Soulforce is a social justice organization that practices relentless nonviolent resistance to oppression of sexual minorities and other marginalized people. We recognize that oppression is most often rooted in religious belief and ideologies of power in which women, people of color and non-gender conforming (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer) people are subjugated and subjected to the violence of exclusion. You will find us most often in dialogue with religious leaders, denominations and institutions who discriminate in polity, policy or practice. We are committed to decriminalization of sexual minorities by all church and state sanctioned organizations worldwide Our work takes the shape of community-based education, direct action, one-on-one dialogue, celebratory events and ongoing campaigns like the Equality Ride and the United Nations Faith Coalition for LGBT Human Rights (Compass to Compassion). We value acting in coalition with others so that we bring the most wisdom and resources to the process, and we value the development of the individual activist as a leader.
We understand that harmful and limiting ideas about gender promulgated by churches and incorrect translations of sacred texts including the Bible are at the root of anti-LGBTQ discrimination. In particular, we see that a negative attitude toward “the feminine” – no matter who is expressing that femininity – guides LGBTQ discrimination. This attitude, often called sexism or misogyny, divides the world into Women and Men and works to keep people in line with gender norms that tell us How to Be a Woman or How to Be a Man. Sexual orientation is just one example of the behaviors that gender norms attempt to control.
Our overarching goal is to undo the system that would value masculinity over femininity and enforce gender norms. This system is often called patriarchy. Fundamentalist religion is a substantial force for maintaining patriarchy. The work of Soulforce, therefore, is feminist in its approach to ending LGBTQ discrimination and directly confronts fundamentalism. This is very hard work and it is certainly not popular work. It is, however, essential work.
We are working to make femininity, masculinity and everything in between and beyond them safe and available – no matter who you are or what you look like. In this way, our efforts support the freedom of people clearly located in the LGBTQ community and people who identify as straight or do not challenge gender norms.
In that same vein, we strive to enact a sense of justice that includes and supports everyone. People are discriminated against based on so many factors, gender and sexual orientation included. Our work is most effective and most enduring when we, as an organization, take multiple kinds of discrimination into account when we think about what we are doing and who we are doing it for. Why work for only one thread of justice when we can use our resources and energy to push for an end to all kinds of discrimination as we labor for LGBTQ freedom? If we do not, we run the risk of leaving some of friends, coworkers and family members behind.
Two factors that have historically divided social justice movements in the United States – making them less effective than they could be or even perpetuating discrimination as they try to work for the common good – are race and class. Racism is a system that routinely and historically privileges some and disadvantages others based real or perceived traits like appearance, name, language, religion, and nation of origin. Classism is a system that routinely and historically privileges some and disadvantages others based on real or perceived wealth and the experiences that can be accessed with money like travel, technology, business and education. Classism denies that political and social structures create and reinforce economic differences. Both racism and classism are a way of granting greater social and political power to some and not others. This power tends to remain in the hands and families of those who are first given it.
We, as individuals and as an organization, cannot allow racism and classism to undo our work, divide our community or shore up patriarchy. If we work with the commitment to counter racism and classism in our agenda, we will be much more successful in ending LGBTQ discrimination; our efforts will include more people, help more people and tackle many forms of discrimination that are all invested in things staying the way they are. This mindset is called intersectional justice. This set of values resonates with the work of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For Soulforce, these core values are a matter of integrity, effectiveness and creating lasting change.
What makes Soulforce distinct from several organizations working on faith issues in the LGBTQ context is:
- Our understanding that religon-based LGBTQ discrimination comes out of a history of patriarchy in the church.
- Our understanding that engaging the Church on LGBTQ issues is an essential component of moving forward on LGBTQ justice.
- Our understanding that many forms of oppression are also LGBTQ issues because we exist as multi-dimensional people.
- Our training of people of all ages to organize and engage directly with conservative, powerful, rural and religious institutions and people.
- Our provision of experiential learning in the forms of campaigns for youth leadership development.
- Our training of people of all ages in nonviolent activism that provides a framework for creative, accessible, and grassroots forms of direct action.
- Our work in locations many of the larger LGBTQ organizations do not go.
- Our support of locally led projects.
