Simple Truths
For the first couple of months in 2021, we’ve shared regular Simple Truths as part of a campaign to both encourage and support LGBTQ+ Christians and allies. These Simple Truths are intended to serve as reminders of what we know to be true. These are the brief, yet profound statements that we’ve needed to hear on our own journeys.
In an effort to keep these statements available as a resource, we’ve published them here on the Q Christian Blog.
01: LGBTQ+ people bear the image of a loving and affirming Creator.
We are the children of God, loved wholly and completely! Rather than being suppressed or oppressed, our relationships and identities should be celebrated without precondition.
02: LGBTQ+ identities and relationships are celebrated by God!
For those new to conversations regarding LGBTQ+ inclusion and affirmation within Christianity, we welcome you to the table and invite you to learn and grow with us via LGBTQ+ Theology 101.
03: Scripture is not a weapon, nor should it be used against LGBTQ+ people.
Out-of-context passages are not more important than LGBTQ+ lives—we must love our neighbors in the way we approach Scripture with care, context, and reverence.⠀
05: You don't have to choose between your faith and your identity.
Don't give in to a false dichotomy. We are a community of proud LGBTQ+ Christians and allies drawn together through our love of Christ and our belief that every person is a beloved child of God.
God affirms us and calls us "good".⠀
05: Rejection and exclusion by families, friends, and churches harm LGBTQ+ people.
The harm LGBTQ+ people experience often originates in the rejection and exclusion so many of us have received from family, friends, churches, and communities. For many of us around the world, the systemic marginalization is severe—life-threatening, even.
(CW: Suicide) The Family Acceptance Project reports "LGB youth who come from highly rejecting families are 8.4 times as likely to have attempted suicide" as their peers who experience little to no rejection.
Many of us have been told in one way or another that "the LGBTQ+ lifestyle" is harmful or destructive. (It's not.) What is truly harmful is any message that tells us, in effect, "You are not welcome here."
May we realize a world where all LGBTQ+ people are fully and unequivocally loved by family, church, and community.
06: Attempts to change or convert an LGBTQ+ identity are harmful.
As The Good Fruit Project makes clear, "the fruits of conversion therapy are rotten."
Any attempt to change or convert an LGBTQ+ person's identity is harmful, as has been affirmed by every major mental health organization. Rather than condemning or trying in vain to "change" LGBTQ+ identities, may we instead see them as God's good gifts to each of us, affirming that we bear God's image.
Our aim is to cultivate a world where LGBTQ+ Christians can come out and thrive, a world where our communities, families, friends, and churches see the fruit of the Spirit of God in our lives. Conversion and attempts—any form of #oncegay or #exgay rhetoric—do harm against the very Body of Christ, of which we are part (I Cor 12:21-26).
May LGBTQ+ people experience radical belonging in every part of their lives without fear of punishment, oppression, or conversion attempts.
07: Love LGBTQ+ people by listening to us, affirming us, and advocating for us.
For the final installment in our #SimpleTruths series, we want to practically encourage those aspiring towards allyship. You can love LGBTQ+ people by:
Listening to us: Hear our needs and experiences, and learn how you can better support the LGBTQ+ folks around you. Read our memoirs and study the history of the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights, spending some time with our art and the rich tapestry of expressions present in global LGBTQ+ communities.
Affirming us: Engage with Scripture and theology, studying LGBTQ+ and marginalized scholars whose experiences of God and Scripture bear witness to the inherent goodness of our identities. For those new to conversations regarding LGBTQ+ inclusion and affirmation within Christianity, we welcome you to the table and invite you to learn and grow with us via LGBTQ+ Theology 101 at the link in our bio.
Finally, advocating for us. In your family, with your friends, in your church and greater community—you can make a difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ people by advocating for our inclusion and representation in all aspects of life. Whether it's intentionally sharing your pronouns and respectfully asking others for theirs, advocating your local government for equitable policies, or standing up to homophobic and transphobic rhetoric, you can strive to be an ally that makes the world a more just and equitable place for vulnerable LGBTQ+ people. By advocating for some, you advocate for all.
May we cultivate radical belonging for all in everything we do.
Download These Graphics
Want to share these messages? We’ve made a downloadable folder with all 7 weeks’ of Simple Truths graphics for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Stories available for free! Click the button to download.
