Lived Experience Forum

[BlueTrane]

Easter often serves as a poignant reminder of the dichotomy experienced by many within the LGBT community, particularly those with Christian family members who may not fully accept or embrace them. However, a heartening global trend is emerging amidst this struggle: an increasing number of churches are extending their arms to welcome LGBT individuals and foster inclusion and acceptance within their congregations.

In Australia, this inclusive movement within Christianity is gaining momentum, with several denominations and churches embracing LGBT members. Among them are:

1: Uniting Church in Australia: The Uniting Church has been at the forefront of progressive social stances, including advocating for LGBT rights and inclusion within its ranks.

2: United Ecumenical Catholic Church in Australia: This independent Catholic denomination is inclusive, welcoming people of all sexual orientations and gender identities into its faith community.

Metropolitan Community Church: Explicitly established to cater to the spiritual needs of the LGBT community, the Metropolitan Community Church provides a safe and affirming space for worship and fellowship.

3: Religious Society of Friends (Quakers): Quakers have a long history of championing equality and social justice, and many Quaker communities in Australia actively affirm and support LGBT individuals.

4: Baptist Church of Australia (Some Congregations): While the Baptist denomination as a whole may vary in its stance on LGBT issues, some individual Baptist congregations in Australia have taken steps towards including and affirming LGBT members.

5: Universal Church of Love, Peace & Equality Inc.: This independent church stands firmly on the principles of love, peace, and equality and extends a warm welcome to individuals of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

These churches represent beacons of hope and progress within the religious landscape, offering sanctuary and belonging to those who have often felt marginalized or excluded within traditional Christian communities. As they continue to embrace diversity and advocate for equality, they pave the way for a more inclusive and compassionate expression of faith.

[NatureLover]

This is fantastic, @BlueTrane ! I didn't know. What an incredibly useful post, thank you so much 🙂

[D1ng0]

TW: Religiously-sanctioned homophobia, biphobia, lesbophobia, transphobia, etc.

I have a lot of complicated feelings about this post, particularly the line, "While the Baptist denomination as a whole may vary in its stance on LGBT issues".

Lesbians, bisexual people, gay men, trans and gender-diverse people, and others with varying sexual identities... we aren't "issues". That language alone betrays the risk that we, as people, take when we engage with religious groups such as these. We are reduced to being an issue rather than a human being, and that in itself is deeply bigoted. We are born this way. We do not choose to be LGBT+. It is as inherent to our identities as our ethnicities. In much the same way that a person's ethnicity should not be called an "issue" which a church has a stance on, a person's LGBT+ identity should not be labelled that way either.

I would be very, very careful advising LGBT+ people to approach any baptist church hoping to be embraced. Going to the baptist churches western australia website leads to this delightful document; key questions surrounding human sexuality, where it is explicitly stated that living one's life as a homosexual is a sin if you dare to have a partner or engage in "homosexual practice", and the church urges such people to "leave their sin". (There is plenty of vile homophobic, transphobic, biphobic logic in that document, so proceed with caution.) That document was written in 2015 and was re-uploaded to the website in 2021. Conversion therapy is alive and well in this country. Please folks, be careful.

I have heard good things about the Quakers, and I have a non-binary friend who has found solidarity and spiritual enlightenment through that community, but broadly speaking... all LGBT+ people on this forum should take "accepting" churches with a grain of salt at the very least. Please look deeply at a church environment before you put yourself in the vulnerable position of entering its community and taking in its teachings, especially if you experience mental illness.

Plus, in many "accepting" religious environments I've encountered, acceptance does not translate to comfort or actual human connection. Just because a religious group is accepting does not mean they will be open to you discussing your partner, your transition, your innermost feelings, or your family. As that repulsive document says; "acceptance does not mean agreement with or affirmation of every part of another person's beliefs, conduct, attitudes, decisions etc. In fact, the gospel calls every one of us to forsake beliefs, behaviours, conduct, attitudes and decisions that are contrary to god’s will for our lives." That document, a supposedly "accepting" one, calls for LGBT+ people to undergo conversion to being cis and straight, because otherwise we are bad, lesser, and sinners.

I love parts of this post, I truly do, but what myself and my community members have been through is too traumatising to skip over. And the threat that the baptist church, and the christian church more broadly, poses to vulnerable LGBT+ people has to be taken seriously. It is deadly serious. The fact that there are genuinely affirming, safe, and humane church spaces which do not prioritise one type of person above other types of people is a beautiful thing, but that doesn't negate the extreme risk which also exists for us.

[BlueTrane]

@D1ng0 

Thank you for your information. I tried to be as precise with the language as possible, but there is always room for improvement. As for the use of the word "issues," the framing does not make the people issues. Another way I could have worded it, however, is "LGBT matters." I am non-binary biromantic myself, so I was not trying to offend anyone.

[BlueTrane]

@D1ng0

Navigating my faith and identity has been a journey filled with complexities, especially within religious communities that may not fully accept diverse identities like mine.

In my experience, the Catholic Church has had a mixed history regarding LGBTQ+ acceptance. While Pope Francis has taken steps towards inclusivity, conservative elements within the hierarchy still resist change. This tension between progress and tradition has made it challenging for me to reconcile my faith with my identity.

I've faced discrimination from both religious and familial sources, highlighting the need to address intolerance within both societal and spiritual contexts. Despite these challenges, I've remained committed to my practice of faith while advocating for progress and inclusivity. Ultimately, I believe in the power of resilience and progressive values. At the same time, I fully understand why many LGBT people have unfortunately driven away from faith altogether because of the intolerance and discrimination they have faced; I and others have found net benefits from remaining faithful amidst the tribulations. 

[D1ng0]

@BlueTrane I definitely appreciate that faith is important to you, and I am glad you've found a way to balance christian faith with being non-binary and biromantic. I mean that wholeheartedly. I'll leave this thread at that, as I've said everything I wish to say, and (regardless of my objective conclusions or personal trauma) I'm not eager to make you feel bad. I can't agree with your feelings towards the pope, as I do not view him as progressive based on his anti-trans "ideological colonization" rhetoric, among other things. I have my views, and I accept that you have yours. I am glad you've been able to keep your faith, if it matters to you and brings you happiness. In some ways, I envy that.

[BlueTrane]

@D1ng0 

Yes, it is true; in many ways, the trans community need us to step and fight by their side. It seems people are turning on the whole LGBT community based on their transphobia. It's getting pretty bad for them in the US. Solidarity is essential through all of this.

[1978]

Thank you for posting this post. Im not part of the LGBT community or religious. I thought God was meant to love everyone?
Everyone should have the right to go to church no matter their sexual orientation as people who go to church go there for religious reasons, therefore that is the common link.

[BossBaby]

For everyone to be included, the wisdom from above is FIRST of all pure (innocent, modest, perfect), THEN peaceable (disposed to peace, profitable) etc. (James 3:17).

"When it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe - people and things, animals and atoms - get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies" (Colossians 1:18-20).

[Minkie-Rose]

Hi @D1ng0 

I have been watching the thread evolve, and thought the following thought might be useful.

Individual conceptions of 'God' - if you think of God as the most all-knowing, loving, and embracing entity which exists, then reconciliation of faith (as opposed to religion) with a person's innate sense of self, becomes easy. Or in other words, if a person's faith is based on the key tenets of love and acceptance, rather than guilt and punishment, the thoughts and words of others have negligible effect. 

Be proud of who you are and stay true to your values.