Queer Theology

It’s time for another Q&A episode where Brian and Fr. Shay answers a selection of burning questions submitted by our listeners! If you have a question you would like answered, please send them over at the email below, or at queertheology.com/listen and submit a video or audio question. We’d love to feature your voice or question on our next episode of Asked And Answered!   Questions answered in this episode: I’m trans/femine/non-binary and want to transition but am scared it’s like telling God I was a mistake. And my family is transphobic. What should I do? Do I lose everything for me, or do I suffer for others? How can I know if my fasting, prayers, and almsgiving are pleasing to God? Am I doing enough or not doing enough? Am I approaching God to be in God’s loving presence or am I motivated by my own goals and agenda or seeking attention? I know of a Christian denomination that doesn’t believe in celebrating Christmas or Easter because they think it doesn’t say you should in the Bible. What do you think? I need some help finding something in the Hebrew Bible that I know is there, but I can’t find the chapter and verse. It’s about the penalties for causing a woman to miscarry and about how they are lighter before they have “quickened”. The reason why I am asking is of course related to recent events and family arguments around them. How can we incorporate pagan and nature spirituality into our celebration of what Jesus did on the cross?    Article and episode: If God Does Not Make Mistakes Why Are You Transgender?: https://www.queertheology.com/if-god-does-not-make-mistakes-why-are-you-transgender/ Growing up Suburban Jewish & Finding Your Faith With Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg: https://www.queertheology.com/podcast/435/ To listen to some more episodes of the podcast or submit a video or voice question: https://www.queertheology.com/listen/ Jewish Study Bible    If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology. If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com. The post Asked And Answered: July 2022 appeared first on Queer Theology.

As we close this series on affirming parenting, we had the opportunity to talk with three different parents and get their unique take on raising kids in our world today. We hear from Rev. Kim Wildszewski and Candiace Czubernat on their perspective as queer parents raising young children. They each explain how their queerness has informed and enriched their parenting and what cis/straight parents can do when faced with their queer kids leaving family faith traditions. We also hear from John, a former conservative Christian church member, and his experience having one of his children come out to him as trans. While each of these parents has a different queer parenting story and advice, all of them agree- your job as a parent is to unconditionally love and support your child on their journey of discovering who they are.    Links: Candice Czubernat: https://www.thechristiancloset.com/   Book: Trans Like Me https://www.amazon.com/Trans-Like-Me-Conversations-All/dp/1580057853   If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology.   If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com.    Photo by Jana Sabeth The post Affirming Parenting: Queer Parents’ Perspective appeared first on Queer Theology.

This episode is all about the simple actions parents can take to show their affirmation. We encourage you to have age-appropriate conversations with your kids about sex, introduce your child and expand your circle to include queer folks who are thriving at all stages of life, and hold space for complexity and nuance in your kids. But the number one action you can do to lead the way on being an example and affirming ally? Don’t take your kids to a homophobic church! Tune in as we talk about implicit bias and its insidious messaging kids absorb and what you can do to combat this.    Resources: Children’s books: https://www.flamingorampant.com/ Author S. Bear Bergman: https://www.sbearbergman.com/ Book: Trans Bodies, Trans Selves http://transbodies.com/   If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology. If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com.   Photo by Aiden Cravert The post Affirming Parenting: How To Do It Right appeared first on Queer Theology.

How can cis-straight parents be a better ally, offer more support, and be a better parent to kids who are coming out? We’ve received this question countless times, and so we talk more about that in today’s episode. Parents often come from the role of teacher, but this moment is an opportunity and invitation to learn more and respectfully enter your child’s queer life. Shay reminds us that ally is a verb, and as a parent, it is your job to do the hard work of making amends, educating yourself, and respecting boundaries. Brian calls on parents to get a little uncomfortable and go out and do the work of advocating among their cis-straight peers to create a safe space for queer and trans folks to thrive in our world. Your child’s queerness is special and a beautiful part of them, and being an effective ally is an important role for parents.   Articles:  It’s Not Possible to Have a “Healthy Relationship With Your Child” if You Don’t Affirm Them Kind Homophobia and Transphobia is Still Evil To LGBTQ Kids With Unaffirming Parents: You Deserve Better     If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology. If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com.   Photo by Christian Lue The post Affirming Parenting: When Your Kid Comes Out appeared first on Queer Theology.

We’re kicking off a new podcast series all about parents and parenting! While we may not be parents ourselves, we get lots of parenting questions about resources; how to be a better ally for queer kids, how to be a Christian and/or member of a church and still affirm your child, and just how to be a better parent all around when it comes to queerness, conversations, and kids. For our first episode in this series, we each share stories of our relationships with our parents. We pull out examples from these experiences where parents can find ways to show their support. Brian explains how important it is to recognize ingrained cis and straight expectations for kids. And Shay encourages parents to help their children explore faith and spiritual practices that work for them.     If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology. If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com.   Photo by Aiden Craver The post Affirming Parenting: Sharing Our Stories appeared first on Queer Theology.

As we end this series of folks who have been moved by their faith to action, we share our own stories of making Holy Mischief and invite y’all to create some yourself! We can all get into this by telling our truth, standing up and being visible, and really leaning in and getting a little uncomfortable. Being an Angelic Troublemaker doesn’t necessarily mean having to be on the front lines of activism. Often it’s in the little, supportive roles that when compounded, create impactful results. We hope to inspire you to show up- and keep showing up. That’s where the biggest impact will be made.    Article: LGBTQ Christian Advocacy When You’re Newly Out   If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology. If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com.   Photo by AJ Colores The post Angelic Troublemakers: Continuing The Work appeared first on Queer Theology.

For the second interview in our Angelic Troublemakers series, we had the pleasure of speaking with activist, author, and recent NYU graduate, Edafe Okporo. Edafe was born in Warri, Nigeria. He migrated to the United States in 2016 as an asylum seeker and is now a refugee of the United States. He is a global gay rights activist, the founder of Refuge America, and one of the country’s most visible voices on the issue of displacement. We spoke about the issues of detainment for immigrants in the US, especially difficult for trans people seeking asylum and LGBTQ people. Edafe’s story is inspiring and powerful, reminding us that our work for equality must include marginalized people in the immigrant community. Edafe is the author of the book ASYLUM: A Memoir and Manifesto. He brings a personal commitment to his refugee work and the premise of his book: that home is not where you feel safe and welcome only but also how you make others feel safe and welcome.    Learn more about Edafe: Web: https://www.edafeokporo.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/edafeokporo IG: https://www.instagram.com/edafeokporo Order your copy of ASYLUM, A Memoir & manifesto: https://www.edafeokporo.com/book   To learn more about the immigration detention system in the U.S., click here: https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/ https://www.refugeamerica.org/ If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology.   If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com. The post Angelic Troublemakers: Edafe Okporo appeared first on Queer Theology.

In this episode, we get the pleasure of talking with a remarkable and influential Angelic Troublemaker of our time: Rev. Dr. Robert E. Shore Goss. And oh my goodness, y’all. This interview is amazing. Rev. Dr. Shore Goss has been on the frontlines for decades as an activist, teacher, priest, and author. From finding spirituality in sexuality, to activism as a form of prayer, to the Holy Spirit in nature and the imminent need for eco-justice, Rev. Dr. Shore Goss gives us an inspiring interview. He encourages us to offer grace and inclusivity to all, just as Christ would do, and to be moved to action as an expression of prayer. Rev. Dr. Shore Goss was ordained a Catholic Jesuit priest in 1976. He fell in love with another Jesuit, Frank Ring, and resigned from the Society of Jesus. He is an unlaicized Catholic priest (excommunicated) and served from 2004 to 2017 as Senior Pastor/Theologian of MCC United Church of Christ in the Valley. Tune in to hear about his lifetime of experiences, love, and faith.  Grab a copy of Robert’s books: https://amzn.to/3xfisf2 Other book recommendations: The Erotic Contemplative by Michael Bernard Kelly – https://amzn.to/3x9Davg The Erotic Contemplative on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6whUXSbW2v22D_WxPZpCPQ “Come Out My People!” by Wes Howard-Brook – https://amzn.to/3Me7s5B   If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology.   If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com. The post Angelic Troublemakers: Rev. Dr. Robert E. Shore Goss appeared first on Queer Theology.

“Power concedes nothing without demand” Frederick Douglass Happy Pride!! This month our series will focus on Angelic Troublemakers- folks who have been moved by their faith to action. We look at advocacy, activism, and prophecy in the Bible and how even small actions can lead to a big impact. This isn’t just something relevant in the Bible, it is timely and important that we engage in activism today. We will interview two inspiring leaders as part of this series and we’ll end with a reflection on how you can look to examples of people in your life who are engaging in activism and how you might be called to become an Angelic Troublemaker yourself.   Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation: https://www.felixgonzalez-torresfoundation.org/works/c/portraits   If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology. If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com.   Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona The post Angelic Troublemakers: A Pride Series appeared first on Queer Theology.

To close out our Jewish Leaders series, we have an inspiring interview with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. We cover a wide range of things; from her roots growing up secular in goth punk culture, finding her calling and faith, spiritual practices, and how queer folks harmed by religion can claim their faith again. As a Scholar in Residence at the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), her work is grounded in activism and we talk about how important it is today to continue to keep people safe and work towards a more just tomorrow. She is also an author with a substack called Life is a Sacred Text, and a new book coming out, On Repentance And Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World. Listen in for Rabbi Ruttenberg’s thoughts on the nature of the Divine and how you can tap into that through spiritual practice.    Learn more about Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg Web: https://danyaruttenberg.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRaDR Get on her Life is a Sacred Text https://lifeisasacredtext.substack.com/ National Council of Jewish Women https://www.ncjw.org/   Pre-order her book On Repentance And Repair here   Book recommendations: Be Still and Get Going by Alan Lew This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared by Alan Lew   If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology. If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to connect@queertheology.com. Podcast Transcript There is a technical issue with our transcript embed. We are working on resolving the issues as quickly as possible. The post Growing up Suburban Jewish & Finding Your Faith With Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg appeared first on Queer Theology.