At Cleveland Pride, Presbyterians offered a different witness
After encountering both condemnation and compassion at Cleveland Pride, Matthew Skolnik considers what faithful Christian witness looks like in the public square.
Conversion Therapy Dropout
Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez traces his journey from shame and exclusion to healing, faith and queer belonging in the church in "Conversion Therapy Dropout." Amy Pagliarella offers a review.
More Light Presbyterians retreat centers rest, belonging and resistance
At Ferncliff, queer Presbyterians named harm, shared stories and reclaimed rest as essential to the church’s ongoing work for justice, writes Bethany Peerbolte.
Church support and care for transgender congregants
Through stories of exclusion, resilience and welcome, Patrice Gaines examines how transgender Christians are finding and reshaping belonging within the church.
Heads of major American religious traditions issue landmark statement supporting trans, intersex and nonbinary people
Interfaith leaders — including the PC(USA) — affirm transgender, intersex, and nonbinary people as holy, beloved, and worthy of full dignity.
Trans Biblical: New Approaches to Interpretation and Embodiment in Scripture
In "Trans Biblical," editors Joseph Marchal, Melissa Sellew and Katy Valentine invite readers to see familiar biblical figures – like Jael, Jacob and Mordecai – in new and life-giving ways. Jo Wiersema offers a review.
Repair as an antidote for loneliness
We are called to serve as death doulas to the institution and midwives to the church, writes Jess Cook.
LGBTQ teens wanted a Pride festival in their town. How five churches made it happen.
Five churches organized the event out of a conviction of their faith, but as an invisible network.
A letter to the church I love: Comfort or covenant?
Marissa Duffield loves the church, but they are beginning to wonder if the church loves them back.
International partners in transgender visibility
PC(USA) partner in Sarajevo reveals need for global advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights.
Transgender teen’s testimony at GA challenges PC(USA) toward greater inclusivity
Owen Gibbs’ story exemplifies the significance of Amendment 24-A and the church's commitment to LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
Breaking my silence: A pastor’s journey with HIV
Andries Coetzee shares his journey of living with HIV, confronting stigma in the church, and embracing his God-given identity with courage and dignity.
Presbyterian Church of Okemos, Michigan reaffirms baptism vows for a boy named Zach, a beloved member and transgender youth
Zach’s mother: ‘When our congregation said in unison, “We see you,” I thought my heart would burst.’
Embracing Queer Family: Learning to Live Authentically in Our Families and Communities
Read this book if the transgender community is unfamiliar, and you are seeking understanding. Read it if you want to be a better friend to the trans community. And add it your library of resources for church members who may be wrestling with this reality. — Amy Pagliarella
‘Bathroom law’ heightens concerns for transgender GA attendees
A new law in Utah bars transgender people from using, in certain places, restrooms that correspond to their gender identities.
The ongoing dialogue on LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
This summer, General Assembly commissioners will vote on amending the "Book of Order" to include sexual orientation and gender identity among the categories against which the PC(USA) will not discriminate.
A call to celebrate the Trans Day of Visibility on Easter Sunday
When we embrace our trans siblings, the mystery of Easter bursts into our lives, writes Shea Watts.
For LGBTQ Catholics, new declaration on blessings is welcome — but complicated
Some LGBTQ couples were blessed by Catholic priests before the Vatican declaration came down — whether or not the Vatican approved.
5 things the Catholic Church’s document on same-sex blessings does (and doesn’t) say
The Vatican approved same-sex blessings, but there are a few caveats.
New documentary tells the story of queer religious families in the Midwest
The movie profiles queer families and individuals living in the Midwest, grappling with their identity in a conservative and traditional environment.
Central Presbyterian Church creates space for inclusivity in Arkansas
Thanks to grants from 1001 New Worshiping Communities and the Presbytery of Arkansas, Central Presbyterian converted an unused daycare into a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.
Encountering hate, celebrating love
Brian R. Louis, a pastor in southern Arizona, shares the hate and love he experienced at a recent Pride parade.
Are American churches destined to become more socially conservative?
With an influx of Christian immigrants from the global South coming to America, some writers forecast a more conservative American Christianity. Katherine Pater looks at statistics and Acts 8 to argue an inclusive future is possible.
“I never quite belonged.”
To be welcomed, says Mieke Vandersall, is not the same as to experience belonging.
Enduring the shadow: Pastoral identity on Trans Day of Visibility
When we embrace visibility and vulnerability, we can find a God-given sense of belonging in the make-up aisle, at a civil protest, and – if we allow it – in the church, writes trans woman and pastor Lucinda Isaacs.
Page 1 of 2
