SPIRITUALITY:
ALTERING
SENSATIONS
Religious Concerns in the
Gay and Lesbian Community_____
officially reject homosexuality and condemn
homosexual activity. Others such as the Friends
hank God I was bom and raised
(or Quakers) and the Unitarian Universalists,
an atheist,” a gay friend said
accept homosexuality and welcome gays and
jokingly during a recent discussion in lesbians. Still others, most prominently the
which the issue of homosexuality and organized
Metropolitan Community Church, minister
religion came up. I thought the point was well
directly to the lesbian and gay community.
taken. Lesbians and gay men are so often de
The churches’ attitude towards homosexuals
nounced and condemned in the name of religion
is. of course, only half the story; the attitude of
that it’s easy enough for us to conclude that
homosexuals towards the churches is the other
religion itself is an enemy. The thought of being
half. Just because a church rejects gays and
without religion altogether seems attractive,
lesbians doesn't mean that gays and lesbians
especially around the holiday season with all its
have to reject the church. Homosexual Catho
commercialized and empty religiosity. For
lics, Mormons, and Seventh Day Adventists
some gays and lesbians, though, thinking away
have refused to accept their churches’ rejection;
their religious impulses and beliefs would be as
they have refused to go away. Instead, they
difficult as thinking away their homosexuality.
have organized gmupis for mutual support, rec
For others, intellectual commitments dictate
ognition. and fellowship. They also strongly
that they seek and worship God. For still others,
lobby their denominations for recognition and
religious observances are strongly intertwined
acceptance.
w ith family ties, childhood memories, and
Unfortunately, they are not always success
ethnic identity. Such people often face a
ful. and in one notorious instance may have
dilemma because homosexuality does not mix
helped provoke an anti-gay backlash. That
well with some of the most vocal forms of
group is Dignity, a Catholic organiztion for
organized religion. Fortunately, there are some
gays and lesbians and their friends. The historic
options currently available, and there are many
position of the Catholic Church always has been
people engaged in the effort to open up new
hostility towards homosexuality. However, the
ones.
Church is a vast organization and the way
If we restrict ourselves to Catholic and Pro
Catholicism is practiced varies from place to
testant denominations we can say that, broadly
place. In the Pacific Northwest. Dignity has
speaking, churches fall into three categories
been relatively successful in finding at least de
with regard to their attitude towards homosexu facto acceptance, much to the displeasure of
ality. Some denominations such as Catholics.
higher officials in the Church. Archbishop
Mormons, and many Evangelical Protestants
Hunthausen of Seattle was recentl> reprimanded
B Y
R O D G E R J -_ A
T
Just Out
10
January. 1987
R S O N
in part for allowing priests to say Mass for
Dignity. No doubt it was also the growing visi
bility of Dignity that prompted the Vatican to
write a letter to the American bishops describ
ing homosexuality as a disorder, asserting that
no one has any conceivable right to engage in
homosexual behavior, and suggesting that
homosexuals invite violent reactions by
demanding civil rights. Of course, Dignity is
not to blame for the hateful response it has
provoked, and perhaps it is a consolation that at
least they've gotten the Pope's attention
The situation is quite different in churches
that officially accept gays and lesbians as mem
bers. Here the difference between the official
church position and the way the religion is
practiced in different areas may work against
the interests of gay and lesbian members. The
denomination may be tolerant but the individual
congregation may remain homophobic. I know
a Unitarian who came out as a gay man in his
thirties after having been married and having a
child. As a family man he was well accepted in
the church community, but as a gay men he was
virtually shunned. Thus, even within gay-
supportive churches there has been a need for
gay and lesbian caucuses and organizations.
For instance, the local Unitarian Church has a
chapter of Unitarian Universalists for Lesbian
and Gay Concerns.
A few months ago I was talking with the
minister of a liberal, gay-tolerant church. I hap
pened to mention the Metropolitan Community
Church. A pained but puzzled smile came to my
companion’s face as he said, “ Oh, that’s the
homosexual church. You know. I’ve never un
derstood why people would want to base a
church on their sexuality.’ ’ MCC would say that
my friend had made two mistakes. First of all. it
is the mainstream churches which declare that
homosexuals cannot be saved that are basing
their religion on their sexuality. MCC is open to
everyone regardless of their sexuality. Secondly,
MCC would urge that they are not a homosex
ual church but rather they are a scripturally
centered Christian church with a special out
reach to the lesbian and gay community. For
people who want a traditional approach to
Christianity in a homosexual-supportive
context. MCC may be just the place to go.
There are many options for religiously
oriented gays and lesbians. This brief article has
mentioned only some. We have omitted, for
instance. Judaism: the attitudes of Jews towards
homosexuality vary from congregation to con
gregation. and some are very supportive. No
doubt attitudes vary also within religions that
come from non-Western traditions. In addition,
gays and lesbians are exploring alternatives that
would have seemed unthinkable a generation
ago. There are now, in Portland, several Pagan
spiritual groups which invite the participation of
all people whatever their sexuality. Atheism, of
course, is available to people whose prior ex
perience has turned them .iff to religion
altogether, but for those gays and lesbians who
have religious needs, our community offers
many opportunities to fulfill them •