The Christian understanding of sexuality has been a widely discussed and often controversial subject. Traditional notions often restrict rights, invalidate experiences, and impose unwanted oppressions on people who are transgender or identify as queer. Perhaps the best way to combat this intolerance is to clarify that these people also have the right to express their Christian faith.
The Christian religion, in the words of Isaac Archuleta, who works as a sex and relationship therapist, who also identifies as queer, would be centered around a compassionate and inclusive Christ, who enables self-acceptance and the expression of authenticity.
He argues that most forms of Christianity that most Americans are familiar with today are a path of oppression. Many Christians have their vision limited by the simplistic and reductive idea that all humanity is divided between men and women, abdicating respect and acceptance for the multiple existing gender identities.
However, Queer Theology brings a more inclusive and revealing biblical interpretation. Through it, we learn that God created human beings far beyond the male/female polarity. God created diversity. As a consequence, many transgender and queer believers end up finding this vision a way to reconcile their identity with their faith.
In a survey carried out by The Trevor Project in 2022, it was recorded that there were a significant number of young people who identified as LGBTQIA+ and also belonged to a religious community.
This finding emphasizes the importance of paying attention to this debate and redefining faith discourses based on prejudice and intolerance, in order to eradicate the suffering of people whose gender identity does not fit into binaries.
In this sense, BT Harman, creator of the blog “Blue Babies Pink” and who identifies as transgender, described how difficult it is for trans and queer people to be accepted in Christian communities, often having to repress or even deny their identity to be accepted.
In this fight for respect and inclusion, Kei Koito, a classically trained organist, joins a growing chorus of transgender people who are claiming their place in Christian communities around the world. It brings the perspective that being a transgender/queer person and a person of faith are not mutually exclusive.
Between mistakes and successes, a new path for the inclusion and acceptance of all forms of gender diversity in the Christian religion is paved. By seeking a new interpretation of faith, transgender and queer people challenge the traditional narrative and open the doors to a more inclusive, plural and, therefore, more authentic Christianity.
The task may not be easy, but those who seek the true face of God are not willing to give up. After all, as Archuleta well remembered, a Christian message is rooted in the liberation of oppressed people, and this seems to be the path that trans and queer people are taking in their spiritual debates.
