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ALREADYOUT/IN

ACTUALLY, "OUT" NO LONGER FITS. LGBTIQ+ PERSONS ARE COURAGEOUSLY ASKING US 'IN'.

INTO THEIR AUTHENTIC WHOLENESS AND SPIRITUALITY.

INTO WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN AND MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. 

You already know the power of a story. Perhaps it's your story – maybe it's someone else's. 
Stories continue to witness the INside, and outside of Scripture, the messy, beautiful and complicated lived realities of people learning what it means to be IN relationship with God - and recognising God's presence IN others. Stories invite us IN - telling us we are not alone – and indeed, you are not. Stories don't just inform us – they move us - or they should! LGBTIQ+ faith stories are Spirit breathed invitations IN - Holy change makers.

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Through My Eyes: True stories of young gay Christians.

The moving, thought-provoking look at the lives of young Christians who have been personally affected by this debate in the Church. It's a great conversation starter for your Church, parents, friends, small group, or anyone looking for a better, more compassionate approach to a controversial topic.

Choose one; read, digest, pray, repeat.

Episode 249:
Shannon T.L Kearns -
Reading Scripture as a Transgender Christian.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared talks with Father Shannon T.L. Kearns, cofounder of Queer Theology, about engaging with Scripture as a transgender Christian, finding a better way to address clobber passages, and why reading the Bible from the margins is imperative for interpreting the biblical text honestly. 

I think one of the things that is often really helpful for folks who are still really grappling with “what is the Bible, and how do I engage with it?” is to actually stop reading the Bible for a little while, and instead read books about the Bible. — @shannontlkearns 

A song and a benediction

Devotions for, and by, LGBTIQA+ people of faith

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Our Bible App

This is a faith-based Bible app that is “uplifting believers of all stripes.” Until now, it has been extremely difficult to find devotionals, podcasts, and resources that aren’t overtly conservative in nature. Our goal is to provide a platform with the largest compilation of progressive faith-based media content, bringing together writers and readers in one final media hub. We hope you will enjoy our offerings. Come back often to discover weekly featured devotionals, podcasts, and more.

Called Out: 100 Devotions for LGBTQ Christians

– E. Carrington Heath

The experience of growing up "different," coming out in a disapproving environment, having one's identity and relationships questioned or downright rejected shapes the faith of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer Christians in ways those outside the community cannot fully understand. LGBTQ Christians need spiritual resources that speak to the unique joys and challenges of their journey.

Queers The Word: A 40 day Devotional for LGBTQ+ Christians

– S. Kearns & B. Murphy

How often do we read Scripture through a marginalised lens? Well, here's a Queer lens. In this 40-day devotional, you’ll find entries from a queer and trans perspective written to support you in strengthening your faith and affirming your identity. 

Colors of Hope: A Devotional Journal from LGBTQ+ Christians

– Melissa Guthrie - ed

The devotions present a range of views, all full of hope, paired with thematic journal prompts and calls to action. The book includes an invocation, introduction, weekly reading, daily reflections, benediction, and list of resources. Colors of Hope is an expansive resource for personal growth and collective change. "Hoping in color" brings the joy, beauty, and power of the rainbow to life.

Hearts Ablaze: Parables for the Queer Soul

– Rolf R Nolasco JR

A new look at ten selected parables of Jesus, that expands the scope of interpretation of each story to highlight God's extravagant welcome of all people. The perspective in the reflections is deeply personal and written to be used by both individuals and groups. Queer affirming churches, seminaries, and retreat centers will benefit from this resource as they continue to champion the flourishing of their queer siblings in Christ.

The Work- with Byron Katie: Being Gay

'The Work' of Byron Katie is nothing short of incredible.

Byron developed a process of self-inquiry which she now calls “The Work.” It involves asking four simple questions about each belief that causes us pain:

  1. Is it true?

  2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true?

  3. How do you react when you believe that thought?

  4. Who would you be without the thought?

There will always be stories and conversations either for and against. 

However, LGBTIQA+ people's lived stories invites us to dip our toe, soak for a while, or dive IN deep, listen, and discern well.

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Undivided

– Vicki Beeching

TOP PICK

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

Vicki Beeching deserves the utmost respect. Vicky shares her own story about being gay in the Christian music industry, where there was no room for a gay worship leader. So for ten years, Vicky rejected who she really was—a denial that damaged her body and soul. "Arguably the most influential Christian of her generation" (The Guardian), Beeching chronicles her rise at the heights of Christian music and her brave decision to come out as gay—leading to self-acceptance and acknowledgment, which changed her relationship with God and the practice of her faith. Also, check Vicki out here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xTtF4Tad-g&ab_channel=TheReformationProject

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_3f0bNsB4s&ab_channel=JOE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODcPyWd44vQ&ab_channel=BBCHARDtalk

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Boy Erased

– Garrard Conley

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

By confronting his buried past and the burden of a life lived in shadow, Garrard traces the complex relationships among family, faith, and community. At times heart-breaking, at times triumphant, Boy Erased is a testament to love that survives despite all odds.

Also available on Netfix

https://www.netflix.com/lu-en/title/80240538

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Transforming:

The Bible & Lives of Transgender Christians

– Austen Hartke

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

Highly recommended. Clear and compelling, Transforming is insightful, honest and moving. Hartke interweaves biblical, theological, and compelling personal lived stories – including his own – that invite us to discover trans identity through the lens of Scripture. It is an essential read for those looking to articulate inclusion and celebrate diversity and the Imago Dei intrinsic in all people. By introducing transgender issues and language and providing stories of biblical characters and real-life narratives from transgender Christians living today, Hartke helps readers visualise a more inclusive Christianity, equipping them with the confidence and tools to change the Church and the world.

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Unashamed

– Amber Cantorna

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

Daily, author and LGBTQ advocate Amber Cantorna receive emails asking: How does one reconcile their sexuality with their faith? Depression, despair, and thoughts of suicide often haunt LGBTQ Christians as they feel unable to imagine the possibility of living a happy, fulfilling life as an LGBTQ person of faith. Cantorna provides hope and practicality.

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Queer Youth Faith

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

Hear the powerful voices of queer youth of faith in this collection of personal narratives — finalists from the Beloved Arise 2020 National Essay Contest. QYF introduces 14 young queer voices who share their stories of heartbreak and hope, courage and compassion, discovering life in the overlapping spaces between faith and queerness.

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Outside The Lines

– Mihee Kim-Kort

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

Mihee Kim-Kort is a wife, a mom, and a Presbyterian minister. And she's queer. As she became aware of her queer sexuality, Mihee wondered what that meant for her spirituality. But instead of pushing her away from God, it brought her closer to Jesus and taught her how to love better. In Outside the Lines, Mihee shows us how God, in Jesus, is radically oriented toward us.

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Beloved Arise Stories

 

TOP PICK

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

Ok - not a book, rather, Beloved Arise (Stories) is a web site packed with personal stories. Beloved Arise is a movement to fight for the lives of queer youth of faith. They build relationships, offer support, and inspire youth to embrace life to the fullest.

https://www.belovedarise.org/

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Affirming: A Memoir of Faith, Sexuality, and Staying in the Church

– Sally Gary

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

What is it like to discover that something you’ve believed all your life might be wrong?
Sally Gary knew since her early adulthood that she was attracted to women. But as a devoted Christian, she felt there was no way to fully embrace this aspect of her identity while remaining faithful. Now, as she prepares to marry the love of her life, she’s ready to speak out about why—and how—her perspective changed.

Sally traces the experiences, conversations, and scriptural reading that culminated in her seeing her sexuality as something that made sense within the context of her faith—not outside of it or in opposition to it.

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Torn

– Justin Lee

TOP PICK

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

Justin Lee, a gay man and devout Christian, bridges his faith and sexuality gaps in this insightful and touching memoir. Nicknamed "God Boy" by his peers, he knew he was called to a life in the evangelical Christian ministry. But Lee harboured a secret: He also knew that he was gay. In this groundbreaking book, Lee recalls the events--his coming out to his parents, his experiences with the "ex-gay" movement, and his in-depth study of the Bible--that led him, eventually, to self-acceptance.

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Our Witness

– Ed. Brandan Robertson

TOP PICK

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

A truly fabulous collection of stories that are honest and hopeful. While so much of the conversation about LGBT+ inclusion has focused on theology and ideology, few have actually interacted with the raw, real stories and experiences of LGBT+ Christians. Brandan Robertson has brought together stories of LGBT+ Christians from around the world combined with his theological insights to create a powerful book that will challenge, convict, and inspire readers and embrace the revival that the Holy Spirit is igniting among queer Christians around the world.

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Facing The Music

– Jennifer Knapp

Highly Rated

Jennifer Knapp's meteoric rise in the Christian music industry ended abruptly when she walked away and came out publicly as a lesbian. This is her story—of coming to Christ, building a career, admitting who she is, and how her faith remained strong. Knapp also talks about the importance of her faith, and despite the many who claim she can no longer call herself a believer, she maintains that she is both gay and a Christian. This engrossing, inspiring memoir will help people understand her story and to believe in their own stories, whatever they may be.

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Refocusing My Family

– Amber Cantorna

Highly recommended.

Daughter of a 'Focus on the Family' executive, Amber came out to her family at 27. Struggling under the weight of perfectionism, reputation, and keeping up appearances, Amber boldly stepped into her true identity. In the process, she discovered the true love of God. Amber provides an intimate and honest insider's perspective into what many of us grew up with and raised our children in – the Dobson-Esque ideology.

OK - until now, you might only know the word 'Queer' as a derogatory term.

However, the LGBTIQ+ community have proudly reclaimed 'Queer' as a beautiful umbrella term. 'Queer' provides a lived reality understanding from a non-heterosexual or cisgender perspective.

Nadia Bolz-Weber does a great blog

on the word 'Queer'.

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Unnatural

– Rachel Murr

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

A book of honesty and hope. Unnatural is a collection of stories--not only of the harm religiously-inspired negative messages about homosexuality inflict but also of redemption. Rachel uses her own account and personal interviews with ten other queer women and one female-to-male transgender man to tell how they were judged, lectured, kicked out of homes and families, subjected to reparative therapies, and even assaulted. Some faced homelessness, depression, suicide attempts, and pervasive shame. Still, they fought to keep their faith alive. Each demonstrated an Unnatural ability to forgive, love, believe, advocate, and heal.

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Family of Origin 

Family of Choice

– K. Hays & S.A. Chiasson

TOP PICK

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

First-person testimonies from LGBTQ+ Christians about coming out and navigating their family dynamics. The resulting stories, crafted from interviews with fifteen queer Christians and family members, kept anonymous at their request, are as varied as the colours of the rainbow. Over the years, some grew closer to their families of origin; others grew more distant. Some were surprised by the hardness of heart they encountered; others were amazed by the breadth of their family's love.

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Modern Kinship

– D & C Khalaf

Highly recommended.

Highly Rated

David and Constantino Khalaf take on important and often taboo topics with wisdom and vulnerability. Offering direction and hope to a marginalised group of people who have long been left out of marriage discussions. Invaluable not only to people coming out/IN and queer couples but equally to parents of queen children. Modern Kinship offers hope, but more than that - it helps remove some of the harmful rhetoric and damaging stereotyping many of us have been taught to believe. By sharing what a healthy, romantic, queer relationship looks like, David and Tino offer us a way forward to understand and celebrate Modern Kinship.

"You either walk inside your story and own it,

or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness."

- Brenē Brown 

Would you consider sharing your story?

We are a small yet fabulous country connected often by just two degrees.
However, stories from our unique culture and faith context Aotearoa LGBTIQ+ faith stories are few.

Can you help? 

There are 4 areas your story might fit into:

AlreadyChurched

AlreadyParenting

AlreadyOut/IN

AlreadyAllied

Check out the Stories page and invitation link here.

Serenade is an uplifting new album that explores the hope and heartbreak of living as a queer person of faith. Produced by Kyle and Gretta Miller of Towr’s, this groundbreaking compilation album features ten original songs written and performed by queer musicians and allies.

TAKATĀPUI

Aotearoa has its own unique and rich culture - esp. within the takatāpui space. Takatāpui is a traditional Māori term meaning ‘intimate companion of the same sex.’It has been reclaimed to embrace all Māori who identify with diverse genders, sexualities and sex characteristics

Equally, Aotearoa is the home to MVPFAFF (māhū, vakasalewalewa, palopa, fa'afafina, 'akava'ine, fakaleitī (leitī), fakafifine).

Takatāpui: Part Of The Whānau

Learn the history of the term 'takatāpui' as well as the key elements that make up takatāpui identity. This resource is for takatāpui, their whānau and communities, and shares stories and information about identity, wellbeing and suicide prevention.

Elizabeth Kerekere,

Growing Up Takatāpui: Whānau Journeys

Interviews with seven takatāpui rangatahi and their whānau inform this resource about the journey to and the importance of whānau support in a takatāpui young person's life.

Elizabeth Kerekere,

Looking to connect with others?

DIVERSE

CHURCH NZ 

New Zealand's Rainbow Christian Network

Diverse Church is a home for Rainbow people of faith.

We want to connect LGBTQI+ Christians all across New Zealand to encourage one another on our journey of faith.

Find an Affirming Church here and messages from the Awaken Conference here and more resources here 

Salvos for a more inclusive church

Members and friends of The Salvation Army who support an inclusive model of church that welcomes people in same-sex relationships.

Church in Progress MCC

Church in Progress is an inclusive worship and social justice experience in South Auckland. Posts on this page by Church in Progress are written by Rev Emily. 

Diverse Church NZ

NZ’s LGBTI+ faith community - we believe God’s love is for everyone and everyone is free to have a relationship with God

InsideOUT

Working to give rainbow young people in Aotearoa New Zealand a sense of safety and belonging in their schools and communities.

"I need a God who is bigger and more nimble and more mysterious than what I could understand and contrive. Otherwise, it can feel like I am worshipping nothing more than my own ability to understand the divine."

Nadia Bolz-Weber.

A Blessing for you 
Put your feet on the ground,
breathe deeply -in -out -repeat...

Lord of All Creation

We stand in awe of Your divine design
Each one of us
Utterly bespoke 
Hand crafted
Lovingly
Intentionally 
Fearfully and wondrously made 
Rendered exactly as you imagined
Fashioned in full and glorious daylight

Give us courage, Lord
To pull back the veil of darkness and despair
And raise in its place 
Your banner of repair, colour and pride
And the fullness of joy in one another 

Help us, Lord
To never question or humiliate 
But always to celebrate and illuminate 

Help us, Lord
To never isolate or exclude 
But always embrace and include

Compel us, Lord
To hold sacred space 
For anyone bruised
Hurt by the Church
Misplaced or abused 

May we be instead a Body
That together, shares, feels and heals 
And offers sanctuary and true freedom 

Bless us, Lord 
With hearts full of grace 
And loving simplicity 
That we may see 
The beauty of your complexity 
In every precious face 

May it be so...

 

Jules Badger   

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