(Outreach. Brian T. Gillis).
In many respects, broader acceptance of LGBTQ people in our society has advanced at light speed over the past few years. But when it comes to communities of faith, the path to making LGBTQ people feel welcome remains uncharted territory.
As a family therapist serving LGBTQ young people in Alabama, I have heard countless stories of both negative and positive responses to the disclosure of queer and trans identities. It strikes me that stories of parental rejection so frequently mention faith: “My parents are religious, so it wasn’t okay when I came out.” What saddens me about this type of story is the automatic assumption that religiosity requires rejection!