Maybe you can help?

[rvantassel]

Hello Everyone,

I am writing a paper for my English Gay is support of Gay Christians. I think I have a lot of solid research to back up my argument, but a part of the assignment is to create an action text. This simply means to take what we have learned and somehow send it out into the community. My college is rather liberal, but it is in a conservative town. There are only two gay-friendly churches that I even know of.


Does anybody have any suggestions of what I might do? My teacher suggested that I send my paper to all of the churches in town. I really have a lot of options, but I want it to be tasteful and I want to keep in mind that this might be a sensitive subject for more conservative individuals in town.

Any ideas you might have would be so great! Thanks everyone!


Becca

[Vanessa White]

It would be helpful for me to know in what way is your support expressed in your paper? Secondly, is there an outcome you are hoping to accomplish, or a group you are hoping to influence with your information? That would definitely influence how I would say it could best be used.

Oh, and by the way, WELCOME TO SOULFORCE!!! Glad that you are here with us. :love::)

[rvantassel]

Great question vanessa, and thank you for the welcome!

I tried to keep my post brief, because the subject of my paper can get complicated so quickly! But I'll try to elaborate a bit better.

Basically when I started writing this paper, I tried to better understand how individuals cope with two identities that might seem mutually exclusive to many others. One of my best friends is a gay Christian, but he has decided not to participate in any gay relationships, especially sexual, because he thinks it is a sin. I disagreed with him and I decided to research this subject to better understand how others can make these two roles become one coherent identity.

My paper isn't done, but so far I have talked about the history of GLBT churches, the positions of some main-line churches, how a GLBT Christians understand there roles and I am strongly arguing for identity integration. The next part covers a bit about the rebuttles of GLBT Christians against charges against them. I plan on talking a little bit about the misinterpretations of the the six bible versus as well. There will probably be more but I haven't finished my literature review yet so it's a work in progress.

But that's what I'm working for. I would like to educate my community about gay Christians, but I'm just not sure how. I'm not looking for a specific outcome beyond showing people some information and maybe someone will learn something. I would like to provide some basic understanding of a subculture that doesn't have much of a voice in my community.

Does this help at all?!?

[Zerbie]

Well. . . maybe one of your local LGBT organizations might be interested? Not sure, but if you were planning to approach churches, why not also approach some gay advocacy groups? As you note, there tends to be a lot of uneasiness between christians and the gay community, leaving the many gay christians (or those who would be if they didn't believe it impossible) caught in the middle of hostility.

[rvantassel]

That's a great idea Zerbie, throughout writing this paper I have tried very hardto keep ideas and considerations about both identities as even as possible. It would make sense to try to approach an LGBT organization. It might even be easier.

I understand that there is a lot of hostility between the two communities, and I'm trying to be sensitive to this problem. But I think it is important for my community to understand that gay Chrisitians are an important subculture. It's just hard to find an appropriate way of addressing this issue!

I just wonder what is the best way to approach a person or maybe an organization about this issue? How would approach someone who doesn't understand?

[Zerbie]

It's just hard to find an appropriate way of addressing this issue!

I just wonder what is the best way to approach a person or maybe an organization about this issue? How would approach someone who doesn't understand?

I'm with ya on that question. :rolleyes:

I've seen some talk in my area LGBT community news publications going back & forth, some folks saying that there is too much focus on a christian perspective and we need to hear more secular and atheist voices, and others arguing that we're inundated with secular/atheist perspective and hardly hear enough from gay christians.

Recognizing that you might open a big can of worms, you could perhaps after your paper is finished write a summary (sort of an abstract) of your paper and submit it to an LGBT publication in your city as a letter to the editor, or even better, as an op-ed. That would be if your goal is to initiate conversation, which it sounds like might be the case.

Meanwhile, do you know anyone who is a member of a gay community group in town? You might want to stick to community centers/social groups rather than advocacy groups, who will be busy lobbying, etc. If you have a contact who is a member who likes your paper, they might have a suggestion for ways you can use your paper to start some conversations.

[Vanessa White]

Hey: I have been really trying to make an impact in my local "world" literally a person at a time. I am a lesbian, a parent, a counselor, a pet owner, home owner, partner, etc. so when I educate or connect with people, I let them know that being a lesbian is as valuable about who I am as a human being as all of the other aspects. When it comes to religion, or religious beliefs, it can at times get pretty sticky and emotionally charged. If you do connect with an LGBT organization nearby, I would let them know from the start that you find it important to look at both sides of the conflict, and have tried to do so in your paper. I would also suggest that you not use the term "subculture", even if that is a term that is used in some of the literature. It might put some persons off ( I don't particularly care for the prefix, "sub", although I believe you did not use it with negative intent), but what I have come to find out about us humans, is that we are very susceptible to the types of language that we use and that we hear. It doesn't mean, I guess, that we need to watch every word we say.

But, then, I guess in a way, WE DO.

Words can end up being a way to unite us, or get used against us. I really appreciate your desire to create some understanding about this. That gay and Christian can exist in the same sentence, the same communities. I feel proud to be a follower of Christ, although Christian is a tough one for me at times due to some so-called "Christian" anti-gay sentiment.

Good luck and keep us posted...... Peace.

[rvantassel]

Thanks Vanessa. I think I have been in the research mode throughout writing this paper, that I was using the wrong type of words to describe what I really mean. I used subculture as a term to identify people with a unique set of qualities. I will definitely be more careful with my wording. Thanks for pointing that out!