Just the title.
Personally, I grew up going to church, and I believe in God. I am gay, and I have no problem with that, and I know God doesn’t hate me, but His fan club sure is uncomfortable with ‘people like me’. At the moment I am closeted and straight-passing, and with Covid, churches haven’t been open. But I am ‘friends’ with church acquaintances on Facebook, which is how I get to know how all these religious people around me really feel about gay rights, abortion rights, etc. which they know they can’t publicly voice because society is ‘too liberal’ and they know they’ll be torn apart (rightfully!). I have only gone so far as to publicly say that I am pro-gay rights and pro-choice, and those people were not happy. But I need to establish my beliefs, I couldn’t just have stayed silent.
Half of me thinks I should go find other gay religious people (and most who don’t quit religion end up doing this), half of me thinks because these people know me, they love me, I can be the one to change their minds. If not all their minds, then at least some. I know it’s not my ‘job’ and I shouldn’t undertake this at the expense of my mental health. I don’t. I know the people who are far gone and nothing I do or say will be able to change their minds about anything, and if I come out they’ll love me but they’ll tell me they hate ‘this part’ of me. I don’t care about them. I just seriously can’t help but think I can get through to some of the others, and it gives me some hope.
I do have my own liberal circle of friends so I have support and people who love me for who I am, but I also have been talking to some people at church and have been getting them to rethink their values and beliefs. I have even done some Bible study on the passages on homosexuality (which I learnt was really a mistranslation and was meant to be about pedophilia and condemnations of lust!) so I know what I’m talking about and I know how to talk about it in their language. So, I sort of have hope about this, while also not being too naive.
Religious lesbians: what have you done physically, after you have learnt you’re a lesbian and made peace with it internally? Have you left religion? Have you gone to an inclusive church/place of worship/community? Have you stayed where you are while being out? Or are you closeted? No right or wrong answers, I just would like to hear people’s experiences.
[–]WildwoodFlower 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun - (1 child)
[–]emilyprentiss[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]Lesbianese 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun - (1 child)
[–]emilyprentiss[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–][deleted] (3 children)
[deleted]
[–]emilyprentiss[S] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun - (2 children)
[–][deleted] (1 child)
[deleted]
[–]emilyprentiss[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun - (1 child)
[–]emilyprentiss[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]HelloMomo 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)