Is It Possible to Be a Queer Christian?

Certainly, Christianity has a reputation for homophobia and anti-queer teachings that has spread throughout today’s society, but exactly how accurate is it? To examine this claim, we must also examine the history and doctrine of one of the biggest religions on the planet to see if this reputation is deserved.

Undoubtedly, the Bible has explicit rules about homosexuality that absolutely cannot be denied, but it must be considered how important these rules are to Christianity. There are hundreds of laws that the Bible sets out for Christians, such as not cutting hair, not being near women on their periods, and not wearing linen or wool clothing, but these are little followed in Christianity, so why do some place such emphasis on opposing the queer community? Arguably, the roots of the problem with Christianity and the LGBTQ+ community lies not with the doctrine of the religion itself, but with those who twist and corrupt it to suit personal agendas.

Historically, Christianity evolved from the ancient religion of Judaism, which has had a significant effect on its doctrine today, most notably in the nature of the Bible. The Old Testament, the first part of the Bible, is compiled of mainly Jewish scripture, with the most relevant part being the prophecies predicting the coming of the Messiah, who Christians believe to be Jesus, and this is the main reason it is included in the Christian Bible. Interestingly, all the scripture commonly used against the LGBTQ+ community is found in the Old Testament, including the most infamous verses such the Leviticus “man must not lie with man,” leading to questions of how relevant it is to Christianity itself.

Furthermore, the main root of Christianity is the New Testament, as it describes Jesus’ life, death and rebirth, who of course is the figurehead of the religion. This part of the Bible has the most influence in Christianity today, which is significant when considering queer theology as it does not mention anything about homosexuality in the New Testament. In fact, the central message in Christianity is to spread love to absolutely everybody - “love thy neighbour,” and this includes the LGBTQ+ community, showing beyond doubt that Christian’s are encouraged to spread love and inclusion through their religion.

To conclude, whilst the Old Testament has many rules against queer culture in Christianity, the latter parts of the Bible, which holds more weight for Christians, teach a religion of love and diversity that makes it possible for any member of the queer community to become a Christian, no matter its widespread and undeserved reputation as prejudiced.