Gay and bisexual men make up 70% of new HIV infections in the United States; communities of color and young adults are particularly hard hit. HIV testing is critical for both individual health and in the efforts to end the epidemic. When people know their HIV status, they can make healthy and informed choices about […]
Create Inclusive Space Congregational space can be an exclusive space, especially with regard to transgender individuals. For instance, most congregations still do not provide all-gender restroom facilities, and this omission can be a considerable barrier for transgender persons who belong, attend, or visit your congregation. Providing at least one accessible all-gender restroom is an important […]
By genuinely welcoming and integrating LGBTQ people into a congregation all members can experience transformation. When individuals who were once unwelcome and perhaps even unnamed are brought into a community of faith, new perspectives emerge on what it means to live as people of faith. When individuals who have been marginalized for so long enter […]
On 19 June 1865 Union General Gordon Granger proclaimed in Galveston, Texas, the federal government’s decree that all previously-enslaved people in Texas were free; this proclamation was read over two and a half years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been signed by President Abraham Lincoln on 1 January 1863. It is this […]
Providing opportunities for all couples to celebrate their weddings is very important to fully affirm LGBTQ people in your community. It is seen by many as a sign that a faith group has truly committed to equality for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Denominations and religions have a variety of positions on […]
29 May 2026 LGBTQ people understand from years of experience that they are unwelcome in most congregations. Since our culture is saturated with the anti-queer rhetoric of religious leaders who claim to represent the only authentic Jewish and Christian positions on homosexuality, a congregation that seeks to become welcoming needs to state clearly and publicly […]
22 May 2026 A congregation interested in becoming a community of care should begin with education and compassionate dialogue. The leaders and members of a church or synagogue will need to educate themselves about sexual orientation, gender identity, and the most genuine and effective ways to integrate LGBTQ people into the life of the congregation. […]