of LGBTQ People

Soul Force: Sabotage Christian Supremacy

Openly Gay Black Bishop Ordained by Episcopal Church

TED Talk: Christian Musician Jennifer Knapp

33 Moments in 2016 That Proved Religion Can Be a Force for Good

Evangelical Church Welcomes LGBTQ Members

Coming Out to My Conservative Christian Family

100 Methodist Ministers Come Out as LGBTQ

Crystal Cheatham: Lord Have Mercy

TED Talk: Preacher's Kid, Football Player, and Gay

Coming Out to My Mormon Parents

TED Talk: The Bible as a Queer Positive Book

I am a Christian But Also a Very Out Lesbian

Franklin Graham: Gay Christians are the Enemy

John Corvino: What is Morally Wrong With Homosexuality?

Despite Mormon Upbringing: Gay Man Accepts Who He Is

Advocate: Photos From LoveLoud Festival in Mormon Capital

PBS Interview: Religion and Sexuality

Q Spirit: Queer Spirituality

The Biggest Bully of LGBTQ People: Organized Religion

"It took the Catholic Church 359 years to admit that they were wrong when they accused Galileo of heresy and condemned him to death, unless he recanted that the earth rotates around the sun. Since he wanted to live, he was forced to deny the truth and agree with the Church that the sun rotates around the earth, but he was still placed under house arrest until his death. The Church is powerful and has a history of pressuring society and individuals to say and believe what the Church thinks is right. They were wrong then and they are wrong now regarding homosexuality. Let's hope it doesn't take them that long this time to discover and admit their error."
-ChristianGay.Com

"The Scriptures have been misused to defend bloody crusades and inquisitions; to support slavery, apartheid, and segregation; to sanction the physical and emotional abuse of women and children; to persecute Jews and other non-Christian people of faith; to support the holocaust of Hitler's Third Reich; to oppose medical science; to condemn inter-racial marriage; to execute women as witches; to excuse the violent racism of the Ku Klux Klan; to mobilize militias, white supremacy and neo-nazi movements; and to condone intolerance and discrimination against sexual minorities. "
-Mel White, Letter to Jerry Falwell

"Homosexuality was well known in the ancient world, well before Christ was born. Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all his teachings about multiple things, Jesus never said that gay people should be condemned."
-President Jimmy Carter

"There is nothing in the Bible or in my own theology that would lead me to believe that God regards homosexuality as sin. God is interested in our relationships with ourselves, others, the things in our lives, and with God. There is nothing in the mind of God that could be against a loving, sexual relationship, freely entered into, without coercion, among sincere adults whether gay, bisexual or straight."
-Dr. Slayton, Baptist Minister

"Some argue that since homosexual behavior is unnatural, it is contrary to the order of creation. Behind this pronouncement are stereotypic definitions of masculinity and femininity that reflect the rigid gender categories of patriarchal society. There is nothing unnatural about any shared love, even between two of the same gender, if that experience calls both partners into a fuller state of being. Contemporary research is uncovering new facts that are producing a rising conviction that homosexuality, far from being a sickness, sin, perversion or unnatural act, is a healthy natural, and affirming of human sexuality for some people. Findings indicate that homosexuality is a given fact in the nature of a significant portion of people, and that it is unchangeable."
-Bishop John Shelby Spong, Episcopalian

"Our sexual orientation is a given, something we discover about ourselves. Some might say it is a gift from God. How one relates to others (caring or exploiting) is the source of sin."
-Bishop Wood, Episcopalian

"If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise."
-Johann von Goethe

Southern Baptist Convention Expels Two Churches Over LGBTQ Inclusion

The Southern Baptist Convention’s executive committee voted in Feb 2021 to oust two of its churches over policies deemed to be too inclusive of LGBTQ people. The churches expelled for LGBTQ inclusion were St. Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and Towne View Baptist Church, in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The SBC decision to disaffiliate with the two churches was based on their "affirmation of homosexuality," said Albert Mohler, member of Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee. "Anyone who argues that the Bible is not clear about the sinfulness of homosexuality is either very confused or deliberately dishonest about the structure of biblical theology and the clear meaning of the texts."

The pastor of St. Matthews Baptist Church stated, "Nothing in the Southern Baptist Convention's decision changes St. Matthews Baptist Church's deep commitment to carrying out what God calls us to do in our worship and spiritual growth, as well as in ministries to those in need and fellowship within our Church family."

Towne View’s pastor, Jim Conrad, announced that he would not appeal the ouster and plans to affiliate his church, at least temporarily, with The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, which lets churches set their own LGBTQ policies. Towne View began admitting LGBTQ worshippers as members in October 2019 after a same-sex couple with three adopted children asked Conrad if they could attend, a decision he defends as the right thing to do.

ABC News: Southern Baptists Oust Two Churches Over LGBTQ Inclusion

SBC Expels Louisville Church for Openness to LGBTQ Members

Southern Baptist Convention Ousts Kentucky Church Over LGBTQ Inclusion

Guilty as Charged: Southern Baptist Pastor Welcomes LGBTQ Members

LGBTQ Religious Leaders

Gene Robinson - Episcopal Bishop
Mel White - President, Founder of SoulForce

Goddess Kennedy - Activist Minister, Stonewall Vets Chaplain

Denise Eger - Reformed Jewish Rabbi

James Cleveland - Minister, Gospel Singer

Troy Perry - Founder of Metropolitan Community Church

Elizabeth Edman - Episcopal Priest

Horace Griffin - Episcopal Priest, Theologian

Deon Kevin Johnson - Episcopal Bishop

Father Mychal Judge - Catholic Priest

Peter J Gomes - Theologian

Dwayne Johnson - Metropolitan Community Church, Wash DC

Zachary Jones - Bishop
Carl Bean - Archbishop

Desmond Tutu: My God is Not Homophobic

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, famous for his role in ending Apartheid in South Africa, has said that he would rather go to Hell if he discovered that God was homophobic. “I would refuse to go to a homophobic Heaven,” Archbishop Tutu said at the launch of a new LGBTQ global public education campaign by the United Nations Human Rights Office. “I would not worship a God who is homophobic and that is how deeply I feel about this."

Archbishop Tutu, a Nobel Prize winner further remarked, “I can't for the life of me imagine that God will say, I will punish you because you are black, you should have been white; I will punish you because you are a woman, you should have been a man; I will punish you because you are homosexual, you ought to have been heterosexual. I can't for the life of me believe that is how God sees things.”

Interview With Bible Scholar: Has "Homosexual" Always Been in the Bible?

Conservative Christians Issuing Apology for Their Homophobia

Desmond Tutu: I Would Would Rather Go to Hell

Pope Says of Gays: Who Am I To Judge?

Resources: Talking About Homosexuality and the Bible

Pastor Tells Parents to Shun Their Gay Children

Crystal Cheatham: Lord Have Mercy

Support for LGBTQ Equality Act by Interfaith Group

TED Talk: Preacher's Kid, Football Player, and Gay

Interview with Bishop Gene Robinson

Church Offers Free Mom Hugs at Pride Parade

A church in Texas gave away free “mom hugs” and “dad hugs” at a recent Pride parade. Jen Hatmaker, a conservative blogger who was unceremoniously kicked out of the Christian media world because she opposed Donald Trump’s election and supports LGBTQ equality, posted on Instagram about what her “beloved little church” was doing to spread the love at Austin Pride.

"My beloved little church went downtown to the Austin Pride Parade and gave out Free Mom Hugs, Free Dad Hugs, Free Grana Hugs, and Free Pastor Hugs like it was our paying jobs. And when I say hugs, I mean the kind a mama gives her beloved son. Our arms were never empty. We happy hugged a ton of folks, but dozens of times. I’d spot someone in the parade look our way, squint at our shirts and posters, and race into our arms. These were the dear hearts who said: I miss this... My mom doesn’t love me anymore... My Dad hasn’t spoken to me in three years... Please just one more hug. You can only imagine what Pastor Hugs did to folks. So we told them over and over that they were impossibly loved and needed and precious. And we hugged until our arms fell off."

And just like anyone who goes to an LGBTQ space and offers unconditional love, the members of the Austin New Church heard terrible stories. It’s too common for LGBTQ people to have not-so-great relationships with their parents, and too many churches spend time hating LGBTQ people instead of loving them. An open heart and some love can go a long way to healing old wounds.

[Source: Alex Bollinger, LGBTQ Nation, August 2018]

Church Offers Free Mom Hugs at Pride Parade

Loving All God's Children Equally

Queer Youth of Faith Day

Openly Gay Black Bishop Ordained by Episcopal Church

Gay Christian Bradley Birkholz: I Tried to Pray the Gay Away

Christians Must Stop Disguising LGBTQ Exclusion as Religious Freedom

Video Interview: Black, Christian, Lesbian

Interview With Bible Scholar: Has "Homosexual" Always Been in the Bible?

The Biggest Bully of LGBTQ People: Organized Religion

Q Spirit: Queer Spirituality

Catholics Should Accept and Love All LGBTQ People

Believers: Dan Reynolds & LoveLoud Festival

Tony Campolo: Why I Support Gay Marriage

Queer Theology

Coming Out to My Conservative Christian Family

How I Reconcile Being a Gay Catholic

Video: Gay Man Reconciles His Spirituality With His Sexuality

Savage and Insensitive Church Language Must End

Gay Christians: Setting the Record Straight

I am a Christian But Also a Very Out Lesbian

Coming Out to My Mormon Parents

John Corvino: What is Morally Wrong With Homosexuality?

Video Documentary: Journey of a Gay Christian

John Pavlovitz: Open Letter to a Transgender Young Person

Affirming Quakers: Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns

Why Miley Cyrus Quit Church: Non-Acceptance of Her LGBTQ Friends

Cardinal Burke: Don't Invite Gay Couples to Family Gatherings if Children are Present

PBS Video: Religion and Sexuality

Love Worthy

Pope Endorses Same-Sex Civil Unions

Years after he famously responded to a reporter’s question about gay priests with the words, “Who am I to judge?” Pope Francis has made another effort to reach out to LGBTQ people. In Oct 2020, Francis became the first Roman Catholic pontiff to show support for same-sex civil unions, stating in a new documentary that gay and lesbian people are “children of God.” He said, “You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.”

Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, has a reputation for being progressive, despite normally couching his language in vague or convoluted manners. But in a new documentary making waves in Italy, the Pope was much more direct: he supports some rights for LGBTQ people. Nations should recognize civil unions for same-sex couples, he said, because they “have a right to a family.”

This isn’t the first time that the Pope has indicated his support for civil unions while still opposing full marriage equality, but it is the most direct. “Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it,” Francis said in the film, speaking on his approach to pastoral care of congregants. “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered,” he added. “I stood up for that.”

In a 2017 book, the Pope was quoted as saying, “Marriage between people of the same sex? Marriage is a historical word. Always in humanity, and not only within the Church, it’s between a man and a woman… we cannot change that. This is the nature of things. This is how they are. Let’s call them civil unions.”

In a 2014 interview published in Corriere della Sera, an Italian daily, the pontiff suggested the Catholic Church could tolerate some types of same-sex civil unions as a practical measure to guarantee property rights and health care. The pontiff said that “matrimony is between a man and a woman,” but moves to “regulate diverse situations of cohabitation (are) driven by the need to regulate economic aspects among persons, as for instance to assure medical care.”

Marcelo Marquez, a leading Argentine LGBTQ rights activist, said that during that nation’s 2010 debate over same-sex marriage, he received a phone call from the Pope (then Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio), the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. According to Marquez, then Cardinal Bergoglio “told me that he was in favor of gay rights and in any case, also favored civil unions for homosexuals, but he believed that Argentina is not yet ready for a gay marriage law." Francis had led the Catholic Church’s public stance against legalizing same-sex marriage in Argentina while he was an archbishop. At the time, Francis called the proposed legislation “a destructive attack on God’s plan.”

“This is the first time as pope he’s making such a clear statement,” the Rev. James Martin, a prominent Jesuit said. “I think it’s a big step forward. In the past, even civil unions were frowned upon in many quarters of the church. He is putting his weight behind legal recognition of same-sex civil unions.”

[Source: Bil Browning, Advocate Mag and Carol Kuruvilla, HuffPost, October 2020]

HuffPost: Pope Supports Same Sex Civil Unions

LGBTQ Nation: Pope Endorses LGBTQ Civil Unions and LGBTQ Families

Advocate: Pope Francis Supports LGBTQ Catholics

Dissecting the Catholic Church's Disrespect of LGBTQ People

Bishop Gene Robinson

Gene Robinson was the first openly gay bishop in the US Episcopal Church. His ordination as a bishop of the New Hampshire diocese in 2003 divided the global Anglican community. In the US, hundreds of parishes broke away from the Episcopal Church (the US branch of Anglicanism) in protest, forming a new Anglican Church in North America. Bishop Gene Robinson became a symbol of the LGBTQ rights movement and an advocate for equal marriage.

Gene Robinson was born in 1947 in Lexington, Kentucky. As a schoolboy, he began to realize that he might be different. He suspected he was gay but said it was not something to be open about. Bishop Robinson says he had relationships with women but admitted that he was also attracted to men.

He met Isabella Martin during an internship at the University of Vermont. He says a month into their relationship, he explained his concerns about his sexuality. But, never the less, they married in 1972 and he took a job as a curate in New Jersey before they moved to New Hampshire in 1975. The couple had two daughters, Jamee and Ella. In 1985, after seeking counseling, he and his wife decided they should separate. He went public with his sexuality and they divorced.

18 months later, Bishop Robinson began to date Mark Andrew, who subsequently moved to New Hampshire. They married in 2003. In 2014, after 25 years together, they divorced. Bishop Robinson retired in 2012.

Wikipedia: Gene Robinson

YouTube: First Openly Gay Bishop in Episcopal Church

BBC: Profile of Gene Robinson

I'm Sorry: Open Letter to a Transgender Young Person

John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, and activist from Wake Forest, North Carolina. A 25-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—inside and outside faith communities. He wrote this open letter in March 2021.

Dear Friend,

I don’t know your story. I cannot imagine how you feel. I can’t fathom how difficult this road has been for you: the swirling storm of the questions inside your head, the hidden fears you’ve had to constantly keep at bay, the incessant worries about the responses of those you love to your full truth—and to have to endure all of it while living inside a space that does not feel like home.

There’s no way to place myself inside your shoes or your skin and even begin to understand how much it hurts be the target of the scalding hatred of strangers simply for existing, the way that must wound your heart and alter your days and hinder your joy.
That is a reality I’ll never know and I so hate that it is your reality: not that you are who you are but that people are who they are in response, that your inherent beauty is met with such undeserved ugliness.

I just want you to know that I see you, that I am for you, that I am in your corner as you struggle to simply be and to breathe freely and to step fully into the dreams you have for the future. I want you to know that I am fighting for you today as I am able, and that I will keep fighting for you because you are so worth fighting for.

I want you to know that even though it may feel that way inside your head or in your home or at your school—you are not alone. I and millions of other people believe in you and want you to have every opportunity to live this life as the most authentic version of yourself; people who celebrate you fully and support you without reservation. I also want you to know that I am sorry. I’m sorry for the people who injure you with taunts and threats and sermons and laws and fists, because they are somehow threatened by your existence.

That is a reflection of their ignorance and fear, not of your worth. I’m sorry for those who terrorize you in the name of a God they also claim is love. They do not speak for God. They only speak for their bigotry-addled, polluted hearts and for the distorted religion they have inherited from people who failed them. They are strangers to love.

I’m sorry for the silence of people who should have spoken up when you were mocked and made fun of by strangers, when you were the object of jokes spoken in your presence, when your dignity and your rights were used as cheap culture war props of pastors and politicians, when those you counted on for refuge refused to provide it. I know there are difficult days ahead for you, and that these words won’t magically make your worries evaporate or silence the bullies or give wisdom to the hateful people in your path.

I only hope these words can be a companion in the days when the fear feels like it will overwhelm you, when the sadness threatens to swallow you up, when the monsters are prevalent and close, when there seems to be no safe space to simply rest in your truth, when you begin to believe that no one around you sees or loves or believes in you. I see you. I love you. I believe in you. So many people do.

You may not feel that way when you are in your home or when you walk through your neighborhood or when you watch the news about your nation—but the world is so much larger than those things, and one day you will get to experience that wide-open, expansive space and you will do it surrounded by a fiercely loving community that sees and respects you as you fully are. In that day, you will no longer need to strive to feel known and welcomed, you will simply realize that you are.

And one day you will be able to step into the day as all of you, as fully you, without limitation or restraint, you will be home. Until then, please know that I and so many others are standing with you from here and cheering you on; that we will work to change legislation and to renovate hearts and to shout down the bullies because you are worth that.
Be greatly encouraged today.

John Pavlovitz: Open Letter to a Transgender Young Person

Bridging the Faith Divide in the LGBTQ Community

Savage and Insensitive Church Language Must End

John Pavlovitz: If God is Love, God is For Same-Sex Marriage

John Corvino: What is Morally Wrong With Homosexuality?

Christians Must Stop Disguising LGBTQ Exclusion as Religious Freedom

Rabbi Denise Eger

Denise Eger is an American Reform rabbi. In March 2015 she became president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in North America. She is the first openly gay person to hold that position.

While studying to become a rabbi during the 1980s in New York City, Denise Eger started a group for gay and lesbian students, holding meetings far from campus. At the time, there were few prospects for out lesbian rabbis, a lesson Eger would learn personally. No one would hire her. But she found her calling at a synagogue created as a religious refuge for gays, Beth Chayim Chadashim in Los Angeles, the world’s first gay and lesbian synagogue to be recognized by Reform Judaism. It was a road that led her to found Kol Ami, a welcoming and jubilant Jewish community that is open to all.

Since then, the Reform Jewish movement (Eger’s lifelong spiritual home) has undergone a radical transformation on LGBTQ issues and now fully embraces the community.

Eger has been honored for her HIV/AIDS work and is a highly regarded expert on Judaism and LGBTQ civil rights. She is a noted author contributing to anthologies such as “Torah Queeries,” “Lesbian Rabbis,” “Twice Blessed,” and “Conflicting Visions: Contemporary Debates in Reform Judaism.” She wrote the piece “Creating Opportunities for the ‘Other’: The Ordination of Women as a Turning Point for LGBTQ Jews”, which appears in the book “The Sacred Calling: Four Decades of Women in the Rabbinate,” published in 2016.

Wikipedia: Denise Eger

Queery: Lesbian Rabbi Denise Eger

NY Times: Lesbian Rabbi Becomes President of Reform Group

Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation
How Can You be Gay and Jewish?

Rabbi's View: Gay Marriage Does Not Violate Religious Rules

Queer Midrash: Reimagining Hanukkah

What Does Judaism Say About LGBTQ People?

List of LGBTQ Jewish Organizations

Gamal Palmer: Black, Gay, Jewish

List of LGBTQ Jewish People

Keshet

LGBTQ Christian Musicians

Just as there are gay, lesbian, and bisexual people who are Christians, there are gay, lesbian, and bisexual artists in the Christian music industry as well. Among these are Ray Boltz, Jennifer Knapp, Trey Pearson, Vicky Beeching, Marsha Stevens, Jason & deMarco, and Dan Haseltine (lead singer of Jars of Clay).

Coming out of the closet in the Christian music world is no easy task. Being gay is considered a sin to many religious people, so the backlash could be harsh whether coming out to family or the entire Christian music world. And that’s what closeted Christian music artists had to face after deciding to be open with their sexuality. But despite the fear they may face, some of these artists had the courage to speak up in support of the LGBTQ community, whether by coming out or becoming an open advocate.

Trey Pearson: Christian Rock Star Comes Out
Vicky Beeching: Christian Music Star Comes Out

Trey Pearson's New Album: Tribute to Larry Kramer's Legacy

Jennifer Knapp: Righteous Babe

Top Openly Gay Christian Musicians

Christian Rocker Trey Pearson Comes out to Fans

Jennifer Knapp: Gay Christian and Unlikely Hero

Billboard: Tough Road for LGBTQ Christian Artists

Resurrection of Trey Pearson

Christianity Today: Jennifer Knapp Comes Out

Jennifer Knapp on Larry King Show

Vicky Beeching: I Lost My Music Career After Coming Out

Data From GLAAD

--Catholics support marriage equality at 54%, which is higher than the national average.

--Individual Evangelical Christians are consulted in the media at a higher rate than their presence in the population would warrant (34% of media coverage versus 26% of the U.S. population).

--Over half of Roman Catholics consulted in the media presented negative messages about LGBTQ issues, despite the fact that 71% of American Catholics support civil marriage equality and 73% of lay Catholics support anti-discrimination laws that would protect LGBTQ people in the workplace and in public accommodations.

--The mainstream media used far fewer religious voices from Mainline Protestant, Jewish, or other religious sources whose messages were predominantly positive.

--Many faith groups are developing rites and rituals for transgender individuals.

--African-American church leaders increasingly support LGBTQ equality. According to the latest research, fully one-third of African-American Protestants support marriage equality.

--Faith groups have taken the lead in addressing LGBTQ youth homelessness.

--The Orthodox Jewish world is slowly backing away from its fierce opposition to LGBTQ people.

Troy Perry

Rev. Troy Perry is the founder of Metropolitan Community Church, a Christian denomination with a special affirming ministry with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities, in Los Angeles in 1968.

Perry felt called to offer a place for gay people to worship God freely. Perry put an advertisement in The Advocate magazine announcing a worship service designed for gays in Los Angeles. Twelve people turned up on October 6, 1968 for the first service, and "Nine were my friends who came to console me and to laugh, and three came as a result of the ad." After six weeks of services in his living room, the congregation shifted to a women's club, an auditorium, a church, and finally to a theater that could hold 600 within several months. In 1971, their own building was dedicated with over a thousand members in attendance.

Being outspoken has caused several MCC buildings to be targeted for arson, including the original location in Los Angeles. Perry's theology has been described as conservative, but social action was a high priority from the beginning of the establishment of the denomination. Perry performed the first public same sex unions in the United States as early as 1968 and ordained women as pastors as early as 1972. MCC has more than 200 congregations in 33 countries.

Matthew Vines: God Loves Gay Christians

Bridging the Faith Divide in the LGBTQ Community

Video Interview: Black, Christian, Lesbian

Q Spirit: Queer Spirituality

Dissecting the Catholic Church's Disrespect of LGBTQ People

Queer Theology

Coming Out to My Conservative Christian Family

Top 10 Questions About Religious Liberty, Jesus, and LGBTQ People

Christian LGBTQ Group Raising Money for Trans Surgeries

Openly Gay Black Bishop Ordained by Episcopal Church

The Biggest Bully of LGBTQ People: Organized Religion

Coming Out to My Mormon Parents

TED Talk: Preacher's Kid, Football Player, and Gay

I am a Christian But Also a Very Out Lesbian

Savage and Insensitive Church Language Must End

Cardinal Burke: Don't Invite Gay Couples to Family Gatherings if Children are Present

Church Organist Walks Out During Homophobic Sermon

John Corvino: What is Morally Wrong With Homosexuality?

Why Miley Cyrus Quit Church: Non-Acceptance of Her LGBTQ Friends

Queer Youth of Faith Day

21 LGBTQ Muslims Who Are Changing the World

Christians Must Stop Disguising LGBTQ Exclusion as Religious Freedom

Soul Force: Sabotage Christian Supremacy

Interview With Bible Scholar: Has "Homosexual" Always Been in the Bible?

Gamal Palmer: Black, Gay, Jewish

Reaching Out to LGBTQ Mormons

Love Worthy

Buddhism and LGBTQ Issues

The relationship between Buddhism and sexual orientation varies by tradition and teacher. According to some scholars, early Buddhism appears to have placed no special stigma on homosexual relations, since the subject was not mentioned.

One of the differences between Buddhism and other religions is how little emphasis it places on sexuality as a moral issue. While other religions place rules about sexual behavior, marriage, and sexual orientation at the center of their ethical universe, Buddhism pretty much limits its comment to the admonition not to harm others through sexuality. (That’s for lay practitioners, of course. Obviously, there are strict rules for celibate monastics.) The result is that Buddhist attitudes toward LGBTQ people are more a reflection of cultural attitudes than Buddhist philosophy per se.

While traditional Buddhist societies are more conservative, the Buddhist community in the West is generally socially liberal and very welcoming to LGBTQ members. There are prominent gay and lesbian teachers, and most major communities host events, meditations, and retreats specifically for LGBTQ practitioners.

Based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, Buddhism is considered a way of life for more than 500 million individuals across the globe. The fourth largest religion in the world, Buddhism is largely built on concepts that foster individual enlightenment and encourage personal responsibility. It is sometimes described more as a philosophy or psychology than a religion.

Sexual orientation, specifically, was not elaborated upon by Siddhartha Gautama, nor is there any reference or guidance for lay people regarding sexual orientation or same-sex behavior within the Pali Canon, the scriptural texts that hold the Buddha’s original teachings. The Vinyana, a Buddhist text for monks, forbids Buddhist monks and nuns from having sexual relationships with men, women and those of other genders, such as pandanka (interpreted as those with indeterminate sexual characteristics or people who do not conform to sexual norms, such as prostitutes). These textual references do not target LGBTQ people specifically, as everyone within the monastic order is expected to refrain from all forms of sexual relations. This practice is especially common within Theravada Buddhism, which focuses heavily on the monastic tradition.

Zen Buddhism does not make a distinction between same-sex and opposite-sex relationships. Instead, the expectation is not to harm, exploit or manipulate others, which would directly violate the third precept. For instance, Zen Buddhists often refer to hedonism, ascetic masochism and prostitutions as practices that violate the “Middle Way.”

Regarding Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama’s perspectives are complex and evolving. On the positive side, he has publicly condemned violence against LGBTQ people and has been reported to have said, “If the two people have taken no vows [of chastity] and neither is harmed why should it not be acceptable." Yet in a 1997 press conference he commented that “from a Buddhist point of view [lesbian and gay sex] is generally considered sexual misconduct.” Messages from the Dalai Lama have been mixed and somewhat influx. During a meeting with representatives of the LGBTQ community, the Dalai Lama reportedly showed interest in how modern scientific research might create new understanding of the Buddhist texts, acknowledging a “willingness to consider the possibility that some of the teachings may be specific to a particular cultural and historic context."

Overall, it is difficult to qualify Buddhism’s perspective on same-sex marriage, since perspectives vary greatly within the religion. Because of Buddhism’s core theme to attain enlightenment, the path one chooses to take within the religion is largely personal, as is one’s beliefs. Hence, most Buddhist literature indicates that opposition to or support for marriage rights for same-sex couples is a personal, rather than religious, statement.

HRC: Buddhism and LGBTQ Issues

LGBTQ Buddhists: Teachings, Profiles, Conversations

Buddhism and Sexual Orientation

Buddha Weekly: Views on LGBTQ

Gay Marriage: What Would Buddha Do?

Bhante Dhammika: Buddhism and LGBTQ Issues

Religious Facts: Buddhism on Homosexuality

Ethnic and Religious Perspectives

African American/Black
Hispanic/Latino

Arab/Muslim/Middle East

Asian/Pacific

Indian/Hindu/Sikh

Jewish/Israeli

Native/Two Spirit
Diversity/Intercultural

Responses From Clergy

Question: In your opinion, does God regard homosexuality as a sin?

Baptist|Dr. Stayton - Absolutely not! There is nothing in the Bible or in my own theology that would lead me to believe that God regards homosexuality as sin. God is interested in our relationships with ourselves, others, the things in our lives, and with God. There is nothing in the mind of God that could be against a loving, sexual relationship, freely entered into, without coercion, among sincere adults whether gay, bisexual or straight.

Episcopalian|Bishop John Shelby Spong - Some argue that since homosexual behavior is "unnatural," it is contrary to the order of creation. Behind this pronouncement are stereotypic definitions of masculinity and femininity that reflect the rigid gender categories of patriarchal society. There is nothing unnatural about any shared love, even between two of the same gender, if that experience calls both partners into a fuller state of being. Contemporary research is uncovering new facts that are producing a rising conviction that homosexuality, far from being a sickness, sin, perversion or unnatural act, is a healthy natural, and affirming of human sexuality for some people. Findings indicate that homosexuality is a given fact in the nature of a significant portion of people, and that it is unchangeable. Our prejudice rejects people or things outside our understanding. But the God of creation speaks and declares, "I have looked out on everything I have made and behold it is very good." (Gen 1:31) The work of God in Christ says that we are loved, valued, redeemed, and counted as precious no matter how we might be valued by a prejudiced world.

Methodist Church Appoints Trans Deacon

Queer Theology

Church Offers Free Mom Hugs at Pride Parade

Dissecting the Catholic Church's Disrespect of LGBTQ People

The Christian Closet

Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church

Christian Gays

TED Talk: What the Bible Says About Homosexuality

Video Documentary: Journey of a Gay Christian

Loving All God's Children Equally

Openly Gay Black Bishop Ordained by Episcopal Church

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Episcopalian|Bishop Wood - No. Our sexual orientation is a given, something we discover about ourselves. Some might say "a gift from God." How one relates to others (caring or exploiting) is the source of sin.

Judaism|Rabbi Lazar - First of all, I do not know what God thinks. In my opinion, homosexuality is not a sin, but an alternate lifestyle. In my opinion, homosexuality by itself is not immoral. When sex is used to corrupt, for prurient and/or exploitative purposes or selfish reasons or to hurt someone else, this is immoral.

Judaism|Rabbi Marder - The God I worship endorses loving, committed, monogamous relationships, regardless of the gender of those involved.

Judaism|Rabbi Wilson - No, not so long as the behavior is not obsessive, responsible and safe, non-abusive, and the manifestation of a loving, respectful relationship.

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Presbyterian|Dr. Edwards - God does not regard homosexuality as a sin any more than heterosexuality. Sin is a lack of respect or love for God. It is a lack of love or respect for other persons. Whether gay or straight, therefore, one may sin against God or others. But God forgives us when we sin and strengthens us in resisting sin. We are led by God's forgiving love to become more respectful and loving toward God and others, even those we don't "like."

Presbyterian|Rev. Holfelder - No, I do not think that God regards homosexuality as a sin. I believe that one's sexual preference is first and foremost a matter of biology (creation) and only secondarily a matter of choice (responsibility). Since I also believe that all God creates is good, I conclude that human sexuality (not a matter of choice for anyone) is good, whether that sexual expression be heterosexual or homosexual.

Roman Catholic|Sister Ford - Two truths are especially relevant in thinking this through. First we have a theological point. God, the one who has made all of creation, loves and cherishes all creatures without exception. Second, modern psychology shows us that homosexual orientation is set by age five or six. Most psychologists agree that it is not a matter of choice; whether orientation is inborn as some think, or acquired very early, as others say. How then could an all-loving God possibly violate Divine nature and regard homosexuals as "sinners?"

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Unitarian Universalist|Dr. Schulz - I do not believe that God regards homosexuality as a sin. In the first place, of course, I do not believe in an anthropomorphic god who defines or delineates sinful behavior. But even if I did, I cannot believe that such a God would reject any of His/Her children on the basis of their affectional orientations. If He/She did, such a God would not be one to whom I would want to pay homage.

United Church of Christ|Dr. Lebacqz - What god DOES regard as a sin is oppression, injustice, disrespect for persons. This sin, then, is homophobia, gay-bashing, discriminatory legislation toward lesbians and gays, refusal to include lesbian/gay/bisexual people into our churches and communities. To force ANY people, whether for reasons of race, age, or sexual orientation, into a "ghetto." This is a sin.

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United Church of Christ|Dr. Nelson - I am convinced that our sexuality and our sexual orientations, whatever they may be, are a gift from God. Sexual sin does not reside in our orientations, but rather in expressing our sexuality in ways that harm, oppress, or use others for our own selfish gratification. When we express ourselves sexually in ways that are loving and just, faithful and responsible, then I am convinced that God celebrates our sexuality, whatever our orientation may be.

United Methodist|Bishop Wheatley - Of course not! The preponderance of evidence now available identifies homosexuality to be as natural a sexual orientation for the majority of persons. Homosexuality is an authentic condition of being with which some persons are endowed (a gift of God, if you please), not an optional sexual lifestyle which they have willfully, whimsically or sinfully chosen. Certainly one's sexuality (heterosexual or homosexual) may be acted out in behaviors that are sinful: brutal, exploitative, selfish, superficial. But just as surely, one's homosexual orientation as well as another's heterosexual orientation may be acted out in ways that are beautiful: tender, considerate, mutual, responsible, loyal, profound.

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--Integrity USA (Episcopal)

--Jewish Queer Youth

--Keshet Ga’avah: World Congress of LGBTQ Jews (Jewish)

--Lutherans Concerned North America (Lutherans)

--More Light Presbyterians (Presbyterian)

--Muslims for Progressive Values

--Many Voices: Black Church Movement for Gay & Transgender Justice

--Nehirim (Jewish)

--New Ways Ministry (Catholic)

--Room for All (Reformed Church in America)

--Rainbow Baptists (Baptist)

--Evangelicals Concerned (Evangelical)
--Metropolitan Community Church (Independent)

--Affirmation: United Methodists for LGBTQ Concerns (Methodists)

--Reconciling Pentecostals (Pentecostal)

--Unitarian Universalism
--UCC Coalition for LGBTQ Concerns (United Church of Christ)

--Association of Unity Churches (Unity)

--Friends for LGBTQ Concerns (Quaker Religious Society of Friends)
--Seventh-Day Adventist Kinship (Seventh-Day Adventist)
--Soulforce

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Religious Argument

So, you think homosexuality is sinful? And therefore gays should not be allowed to marry? Why?

--Because Jesus says so. Not true. According to the four Gospels in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), Jesus never uttered a word about same-sex relationships.

--Because the Old Testament says so. The Old Testament also says it’s sinful to eat shellfish, to wear clothes woven with different fabrics, and to eat pork. Should we still live by ancient Old Testament laws? If so, have fun living your sexist, chauvinistic, judgmental, xenophobic lifestyle choice. While you’re living your life according to the archaic rules of the Bronze Age, the civilized world will advance and progress without you.

--Because the New Testament says so. The original language of the New Testament (including the Letters of Saint Paul) actually refers to male prostitution, molestation, and promiscuity, not committed same-sex relationships. Paul may have spoken against homosexuality, but he also said that women should be silent and never assume authority over a man. Should modern-day churches really live by all of Paul’s values?

--Because God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. That was when the earth was not populated. There are now almost 7 billion people on the earth. Populating the earth clearly is no longer a challenge.

--Because the Bible clearly defines marriage as one-man-one woman. Wrong. The Bible also defines marriage as one-man-many-women. It also defines marriage as one man with many wives and many concubines. It also defines marriage as a rapist and his victim. It also defines marriage as a conquering soldier and a female prisoner of war.

--Okay then, because the whole idea of gay relationships disgusts me. Thank you for being honest. However, an entire population of people should not have their families discriminated against just because you think gay sex is icky. It’s time for you to grow up.

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