A Queer Pilgrim

The Scripture is simple and clear. Jesus welcomes children. Period. Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs” (Matthew 19:14).  This includes transgender children. It includes children with disabilities. It includes children of all nationalities and ethnicities, and children from various socioeconomic backgrounds. It includes children of various sexual orientations. Jesus was inclusive of all. He welcomed children of sheep herders and people who fished and children of the wealthy elite. All children were welcomed. Then why are Jesus’ followers today trying to restrict which children are welcome, and which aren’t?  Fact: there are 44 (!) states with anti-trans legislation pending before them. Just because state legislators want to deny children care and healthy ways of dealing with their feelings about who they are in terms of gender assigned at birth does not mean that their law...

When I worked in higher ed over the years, and when I was in the closet, my energies were spent trying to hide, as well as writing and teaching and attending meetings as a member of the faculty.   Being in my gay closet took an enormous amount of time and energy, and some times money. Closets consume energy, time, and money with no guarantee of protecting the person within the closet, but, ultimately, hurting, if not destroying, the person in the closet.  But there is this second “layer” of people who are non-LGBTIQIA2S+ allies, who are protecting other non-LGBTQIA2S+ allies, in private, church related colleges and universities, who are losing positions and jobs because they support LGBTQIA2S+ people in general. This is what is happening at Point Loma Nazarene University, in which the dean of the school of theology, Dr. Mark Maddix, was fired for supporting an adjunct professor, Melissa Tucker, who supported LGBTQIA2S+ people. No one in this story is L...

Reporter Bob Smietana of religionnews.com posted an article based on research that shows that younger members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community have little to no interest in religion.  I am not surprised. Sad, but not surprised. Religious communities (leaders and congregations) have done their best to send out either a confusing message, or have down-right abused and neglected LGBTQIA2S+ young people, as well as those who are older for generations. Yes, some religious communities are now more welcoming and affirming, but the majority are still hesitant to welcome those of us who are queer. How can we, in the Church, be surprised by the disregard that LGBTQIA2S+ feel and think towards religious communities, when we have watched and heard that homophobic bigotry from our leaders and congregations for so many years? The research was conducted by Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), and gathered more than 22,000 survey participants in all 50 states in 2022.  This is what...