"You don't have to change who you are to partake in the divine, to be amazing, to be beautiful, to be valid. Just be who you are and that's beautiful to God."
How has your queer identity and faith identity intersected?
My current tradition I became involved with after coming out, in both ways. However, the tradition in which I was raised was nothing but a hindrance, a roadblock at every turn. It was very, very antagonistic towards any efforts I might have made towards self-discovery. Has this new tradition been more affirming? Well, I can't say what the tradition is. This individual church is more affirming. The tradition is trying to figure itself out.
How would you interpret now what God's love is?
I want to say that I think that I am too small and my experience, too narrow to be able to really attest to any good understanding of the divine. That being said, I'm inclined to believe that as we all share in certain deific properties, as we all share in this common intertwined place in the universe, as part of the universe, as part of God, sharing in the nature of God, that we all are perfectly loved.
Full stop. No ifs. I think the no ifs is really critical to me.
Regardless of who you are, regardless of how you are, regardless of the things that you do or don't do, who we are is beautiful and to be appreciated that way.
What advice would you have for other queer people of faith?
You don't have to change who you are to partake in the divine, to be amazing, to be beautiful, to be valid. Just be who you are and that's beautiful to God.
Beyond that, unfortunately, kind of where we live now: Be careful. Because being a queer person in the church has been dangerous and scarring. I was more optimistic than I ought to have been in some ways that I think has done me some harms that I still am recovering from. While I don't want anyone to be pointlessly guarded, I think caution around faith communities is also warranted. At least right now. Hopefully, maybe not in the future. Not to say there aren't amazing beautiful places out there, because there are. You just have to find them.