Far-right Christians fueling anti-queer laws

The LGBTQ+ community is under siege, facing an onslaught of attacks across our nation. Underscoring the urgency of this crisis, the Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for B mericans for the first time in its history. Discriminatory policies and the looming threat of violence have forced many transgender individuals to ee their homes.

Behind this assault on LGBTQ+ rights lies a relentless wave of far-right Christian messaging. Despite claims that these policies aim to protect children or safeguard the integrity of women’s sports, the truth is that this surge of hate is rooted in the belief that being LGBTQ+ is somehow ungodly.

As a Black queer reverend who hails from a small town in Texas, I am intimately familiar with this messaging. It permeates every aspect of society, making it impossible to confront the anti-LGBTQ+ movement without addressing this fundamental belief head-on.

Years of rigorous religious study have led me to a profound realization: The Bible does not explicitly discuss homosexuality or transgender people. Rather, every discriminatory interpretation targeting the LGBTQ+ community is a product of cultural biases and historical conditions. In fact, the more I delved into scripture, the clearer it became to me that Jesus, in essence, was ueer.

Before exploring the texts, it is crucial to recognize that extremist Christianity lies at the core of nearly every anti-LGBTQ+ effort. For example, a prominent pastor in my home state of Texas, known for protesting B events, declared that those who practice such lifestyles are opposed to God and will face eternal damnation. Likewise, State Rep. Randy Fine of Florida, a key figure behind the banning of gender-affirming care for minors, asserted that od does not make mistakes with our children.

n investigation by the ssociated ress recently revealed that a significant number of anti-trans bills originate from far-right groups rooted in Christianity, such as the Family Research Council.

It is astounding that the actual Bible te t provides no solid support for the generally held anti- B viewpoint. It is only an e trapolation that in uential people have used to further their own agendas.

In my biblical exploration, I discovered that Jesus embodies queerness. Queerness extends beyond gender and sexuality; it is fundamentally about being at odds with the world around you. This resonates strongly with Jesus, who was consistently cast out and demonized by society.

Consider when Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth and preached in the synagogue. Those who initially embraced him turned against him and even attempted to cause him harm.

Jesus also frequently clashed with religious leaders who eerily resemble those who currently assert with unwavering certainty that being LGBTQ+ is a sin. On one occasion, the harisees sought to destroy him after he healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath.

Furthermore, the Bible teaches us that Christ encompasses all things. If this holds true, then Christ is also trans, gay, straight, Black, white, and much more. In this light, queerness is not just something to be accepted—it is divine.

Ultimately, the Bible does not provide a clear and universal directive on matters of sexuality. However, it does unequivocally instruct us to love everyone, particularly the vulnerable and marginali ed.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon us, as people of faith, to challenge the prevailing narratives that seek to marginalize and harm the LGBTQ+ community. We must reclaim the true gospel—love, life, and the pursuit of justice.

In the face of adversity, we should stand as allies and advocates for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. It is time to dismantle the harmful interpretations and cultural biases that have been erroneously associated with our religious texts. We must reject the misguided notion that being LGBTQ+ is somehow incompatible with our faith. On the contrary, embracing diversity and celebrating the uni ueness of every individual is a re ection of the divine within us.

In this critical moment, we have an opportunity to reclaim and redefine the narrative. et us recognize the LGBTQ+ community as beloved children of God, deserving of dignity, respect, and e ual rights. ogether, we can create a society that affirms the inherent worth of every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

It is in this pursuit that we honor the true essence of our faith and create a world where every individual can live authentically, free from fear and prejudice.

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The Supreme Court ruling in 303 CREATIVE LLC ET AL. v. ELENIS ET AL. is a strong signal the LGBTQ community is not safe from serious discrimination. It is a warning we must watch our backs, and reminds us we must fight back.

While this case is a limited decision, it will open the door for more discrimination and litigation. There are potential ways around it, as we are reminded by Andrew Tang in a recent New York Times essay. He recounts how Kentucky handled the issue of ensuring same-sex couples could get a marriage license. But the takeaway for the community must be to accept the ma or way to fight back is with our vote. he temperament of the majority of this right-wing Supreme Court is such that it is not only the LGBTQ community that is at risk. It is the African-American community, women, and all minorities.

In her dissent Justice Sotomayor wrote, “…it reminds LGBT people of a painful feeling that they know all too well: There are some public places where they can be themselves, and some where they cannot. Ask any LGBT person, and you will learn just how often they are forced to navigate life in this way. They must ask themselves: If I reveal my identity to this co-worker, or to this shopkeeper, will they treat me the same way? If I hold the hand of my partner in this setting, will someone stare at me, harass me, or even hurt me? It is an awful way to live. Freedom from this way of life is the very object of a law that declares: All members of the public are entitled to inhabit public spaces on equal terms.” What it must also remind us is African Americans, and women, have been forced to live every day with constant thoughts as to how they will be treated in different situations and they can’t ever hide who they are, like members of the LGBTQ+ community can. It reminds us we must fight everyday so we never have to hide who we are, or who we are born to be.

The responsibility for the heightened culture wars we face must be placed squarely where it belongs, at the feet of the Republican Party, now a Trump cult. It’s a party that supported children of immigrants being placed in cages, separated from their parents. It supports groups like Moms for Liberty, now designated an ‘extremist’ group by the SPLC, with one of their chapters quoting Nazis in their newsletter. This group now courted by Republican candidates for president; Trump, Haley, DeSantis, and others, already bending a knee before them.

It is clear at all levels of government, the Republican Party, the MAGA Party, is introducing and passing legislation to move our country backwards in every area of civil and human rights. They claim responsibility for hundreds of legislative initiatives in Congress, and state legislatures, taking away personal rights. Their candidates proudly claim credit for appointing the udges who ended ffirmative action, reversed oe v. Wade, and are allowing businesses to discriminate against the LGBTQ community. They tell all who listen, this is only the beginning, “Elect us and there is more to come.” They commit to doing more to erode any progress, made over decades, toward a more equal and just society.

For all the decent people in our country it is past time to band together and say ‘no more’; we will not allow you, the Republican Party, to destroy all that is good in our nation. We will not vote for the party whose platform is supported by neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

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To begin moving our country forward, instead of continuing to move it backwards; to eliminate structural racism, fight discrimination against women, the B community, and minorities, at all levels of government, we must all vote against every Republican. We will say to them: “We will never support you as long as you are a member of the MAGA Party.” We must commit to not voting for any candidate who runs with the Republican label. We will ask every family member, friend, and neighbor, to join us. We will get them all to VOTE! We will continue to speak out every day on the atrocities foisted on us by this Republican Party. We move ahead understanding, only massive numbers heading to the polls, will allow us to win. We understand, in our democracy, the only way to ensure our voices are heard, that decent people will prevail, is with our VOTE! We will use it and win; for ourselves and the generations who follow.