There seems to be a sort of "either/or" situation going on with Christianity and homosexuality. Either you're Christian, or you're gay. I'm not saying that there aren't a few of us out there — myself included — who identify with a Christian faith while also identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or transgender. I am saying, however, that identifying as both religious and LGBTQ seems to be something of an exception, not the rule.
So what gives? Why do some of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters feel shunned by Christian churches and religious organizations? Well, let's look at the facts. The Bible says being gay is a sin, right? Wrong. The Bible says we're going straight to hell for being who we are, right? Wrong again. Seem a little radical? Maybe. But in order to feel less like sinners and more like the person God or (insert Higher Being of your choice here) intended us to be, we have to stop believing what we've been told is wrong and start understanding what the truth is for ourselves.
To start understanding said truth, or at least another perspective, you might want to watch a film entitled Fish Out of Water, a 2009 documentary by director Ky Dickens. Dickens uses her own coming-out story as a framework for understanding what the Bible infers about being gay, interviewing ministers, theologians, and pastors on both sides of the argument (almost all of whom are heterosexual).
What she finds is that when you begin to unravel Christianity — and the Bible, for that matter — from an academic perspective, really taking the time to understand what the original meanings of Scripture actually were, you also begin to understand that many radical and conservative Christians have grossly misconstrued the idea of homosexuality as an "abomination" in the eyes of God.
Watch the trailer and rent the film here, or stream it instantly on Netflix. Go!
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