Christianity & LGBTQ Issues
Of all the issues I write and speak about, I am most widely known for my decades of work at the intersection of Christian faith and LGBTQ issues.
Scroll down for my blog posts on these two topics. In addition:
- My book Torn is the best introductory resource I know of for Christians who are new to the LGBTQ conversation and want to understand better.
- You can bring me to speak to your church or group—not only on LGBTQ issues, but also on topics like forgiveness, rebuilding lost faith, and handling division and disagreement.
- I have an ongoing LGBTQ & Christian video series on YouTube to answer many common questions.
- For more on the Scripture arguments, my Bible and Homosexuality page offers a deeper dive.
Posts on Christianity and/or LGBTQ issues
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Gays, Christians, hell, and Seinfeld.
One of my favorite moments from Seinfeld is in an episode where Elaine discovers that her boyfriend David Puddy is listening to Christian music in the car. She’s intrigued by this, so she begins a conversation with him: ELAINE: Do you believe in God? DAVID: Yes. ELAINE: Oh! So you’re pretty religious. DAVID: That’s right.…
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“Why is a transgender person not considered to have a mental illness?”
The website Reddit has a popular section called “Explain Like I’m Five,” or ELI5. The idea is that people ask questions about things they want to understand better, and experts or other people who do understand the topic offer answers—not literally aimed at five-year-olds, but in simple, easy-to-understand language to help anyone grasp the concept. It’s…
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Will the real villains please stand up?
Last week, I was in a room full of villains. At least that’s what some would say. I was attending a Southern Baptist conference on “homosexuality.” (Longtime readers know I’m not a fan of that word, but we’ll ignore that for now.) The conference was filled with church leaders who oppose same-sex marriage and, in…
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Why do people “come out”?
People often ask me why so many LGBT people feel the need to “come out.” In honor of National Coming Out Day, here are two previous posts of mine to explain why I think coming out is important. Why do you have to tell people you’re gay? Too Much Information?
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An upsetting video.
WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT & LANGUAGE. This video of a 19-year-old being kicked out of the house (and physically assaulted) for being gay is extremely disturbing to watch/listen to, but it is the kind of story I have heard many, many, many times over the years. This is why I do what I do and the…
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Thought for the day.
Christians disagree on many things: How should we interpret Paul’s comments on gender roles? Is the Adam & Eve account history or metaphor? What is the “unforgivable sin”? Which biblical rules apply to us today, and which ones are cultural? But with all the places we may disagree, one thing in the Bible is indisputable: Jesus…
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A reader’s follow-up on yesterday’s transgender article
In response to my article yesterday on a Christian perspective on transgender people, perpetuallurkernazanin writes: My girlfriend wrote a synopsis of Bible verses and Christian denominational policies in support of trans people…please take a look, and share if you find it helpful! This is helpful, because I didn’t get into the Bible passages in my post…
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A Christian perspective on transgender people.
A reader asks what I think a Christian perspective on being transgender should be. I think the answer is simple—even though the question is complicated.
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VIDEO: You’ve never heard me make this argument about same-sex marriage.
On this blog, I write a lot about how both sides can have more gracious dialogue in the debates about homosexuality and Christianity, but I don’t often spend time making arguments for my own personal view. (Anyone can argue for a position; showing grace to your opponents is harder.) So for those of you who…
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Homosexuality: It’s not what you think.
As a sheltered Christian kid, what I thought “homosexuality” meant was really different from what it actually means. Here’s what I wish I’d understood—because it would have changed how I felt about gay people.
