LGBT
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender
Oppression against gays, lesbians, bisexual, transgender(LGBT), and questioning people many times comes from the church or other religious organizations. Religion and homosexuality is a very touchy subject for people of the LGBT community.
Religion and Spirituality
Many LGBT people are religious and spiritual people but are in a situation where they go to churches who preach out against them or not having a church or a temple to nurture their spiritual and religious needs. There are several gay friendly churches within each denomination so that gays and lesbians do not have to feel isolated. These gay friendly churches are dedicated to creating a welcoming environment for all people, especially those who belong to the LGBT community.
Gay Friendly Churches
Depending on your denomination there are gay friendly churches that are accommodating and accepting of your lifestyle. If you are a Baptist, the Associating of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists is a gay friendly church that welcomes and affirms all without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity. DignityUSA is a gay friendly church based on the Catholic faith and it works for respect and justice for all members of the Catholic LGBT community through education, advocacy, and support. The Christian Church or Disciples of Christ has a gay friendly church called the Gay, Lesbian, and Affirming Disciples Alliance. Episcopal, Evangelical, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Quaker, Seventh-day Adventist, United Church of Christ, United Methodist, and Unity Churches all have some sort of gay friendly church within their organization. If you do a quick search online, there you will be able to find the sub category of gay friendly churches who are accepting and welcoming of the LGBT community. Furthermore, these organizations will also fight for, and advocate LGBT rights. Therefore, if you are concerned about not being accepted by a religious group due to your sexual orientation, you need not fear as there is a gay friendly church within almost every denomination of Christianity. We will use the word churches interchangeable with other places of wo
rship such as a temple or a synagogue. If you are not Christian, there are still some gay friendly churches within other religions that you can go to, to further your spiritual and religious education. The Gay Buddhist Fellowship is a gay
friendly church within Buddhism that practices in the gay community and brings together the diverse Buddhist traditions to address the spiritual concerns of gay men. If you are Hindu, The Gay and Lesbian Vaishnava Association is a gay friendly church accepting of all Hindus regardless of sexual orientation. In Judaism, the World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Jews: Keshet Ga’avah seeks to support, inspire, and strengthen local gro
up; foster a sense of community among diverse individuals and organizations; and achieve equality and security fo
r LGBT Jews worldwide. Lastly for those of the Muslim faith, Al-Faitha Foundation is dedicated to LGBT Muslims and it promotes the progressive Islamic notions of peace, equality, and justice.
While many religious organizations do speak out against homosexuality and the LGBT community, there are sects within each one that support your rights and your lifestyle. There is still a way for you to be homosexual as well as religious.