God, sex, and gender have never truly been the greatest bedfellows. What happens between the sheets for a lot of people is frowned upon in many religious groups.
It’s something that is unspoken of – a real ‘ask no questions’ kind of deal in religion, lest ye be smited into the fiery pits of hell for your sins.
That’s not to say that LGBT people don’t exist in religion though.
There’s a whole bunch of groups that support a very persecuted minority of people that are struggling with their personal conflict of faith, love, and identity.
Here’s a Very Handy List of groups and networks from pretty much every denomination that are making progress in acceptance and inclusivity. They’re challenging the heck outta societal and religious stereotypes and it’s A+ work.
Rosh Pinah is an inclusive, supportive network for LGBTQIA+ Orthodox Jews and their families. They believe they are different to other Orthodox Jewish support groups because they provide a space for transgender and non-binary people, who seem to get ignored and misgendered by other groups.
The group works with each person individually, instead of applying a blanket support for all people within the network. It means that Rosh Pinah accepts that every person’s experience is very different.
A Progressive Christian Voice works within its denomination to recognise that ‘Christian opinion is more diverse than that portrayed by the media’ and are a group that are more future-focused.
They’re big advocates for marriage equality (they believe it’s an ‘ethical no-brainer’) and have previously called for bible-sanctioned violence against LGBTQIA+ people to be ‘outed and stopped’.
They’re a group that not only acknowledges the elephant in the room, but faces them and calls them out.
Collins St Baptist Church is probably a name you’ve heard around for being one of the most progressive religious communities in Australia.
The Melbourne church has a strong commitment to support marginalised people, advocate on social justice issues, and work toward a progressive and inclusive society.
The church also hosts monthly forums called ‘Conscious on Collins’, which aims to provide a space for voiceless minorities to speak on issues that are important and crucial to their existence.
The Union for Progressive Judaism is a collective of over 26 congregations over Australia, New Zealand, and Asia who actively advocate for equality for LGBTQIA+ people.
The group collectively condemns homophobia and discrimination against sexuality, and their Action & Advocacy Centre “oppose prejudice in all forms, not only when it is directed at us.”
Since 2014, Rainbow Catholics has been a space for LGBTQIA+ people within the Catholic community to come together to create a safe environment for themselves and their families.
Rainbow Catholics reaches far beyond the borders of Australia, and focus on pastoral care as their approach to accepting and nurturing relationships with LGBTQIA+ Roman Catholics.
Muslims For Progressive Values is a global network that actively challenges social inequality through the teachings of Islam.
After the shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando earlier this year, the group took a stand against homophobia in the Muslim community, and called upon Muslim leaders to pledge to combat and eradicate homophobic teachings within their communities.
The group also provides a wealth of resources for LGBTQIA+ Muslims, aiming to “dismantle the religious justification for homophobia in Muslim communities” and encouraging LGBTQIA+ Muslims to empower themselves in the knowledge that they do deserve a place in Islam.
Ambassadors and Bridge Builders International (ABBI) is a group founded by Anthony Venn-Brown, who retired from the big lights of some of Australia’s megachurches when he believed he couldn’t be gay and Christian.
ABBI came from a revelation that Venn-Brown had, that it’s “better to build a fence at the top of the cliff than run ambulances down the bottom”, which is a kinda morbid metaphor for nipping the problem in the bud before it gets damaging.
The group focuses on education and informing churches and other Christian groups to reach greater understanding and healthy discussion around LGBTQIA+ Christians.
Marhaba is a support network for Muslims in Melbourne, which is run by Australia’s first openly gay Imam, Nur Warsame.
The group has been supporting LGBTI Muslims since 2013, as being openly gay, bisexual, or transgender in the Muslim community is still extremely dangerous. Because of this, Marhaba is mostly run in secret in spaces across Melbourne.
Even though 2016 has been a shitheap of flaming hot garbage, take solace in knowing that there’s always support out there, even in the places we least expect.
Photo: Getty/Lisa Maree Williams.
