Reconciling your religious beliefs with your sexuality

Here we go again. Down this old road that tends to be a rabbit hole for a lot of us.
What’s the relationship between sexuality and religion? For those of us who are
Christian, we’re familiar with the good old story of Adam and Eve. Yes, the first
humans were straight according to the narrative the bible tells us. The
philosophical story of how woman was created from man’s rib – she’s quote and
quotes the missing piece from man’s life. According to the bible, woman came as a
companion, a helper – a means of ensuring continuation of the human race. ‘Be
fruitful and multiply’, Isn’t that line infamous especially amongst us Africans?
Somewhere along this adulthood life we’re ‘supposed to’ get into a heterosexual
marriage and procreate. So now what happens when Steve comes into the
picture...?

There’s no escaping the fact that religion was heavily imposed on us growing up.
The need to be of a moral nature –which is really difficult considering morals are
relative to the person you ask. Yet one theme seems to cut across...The mutually
shared homophobia by a lot of church-going persons. Note to self – I didn’t say
Christians. The bible narrative paints a clear picture on what Christian culture is
based upon through the New Testament. LOVE. Love is the greatest
commandment – that we shall love our neighbors as we love themselves. God is love
and if we harbor anything that isn’t, that’s far from Godly.

A lot of condemnation that exists in Queer life comes from within in spite of
constant ridicule that general society freely offers. Why is that?...A narrative has
been sold to Queer people that we are ‘insufficient’, ‘wrong’, ‘lost’ and quite
frankly ‘bad’. That isn’t just an attack on a person’s character; it’s an attack on a
person’s being. It’s a direct demean on our existence and terming us unworthy of
respect. A lot of insults directed at Queer persons really hit below the belt which is
why I personally refuse to attach such behaviors to religion. Religion is
accommodation of interpersonal differences, upholding respect and most
importantly practicing love towards each other as that is the only way God can be
truly worshipped.

So I ask...Who are you? Who truly are you? What does Queer identity look like
for you? And better yet...Is it all that defines you? It’s important to deconstruct
concepts and bring them down to a level that is personal to us in order to let go of
weight that isn’t ours to carry. Topping that list would be societal expectations.
What role did they tell you was yours to play? Do you see significance and
resonate with the said role? What opinions do you hold about yourself? Are you
less of a person just because you’re queer? What’s your definition of sin? What’s
love and what’s not? What makes you bad? And the most important question you
should ask...Are you a good person?

The answers you hold to these questions are the bridge to your personal
relationship with God. Everyone is allowed to be of faith, everyone is allowed to
practice religion, everyone is allowed access to prayer – to God. The bible
narrative not only tells us that we’re equal before the eyes of God but also we are
His children. We ALL belong to Him. My take away would be – let yourself not
be convinced out of where you belong. You have a space in church. You know
why?...You are the church! It’s all in you, the spirit of God – enoughness.

Dear Queer reader, you are sufficient and more than enough as you come.