ISSUE ONE // FAITH
WELCOME TO SPIT & SPIRIT
I began to realize that I was attracted to oth-
er guys in my early teens and my first thought
was, What does my Christian faith thave to say
about this??? In fact, I was probably wondering
that before I had even crystalized the thought I
might like guys.
In the early days of the internet, there were few
resources available and I devoured everything
I could get my hands. Pro-gay, anti-gay, search-
ing-for-a-third-way-gay, and anything else that
could offer any insight into what I was going
through.
Today, a search for gay Christian turns up one
hundred thirty four million results. People are
#SPITANDSPIRIT
talking about this, for sure.
The conversations were having though, havent
changed much. In 2007, I participated in the
Soulforce Equality Ride, a cross-country mobile
social justice project bringing the questions of
gender and sexuality to Christian college cam-
puses with anti-LGBT policies across the United
States. Over and over I answered the question
(usually asked rhetorically),
How can you possibly consid-
er yourself a Christian if youre
gay?
I have talked about Leviticus 18:22 (Thou shalt
not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is
an abomination, King James Version) literally
more times than I can remember.
The question that comes up
most often when talking about
queer spirituality is, Is it a sin
to be gay?
But we have so much more to of-
fer.
The experience of being lesbian, gay, bisexu-
al, transgender, and/or any of the multitude of
ways that people are queer, colors and enriches
our livesand our faithsin bold and beautiful
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ways.
Our lives are complex, complicated, messy even.
This is especially true for LGBTQ people as we
seek to sort out the difference between what
the spirit tells us and what society tells us for
better or for worse about our lives, loves, bod-
ies, faith, and humanity.
Im convinced that we have something invalu-
able to offer those that wrestle with the reality
of faith. Something the world, and the Church,
and the believers, and the doubters, and the
skeptics need to hear and to experience.
SPIT & SPIRIT moves beyond the question of Is
it OK? and is instead an offering of our unique,
and sacred, perspective. It will be reflection, dis-
course, confession, prayer, and conversation.
SPIT & SPIRIT is a journey. Thanks for traveling
with me.
Brian Gerald
Publisher
ISSUE ONE // FAITH
ISSUE ONE // FAITH

Whats Doubt Got To Do With it Called To Faith (Sorta), an interview with Chris Stedman
5 14

Transformative Faith Coming Out As An Act of Faith

7 19

Leaning On The Faith Of Others A Faith Fought For

10 23

Cute Theology A Call For Queer Theology

12 27

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And have mercy on
those who doubt.
Jude 1:22

ISSUE ONE // FAITH

WHATS DOUBT GOT TO DO
WITH IT?
It perhaps seems odd to open a magazine on
FAITH with a Scripture on doubt, but for me
at least, the two are inextricably wound up to-
gether.
I remember the first time I was given per-
mission in my faith life for doubt. Attending
a speaker series at the University of Southern
California, the president of Claremont Semi-
nary remarked,
The opposite of faith is not
doubt. The opposite of faith is
certainty.
And with that I received not only permission
to feel my doubts but also the freedom to live
into the mystery of faith.
If you read anything else Ive written, you may
see there the pull between faith and doubt, be-
tween certainty and unknown, between hope
and despair.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender peo-
ple are often harshly accused of choosing
choosing a lifestyle or an orientation, choos-
#SPITANDSPIRIT SUBSCRIBE PAGE 5 SHARE
ing to change our bodies, choosing to hurt our
families, choosing to take things personally
For some of us, the notion of choosing our ori-
entations and genders is as absurd as choosing
the color of our eyes, while for others choice
in gender and sexuality is empowering.
But there is one thing we can all
agree on when it comes to choice:
We choose our faith.
Our faith is hard won. It is not one that is
handed down gently through the ages to us.
Not one that we inherit tax-free from our fa-
thers. Churches, families, and strangers say to
us, Oh, youre queer? No need to be a part of
this any more.
Some of us, facing the reality that we need
not stay in the faith of our childhood embrace
that freedom and choose a new way to struc-
ture our lives. While others refuse to be forced
out of our spiritual homes and instead choose
to stay and fight and transform the communi-
ty.
ISSUE ONE // FAITH
Since coming out, I have been surrounded by
all different kinds of faith.
The faith of Rev. Mel White in the redeeming
power of God to transform even Jerry Falwell
into a friend and ally (he wasnt, at least in
this life).
The faith of my best friend Micah that his par-
ents would one day use the correct name and
pronouns for him (they did).
The faith of dear friends in the power of God
to save them from the grips of alcoholism.
The faith of others to pack up and move across
the country for seminary.
I see faith that one day we will lead our own
lives.
That churches will ordain us, that society will
marry us.
Faith that HIV/AIDS will be brought to end,
that women will be honored equally to men.
Faith that we can build a society where ev-
#SPITANDSPIRIT
eryone has a home, even and especially queer
and trans* young people.
On the Equality Ride, I shared a bus with Bap-
tists, Methodists, Presbyterians non-denom-
inational Evangelicals, and Methodists. And
also Buddhists, agnostics, atheists, and even
one Lutheran-Pagan.
The experience shattered everything I thought
I knew to be true about faith and spirituality.
Growing up, my friends at church and Young-
Life were Christians and, presumably, most ev-
eryone else was simply not. While in college,
my faith-filled friends were the ones I attend-
ed Campus Crusade for Christ with, my friends
from the dorm were just my regular friends.
And here I was confronted with atheists and
agnostics who looked more like the Jesus I
read about in the Bible than even myself. Peo-
ple with unconditional love and compassion,
who lived their lives with deep intention, who
befriended and sought to understand every-
one they encountered.
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I have come to realize that being queer is not
a hindrance to our faith, but an asset.
Our queerness calls into question our faith
and our identity. We must wrestle with our-
selves, with God, and sometimes with others
to sort it out. We find a faith that makes sense,
that fulfills, that liberates, that celebrates.
When we come out the other end of that pro-
cess, we have a faith that is ours. It may be
a confident atheist or a renewed Christian or
something else entirely. Whatever it is, no one
can say that we take it for granted.
There may be doubt but there is also choice.
And a chosen faith is a powerful one.
If this article resonates with you, would you dis-
cuss it with your friends and family (in person or
online)? Click here to tweet about it.
ISSUE ONE // FAITH
TRANSFORMATIVE FAITH
When you really believe something, it changes everything
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
My middle school youth group leader Dave
OConnell asked, If you believe something
but it doesnt change your life, do you really
believe it? Ever since, that question has an-
chored my beliefs to my actions.
In middle school, I believed that Jesus had
died to pay for my sins, to save me from the
punishment and torture of hell. I believed that
anyone who didnt accept him into their heart
and turn their life over to him would suffer
an eternity of torment. And so, with that be-
lief firmly intact, I set about witnessing to as
many friends as I could.
I invited them to youth group, summer camp,
the fun church activities, and even Bible study
and Sunday school. I didnt want anything bad
#SPITANDSPIRIT
to happen to them. I wanted them to be saved
too.
As I grew older, I became more and more aware
of my attraction to other guys and felt more
and more out of place at my church. Still, in
eleventh grade when I fell in love with my
best friend, I didnt hesitate to invite him to
YoungLife camp. He, surprisingly, agreed to
come.
Over the week at camp, he accepted Jesus into
his heart and turned his life over to Christ.
He also made new friends from our school at
camp and over the rest of the summer, our
friendship drifted.
I remember thinking that even though Young-
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2 Corinthians 5:17
Life camp triggered the beginning of the end
of our friendship, if I had to do it again, I would
still invite him. I loved and cared for him that
much enough to lose him to save him.
High school ended and over the following few
years, I let go of more and more of my Evan-
gelical beliefs. I still wanted to believe them,
to hold them near methey were comforting
and familiar but I noticed that I wasnt liv-
ing them out. I couldnt really claim to believe
in them.
BORN AGAIN (AGAIN)
2 Corinthians 5:17 was one of my memory
verses in sixth grade. If anyone is in Christ he
is a new creation; the old has gone, the new
has come. I can still recite it from memory.
But I didnt really understand it, Id never lived
it.
From my evangelical perspective, being a new
creation meant that Id thrown off the shackles
of Original Sin, I now had Jesus as my co-pilot
and would be better equipped to make the
right decisions, and I was pardoned for any
of the bad things Id done up until that point.
It was all very academic, some theoretical
tabulation happening in Heaven. I didnt feel
like a new creation. I felt deeply emotionally
and spiritually moved during worship, and es-
pecially during the talks and prayer times at
camp. But my day-to-day existence was rather
ordinary.
In March 2007 I was on-campus at the Uni-
versity of Notre Dame when a student there
asked for more information about our group,
Soulforce, and the activities wed planned for
our Equality Ride stop. I explained we were
traveling the country starting conversations
about faith, sexuality, and gender. I handed
him a flyer detailing our events for the com-
ISSUE ONE // FAITH
 ing days.
And I was promptly confronted by security.
I was cited for trespassing, had my name and
personal information recorded, was escorted
from the campus, and was banned for life from
any property owned by the university.
Two days later, when our bus pulled away that
student, Daniel, sent me an email. He had at-
tended all of our events after meeting me that
day on campus. In his email he explained that
he is gay and that our visit gave him the com-
fort and affirmation he needed to finally love
himself. He got the courage to begin telling
his friends and he returned to church for the
first time in months. I was born again.
A teacher at my church in New York City de-
scribes the Christmas story this way:
When the wise men encountered
Jesus, they experienced some-
thing so profound that they could
not go back the way they came.
Instead, they left a different way,
forever changed.
My encounter with Daniel would be echoed
over and over again in experiences since ful-
ly embracing myself and slowly, tentatively
stepping into activism and advocacy.
At some point, I could not return the same
way.
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The queer experience, like the Christian faith,
is an invitation to return a different way, to
enter into a story bigger than oneself, and to
allow the experience to transform you.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I
thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man, I put childish ways be-
hind me.
I am thankful to be queer. When
well-meaning Christians ask, I mean who
would CHOOSE to be gay? as their justifica-
tion for being LGBT-affirming, I bristle.
I would choose to be gay.
My experiences because of my sexual orien-
tation profoundly shaped (and continue to
shape) my life. They helped me to question my
previously unquestioned beliefs. They brought
me into contact with diverse people and opin-
ions.
And, perhaps most strikingly, they guided me
deeper into the Christian faith. I look back now
at my middle school faith and realize that it
was childish. I was so concerned with 15-min-
ute quiet times each morning (that I could
never manage to keep up with). I insisted that
Noahs Ark was real and that men had one less
rib than women. I refused to understand evo-
lution. And of course, I thought it was a sin to
be gay.
ISSUE ONE // FAITH
Today, my adult faithtriggered by being
queerhas transformed my life. It peels off
layer after layer of the old creation.
Shame.
Arrogance.
Self-righteousness.
Judgement.
Prejudice.
Unexamined racial privilege.
Nationalism.
Violence.
Transphobia.
Faith has the power to enact real, measurable
differences in the world. But not in a magical
way. Faith is powerful only when it is transfor-
mative. Only, as Dave OConnell insisted, when
it changes you.
Now, this is what I believe:
I believe that Gods love is big enough for us all.
All of us, even the people I dont like, even the
people who have hurt me. Even Fred Phelps.
I believe that just as Jesus was incarnate in
humanity to demonstrate the power of love,
so too must I incarnate my love for others. Its
#SPITANDSPIRIT
not enough to say I love you, I must act out
that love. Even when its uncomfortable. Even
if it means I might be crucified.
I believe that God is in the margins. That just
as Jesus was a homeless, itinerant peasant
born to a single teenage mother in exile, God
still dwells in the shadow of the Empire. That I
have something to learn from a God who con-
tinues to be in my midst in the lives of those
I encounter every day.
I believe that Sin is real and pernicious and
evil. I see it more now than ever beforein
the torture of innocents in the name of mil-
itary might, in the economic injustice which
causes my country to have more empty homes
than homeless people, in the horrible condi-
tions in which my electronics were produced.
Sin is real and ever-present and seemingly in-
escapable.
I also believe absolutely believe that heal-
ing and reconciliation are possible because
Ive experienced them in my own life.
Today, I have been transformed into a new cre-
ation. And its all because Im queer.
Thank God.
Sound off. How have you been transformed?
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LEANING ON THE FAITH OF OTHERS
I believe in the God of alcoholics and addicts
The Twelves Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
1. We admitted we were powerless over al-
cohol that our lives had become unmanage-
able.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater
than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our
lives over to the care of God as we understood
Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral in-
ventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to
another human being the exact nature of our
wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove
all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our sh
ngs.
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8. Made a list of all persons we had
harmed, and became willing to make amends
to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people
wherever possible, except when to do so would
injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory
and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to
improve our conscious contact with God, as we
understood Him, praying only for knowledge of
His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the
result of these steps, we tried to carry this mes-
sage to alcoholics, and to practice these princi-
ples in all our affairs.
ISSUE ONE // FAITH
 Im not an alcoholicand on some days, Im not had it his way hed be in the throes of addiction
even a Christian. I do, however, believe deeply in that he was in the throes of addiction. That it
the God of alcoholics and addicts. There are mo- wasnt until he turned his life over to a higher
ments when I feel-in-my-bones the Spirit mov- power that he was able to find freedom.
ing and some of those moments, for me, have
I trust my friends, and they have faith. And it is
been at A.A. meetings watching loved ones pick
powerful. Thats something to pay attention to.
up anniversary chips.
Thats something Ill believe in.
I dont know what keeps my friends sobersome
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and
for days others for decades. I confide in a close
women who share their experience, strength and
friend, Maybe there is no higher power keeping
hope with each other that they may solve their
you sober Maybe you are keeping yourself so-
common problem and help others to recover from
ber. Isnt that awesome? You dont need to sell
alcoholism. Visit aa.org for more.
yourself short!
Publishers Note: The use of exclusively male pro-
He reminds me, graciously every time, that if he
nouns in The 12 Steps is limiting.

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CUTE THEOLOGY
As queers, we dont have space for cute theology. We dont have
the luxury of anything but the truth.
I remember as a teenager scouring the Inter-
net, looking for theology on homosexuality.
Books, articles, sermons, Bible studies any-
thing that I could get my hands on. The box-
out lessons in my Teen Study Bible left some-
thing to be desired, I needed more.
Even in 1997, there were resources written by
gay Christians. What?! People claimed to be
both gay AND Christian? Id heard at church
that homosexuality and Christianity were in-
compatible. Homosexuals were sinners and
perverts. They didnt just want tolerance, they
#SPITANDSPIRIT
wanted acceptance. They wanted you to affirm
their sin.
Sinners are always trying to justify their sin, I
was told.
And so I approached anything written by gay
people with skepticism. Can I really trust this
person? Arent they just trying to justify their
sin?
What I was really looking for was a straight
person to tell me that it was OK to be gay.
I needed their impartial, unbiased opinion. If
SUBSCRIBE PAGE 12 SHARE
they werent gay, they could objectively assess
what Scripture has to say. They wouldnt need
to justify anything since they werent strug-
gling with same-sex attractions.
Thats what I thought, at least.
(Incidentally, I found many straight Chris-
tianseven in, gasp, 1998who were saying
it was, of course, OK to be gay and Christian.
Peggy Campolos insistence, against the per-
spective of her famous husband, that gay peo-
ple were celebrated parts of Gods creation
was a critical step in my own journey.)
What is merely an issue for many theologians
and authors is my daily lived reality. I can nev-
er escape my attractions to men, I live with
them daily. A straight Christian might pick up
homosexuality for a moment and look at it.
Herm, this is what it looks like. I think thats
bad, he might conclude. Or he might consider
homosexuality and decide it to be acceptable.
In any event, he puts it down and moves on
just as easily as he picked it up.
But I, I live with it, I live in it. My queerness is
not an issue which I can pause to consider, it
is a reality that I embody.
Am I a pervert?
Does this make me less pleasing to God?
Am I whole?
Can I have a family?
Will I be safe?
Am I destined for hell?
Not questions to take lightly.
At the end of the day, whatever a straight
Christian concludes about homosexuality may
have little impact on his life. It might affect his
theoretical beliefs. It might even affect his re-
lationships: with co-workers, family, strangers.
It remains always an intellectual decision for
him, one to consider or dismiss, contemplate
or ignore, accept or reject.
Homosexuality is not an academic consider-
ation for me.
I dont have time for quaint theology. For pack-
ISSUE ONE // FAITH
ages and constructs and systems and creeds
on the nature and goodness of my sexuality.
I need to knowneed to knowexactly what
it means for my life.
I grew up in a church that taught me homo-
sexuality was a sinful decision. I grew up in
a family with no openly gay family members,
who openly talked about how gay people were
weird and wrong. I grew up immersed in a cul-
ture where heterosexuality was promoted as
the ideal. TV shows, movies, love songs, and
late night comedy all told me that there was
one way to be: and that way was straight.
If I could do it over again, I would only seek out
the opinions of queer people when it comes
to homosexuality. We live it, breathe it, speak
it, and die because of it.
The decisions I madeto come out, to have
a boyfriend, to kiss, to have sex, to consider
forming a familywere not made lightly. Each
one is a matter of literal and spiritual life and
death.
I must know exactly where I stand
#SPITANDSPIRIT
and what I believe and exactly why
I believe it.
My theology is time-tested. It did not come
easy. I lost friends. I was excluded from lead-
ership. I am denied job opportunities. I am
threatened with violence and harassed with
words. I get stares at church.
My theology is costly. If I were straight, I could
cast it off if it were not convenient. I could
believe whatever way I wanted. I could hide
it, or decline to defend it, or take it for grant-
edjust as I can when it comes to theology
around wealth, or gender in those instances,
I can pick and choose what I want to believe, I
can put on whatever suits the moment. When
it comes to homosexuality, I dont have that
luxury.
That is our giftthat is the gift of all oppressed
and marginalized peoplewe dont have the
time for anything less than the Truth. In our
struggle for existence, for community, for sal-
vation, for redemption, for transformation
we can only find what is True our lives de-
pend on it.
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CALLED TO FAITH (SORTA)
An interview with Chris Stedman, author of Faitheist
Chris Stedman is the Assistant Chaplain and
Values in Action Coordinator for the Humanist
Community at Harvard University (where he was
previously the inaugural Interfaith and Commu-
nity Service Fellow), the Emeritus Managing Di-
rector of State of Formation at the Journal of In-
ter-Religious Dialogue, and the Founder of the
first blog dedicated to exploring atheist-inter-
faith engagement, NonProphet Status.
#SPITANDSPIRIT
I was first introduced to Chriss work in 2010
when I considered atheism for the first time.
Since, Ive swung back and forth between faith
and doubt, atheism and Christianity. Throughout
it all Chris reminds me that we can work togeth-
er across differences. And that the best parts of
Christianity are the best parts of humanity, too.
Im stoked to interview Chris for the inagural is-
sue of SPIT & SPIRIT
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Unlike many LGBT Christians (and
former Christians), you werent
raised in a Christian home, but rath-
er converted to Evangelical Christi-
anity in your youth. What was it about
Christianity that attracted you?
In some ways, I was drawn to Christianity be-
cause it was convenient. I was invited to at-
tend an evangelical youth group by friendsif
I had grown up in a context where Christianity
wasnt the majority religion I mightve become
something else, but Christianity was there.
One of the reasons I was drawn to that par-
ticular community was because I was looking
for a place to belong. I was always a bit of an
odd child, and at the time of my conversion
my parents were separating, so I was definite-
ly seeking a place to be accepted.
The other major reason Christianity appealed
to me is that I was trying to make sense of in-
justice. One year before my conversion, I start-
ed reading books like Roots, Hiroshima, and
The Diary of Anne Frank, and I was suddenly
aware of some of the greatest atrocities hu-
mans have committed against one another.
All the more, I learned about them in a way that
personified and humanized the experience of
suffering. Unlike my history books, which sim-
ply told me what happened, these books pre-
sented the experiences of the people these
things happened to. I couldnt believe that
such horrors had occurred, and I longed for a
way to make it okayto see those who suf-
fered redeemed. Evangelical Christianity gave
me that comfort.
And then, of course, you left Christi-
anity. Many folks who dont believe in
God, or dont accept everything their
religion teaches, remain in the fold,
for many of the reasons you just artic-
ulated that drew you there in the first
place. Why did you leave? Was your
sexual orientation the catalyst? Your
atheism? Some combination of the
two?
I left because, years later, the claims of the
Christian tradition were no longer consistent
with what I believed to be true. Though my
frustration and anger with Christianity be-
cause of the years I tortured myself by try-
ISSUE ONE // FAITH
 ing to change my sexual orientation may have
fueled the anger I felt toward the faith after
leaving it, my atheism was actually born out
personal reflection and critical inquiry. Af-
ter having justified my years of suffering as a
kind of preparation for a life of ministry (i.e. I
suffered so that I could empathize with those
who suffersince ministers were the people
I knew who worked in solidarity with the dis-
enfranchisedI went to college to study re-
ligion. While there, I was encouraged by my
professors to explore why I became a Chris-
tian in the first place. I looked at the available
evidence for the existence of God and felt
underwhelmed. When I realized that for me
Christianity was more about community and
about ethics, and not as much about theology
and God-belief, I left. That, too, was challeng-
ing, but I needed to be honest with myself.
As someone who was raised nonreligious, I
had always believed in community and in do-
ing goodChristian theology, however, had
always felt a bit alien. I had assumed it was
a package deal, so I just accepted it. When I
realized I didnt have to, I decided I was an
atheist.
But because we live in a world largely defined
by dichotomy and us vesus them, I felt like I
either had to be religious or against religious
expression. I was conflicted about religion for
years. I wanted to study it, but I didnt know
#SPITANDSPIRIT SUBSCRIBE PAGE 15 SHARE
how to talk to religious people about it. I did
learn how, eventually, but it took a lot of mis-
steps to figure it out.
There can be a pressure to reconcile
our sexual orientation with our faith.
This can be especially true for LGBT
people doing public work. That were
supposed to be just like you, except
gay. Did you ever feel that pressure?
And why is it important for you to be
openly atheist and openly gay?
Oh, absolutely. When I was a queer and Chris-
tian activist, I definitely felt a certain kind of
pressure (self-imposed, of course) to be a mod-
el Christian. But as Ive gotten older, Ive come
to realize that it is more effective, and more re-
warding, to just be as human as you can be. No
one can relate to a posture of perfection; they
can relate to someone who shares in common
challenges, joys, and desires. So I try to just
be as open as I can about both my imperfec-
tions and my aspirations to be and do good.
You dont have to share everythingprivacy is
important, toobut it is good to demonstrate
to others that its okay to be human.
As for why I feel that it is important to be open-
ly atheist and openly gayId like to share a
story about that.
So a few months ago my mom confessed that
when she attends her Curves gym in rural
ISSUE ONE // FAITH

Minnesota and people ask about her children,
she has no concerns about telling them that
my book is about my being gay, or that it talks
about my work with Muslims; but that when
she gets to the part about how I am an athe-
ist, she feels nervous because the reactions
have been so polarized.
There seem to be few atheists who say we
can and should get along, but there are many
who denigrate the religious, and people bris-
tle when they hear atheist because that is
the image that comes to mind.
Another story: last year I spoke in Mobile, AL.
While we were discussing my visit, my mom
joked: Its kind of hip to be a gay atheist at
Harvardnot so much most everywhere else.
Be careful. And she was right; I definitely felt
unsafe there (especially because a story on my
visit was run in the University paper). But Im
#SPITANDSPIRIT
open about who I am because its important
for people to know that its okay to be yourself.
Atheists are generally seen as intolerant and
immoral, and Id like to change that because
it will make the world a safer place for athe-
istsand, I think, for everyone. Being gay and
being an atheist need to be seen as legitimate,
as viable, as destigmatized. I try to live openly
because I believe it makes it easier for other
people to do the same. A Gallup poll released
in 2010 revealed that the majority of gay mar-
riage supporters have a positive relationship
with someone who is gay; its harder to fear
something you know, understand, and relate
to.
I feel that its important for me to be open-
ly atheist, openly gay, and intentional about
building relationships with people who are
neither of those things because humanizing
those with different worldviews and identities
through constructive dialogue creates empa-
thy. Sharing stories about our experiences and
our identities, and building positive relation-
ships between different communities, builds
the pluralistic idea that all people should be
treated equally and should have the same
freedoms and protections. Or, to be a bit sim-
ple about it, that were all equally human.
Now youre back, engaging in inter-
faith work, this time from a humanist
perspective. Can you talk about how
SUBSCRIBE PAGE 16 SHARE
secular humanism has met the needs because it is an affirmative statement about
and supported the values that you who I am and what I believe. That said, I do
once turned to Christianity for? And also strongly identify as an atheist in my pub-
how, or why, does that pair up with in- lic work because there is a real stigma against
terfaith work? being an atheist and I want to fight that by
not shying away from the fact that I dont be-
When I first started doing interfaith work, I did
lieve in God.
it as someone who was just religious unaf-
filiated. I used words like atheist, secular, and In your book,Faithiest, you share
nonreligious, but none of them seemed totally how you, as an atheist, found common
right. They were all true, but none of them felt ground with the religious. If you were
like an identity. But through interfaith work a person of faith, that sort of difficult
I was exposed to people who drew a lot of work might be called a calling. How
satisfaction from their own identities, and so would you describe it? What led you
I began to feel inspired to explore my own to it and why do you stay with it?
identity and my own values a bit more. Reli-
gious friends at Interfaith Youth Core, where I actually really love the idea of a calling. The
I was interning, introduced me to the work word calling, or vocation, is derived from the
of Greg Epstein and other contemporary Hu- Latinvocare, or to call, and it has religious
manists. I began to explore Humanist writing, roots: it originated in the Catholic Church as
reading things like the Humanist Manifesto, a way of referring to the inclination for a reli-
which includes lines like this: Humanism is
a progressive philosophy of life that, without
supernaturalism, affirms our ability and re-
sponsibility to lead ethical lives of personal
fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of
humanity. The ideas I read resonated with my
own values and priorities.
It may sound a bit reductive to frame it this
way, but in the same way that I dont identify
as not a heterosexual or not a female, but
instead call myself a queer male, I think of my-
self more as a Humanist than just an atheist
ISSUE ONE // FAITH
gious life as a priest, monk, or nun. During the
Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther broad-
ened its use beyond ministry so that it could
also being used to describe work in service to
others, but he still used it in a religious sense.
Today, calling is most commonly used to re-
fer to anything that someone is very passion-
ate about. Something of substance, something
that gives a person a good deal of satisfac-
tion. And thats definitely how I feel about my
work. A theologian by the name of Frederick
Buechner once said: The place God calls you
to is where your deep gladness and the worlds
deep hunger meet. Even though I dont be-
lieve in God, I like the underlying idea that
a calling springs to life at a kind of intersec-
tion; the location where you see a need in the
world aligning with your passions and talents.
Even though my work can be frustrating and
is often quite challenging, I stick with it be-
cause the good outweighs the bad every day
and I see the positive impact it makes. Right
now, its where I feel calledeven if that just
means Im calling myself there.
You focus a lot in your interfaith work
on the need for atheists to engage in di-
alogue and collaboration, rather than
be isolationist and self-righteous.
Have you seen a similar need for peo-
ple of faith to engage with atheists and
how have you seen lives transformed
#SPITANDSPIRIT
by your willingness to engage in that specific things that people should ask them- LGBT folks can sometimes see peo-
work? selves, but I really do believe that its funda- ple of faithparticularly Muslims
mentally important that anyone who is in- and conservative Christiansas im-
It is absolutely a two way street. Atheists can
terested in being self-aware employs critical pediments to equality and inclu-
learn a lot from the religious, but the reverse
thinking in as many areas of their lives as they sion, but you share a story of bond-
is true. But, you know, this isnt just about athe-
can. Its important to ask yourself why you be- ing with a Muslim over the fears you
ists and the religious. All people in all com-
lieve what you believe, if everything you be- each sometimes face in public. Do you
munities will benefit by reaching out to and
lieve makes sense in light of the other things have any advice on practical steps
learning from people who belong to different
you believe, and what your central values are. that non-Muslim, or non-conserva-
communities, who maintain a different iden-
Its difficult to be honest with yourself, though, tive Christian, LGBT people can take
tity, who have significantly different life expe-
and everyone is inconsistent in their beliefs to forge alliances across differences?
riences. Every single day I meet someone who
to varying extents. But I think its paramount
has been transformed by the reconciliation Its a bit funny to me that some of the commu-
to ask yourself if your actions align with your
that can grow out of interfaith work, or I hear nities my work has resonated in the most over
beliefs, to question why you hold the beliefs
from someone who has seen the dividends the last few years have been among Muslims
you hold, and to consider how your beliefs and
of challenging the narrative of incompatible and Evangelical Christians. I think it seems
actions impact those around you.
cultures. I have shared many of these stories surprising because the operating assumption
in my writing, but there are countless others I
could. Bridges are being built every day where
there was previously distrust, suspicion, and
outright bigotry, and that is incredible to see.
For me, questioning the religious be-
liefs of my upbringing was a scary
process. Now as a progressive, and
someone engaged in faith-based
work, I like to think that Ive got it
all figured out. Still, what are some
key questions that LGBT Christians,
or those working within Christiani-
ty, should be asking of ourselves that
were not?
Im not necessarily equipped to dictate a list of
SUBSCRIBE PAGE 17 SHARE ISSUE ONE // FAITH
most people have is that atheists, queers, Mus-
lims, Evangelical Christians, and other people
with diverging religious convictions or iden-
tities necessarily have competing, or at least
uncomplimentary, goals.
So some of the most powerful transformation
can (and for me definitely has) come out of
unexpected reconciliation between members
of communities that have previously known a
lot of conflict, or that havent historically had
very robust or positive interactions.
Anyway, in terms of practical steps: I would
encourage queer folks to try to reach out, and
emphasize whatever shared experiences and
values they might have with other communi-
ties. One way to do this is to begin by asking
how you can be an advocate for others.
If, for example, youre reaching out to Mus-
lims, invite them to tell you about their expe-
riences being a minority in America, to share
what challenges they have faced, and to let
you know what you might do to be in solidari-
ty with them. Hopefully, they will extend their
hand in return.
Thus, where before there was only one person
advocating for LGBT inclusion in civic life and
one advocating for Muslim inclusion in civ-
ic life, there are now two people advocating
for both. Thats just one recommendation, but
it has worked well for me in my interactions
#SPITANDSPIRIT
with Muslims and others, and I think it is a We may never see a perfect world, but we
good place to begin. should always be striving to bring more peo-
ple into the fold; to see the ways in which we
A common theme across your work
all share in certain experiences, the way most
and writing seems to be coming to-
of us aspire for the same things, and the ways
gether across differences. Do you
in which we are more alike than our all-too-
have a big picture dream for what
tribal instincts lead us to believe. Thats my
life might look like for LGBT people
dream right now. Ask me again tomorrow and
of faith and LGBT atheists (and our
well see where Im at.
straight friends and allies)?
Did you enjoy this interview with Chris? If so,
I dont think well ever live in a utopia world,
would you take a moment to share it? You can
but I do think it is up to each of us to make
click here to Tweet about the article.
the world better in whatever way we can. It
doesnt have to be an overnight transforma-
tion; in fact, Im not convinced such an im-
mediate overhaul would work even if it were
possible. But every day we need to make the
world just a little bit better.
The march of social progress is long, slow, in-
cremental, and not at all linear. (In that way,
the comparison to pushing a boulder up a hill
is apt.) It requires patience and dedication. But
right now, there arent enough marchers.
So my big picture dream is that well someday
live in a world where everyone recognizes that Faitheist will be released in November 2012.
they have agency, that they have a unique con- You can pre-order it now on Amazon.com.
tribution to makeand that their neighbors
Photos of Chris Stedman by
do too, no matter how different they might
Evan Clark, event for the Humanist Chaplain-
seem. Where people recognize that the circle
cy at Harvard; Evan Clark, speaking at Califor-
of who belongs must be broad enough to en-
nia Lutheran University; Jon Hooten; Shaylah
compasss everyone.
DeViney
SUBSCRIBE PAGE 18 SHARE ISSUE ONE // FAITH
COMING OUT AS AN ACT OF FAITH
When LGBT people come out, we step into the unknown. For
many, it is a daring (and potentially dangerous) act of faith.
#SPITANDSPIRIT
Coming out has been my single great-
est act of faith. It was greater than choosing
to move across the country for college, greater
than quitting my job at a television network
and taking a 50% pay cut to work for The Sim-
ple Way. Coming out was a greater act of faith
than when I turned my life over to Jesus and
accepted Him as my personal Lord and savior.
I grew up attending an Evangelical Presbyte-
rian Church. My parents met in high school on
a bus to YoungLife camp. Our closest family
friends were from church, or YoungLife, or oth-
erwise deeply committed Christians. Of course
we had friends who were non-religious or ob-
served other religions (or practiced Christian-
ity differently), but they were the exceptions
that proved the rule.
My conversion experience was
simple and brief.
Mr. McKinnon, my 6th grade Sunday school
teacher, assigned us homework each week.
One week, one of the questions asked if we had
accepted Jesus into our hearts. My answer was
SUBSCRIBE PAGE 19 SHARE
no, I had not. The following week, he asked if I
would stay behind class and we talked about
my answer. I hadnt accepted Jesus as my per-
sonal Lord and savior not because I was op-
possedthe moment had simply never arose.
He asked if I wanted to, I said yes (I actually
probably said Sure). That night, or maybe a
few nights later, I laid in bed and asked God/
Jesus into my heart. And with that, it was done.
I dont mean to understate my conversion ex-
perience; it would go on to define my adoles-
cence and young adulthood. Youth group was
my central social activity throughout middle
and high school and friends from church were
among my closest and most steady. My evan-
gelical Chrisitian faith led me to bring friends
to church and camp for evangelism, inspired
me to serve on work crew for YoungLife in high
school and Summer Staff in college, it took
me to the Czech Republic for a service project
building playgrounds (and playing soccer and
wall ball with neighborhood kids).
But while the ramifications of that decision
ISSUE ONE // FAITH
were great, the moment of decision was calm
and the consideration I gave it minimal.
My decision to come out was
anything but.
Though I began to realize my attractions to
other guys at around that time when boys and
girls begin to notice each other, it wasnt un-
til two months before my 19th birthday that I
told my friends and a month after that I told
my parents.
Before coming out, I played out every possible
scenario. How would my parents react? How
would my friends react? What next would
I date? Would I ever be sexually active? How
would I continue as a Christian? What would
my employment opportunities be like?
What is the fate of my eternal soul?
I wanted to have it all figured out before
coming out. To have a neat and tidy package
to present to myself and to the world that said,
This is who I am, this is what I believe, and
this is how I will operate within the world.
Thats not how it happened. Instead, a time
came when I knew that I could wait no longer.
#SPITANDSPIRIT
My friend Logan Mehl-Laituri describes the
moment that he knew he could no longer en-
gage in violent combat within the US Armed
Forces as a crystallization of conscience. I
felt a similar crystallization of conscience
a moment when I knew that I could no longer
remain silent about the reality of my life and
spirit. I didnt have all the answers, I didnt
know exactly how this truth would play out
or what the future would hold, but I did know
that I must act.
I remember the moment so clearly: an attrac-
tion between myself and a new friend that I
met through high school friends. We were to-
gether at a mutual friends house watching a
movie. We sat next to each other. And then,
slowly, our fingers and hands began to inch
together. I was approaching the point of no
return. Eventually, they touched; then inter-
locked. We held hands for the remainder of the
movie and it was like I had been born again.
That night, after our friends had fallen asleep
on couches and the floor, we shared our first
kiss. The next day, I (belatedly) admitted out
loud to him that Im attracted to men. That
night, I met up with my friend Jennifer and
told her in person. The next day I told my oth-
SUBSCRIBE PAGE 20 SHARE ISSUE ONE // FAITH
er best friend, Amy. Slowly at first and then
picking up pace, I told friends and they told
others, and then I was out.
In hindsight, it seems so easy. Just say it:
Im gay
I like guys
Im bisexual
Im not actually a girl, Im a guy
I like girls
I need to change my body
Whatever it might be for you.
But in that moment, it felt like the entire world
was on the line and it was.
Before coming out, I had to deal with the pos-
sibility that my parents would be furious or
embarrassed or remorseful. Would they kick
me out? (doubtful) Would they continue to
pay for my college education? (Probably, but
not certain) Would I be welcome back at my
church? (unlikely) Would I ever be welcome in
a church again? (unclear)
Luke 14:26 quotes Jesus as saying,
#SPITANDSPIRIT
If anyone comes to me and does not
hate his father and mother, his wife
and children,his brothers and sisters-
-yes, even his own life--he cannot be
my disciple.
As I prepared to come out, I had to grapple
with the reality that I might lose it all every-
thing I had known and loved and trusted and
held dear.
But I had to do it.
I had to do it because I knew that there was
something unshakeably true about my sexual
orientation. And though I didnt have the doc-
trine or the theological precepts or the Biblical
talking points nailed down yet, I also knew
knew in the core of my beingthat that part of
me was good, beloved, intentional, purposed.
Coming out was a risk, an act of faith. In fact, it
was possibly my first real act of faith. And the
lesson I learned from that experience contin-
ues to inform my life and faith to this day.
Anything worth doing is worth losing every-
thing for.
How was your coming out experience?
SUBSCRIBE PAGE 21 SHARE ISSUE ONE // FAITH
#SPITANDSPIRIT SUBSCRIBE PAGE 22 SHARE ISSUE ONE // FAITH
A FAITH FOUGHT FOR
Against the odds, LGBT Christians stake a claim to faith

And I am convinced that nothing can

separate us from Gods love. Neither
death nor life, neither angels nor de-
mons, neither our fears for today nor
our worries about tomorrownot even
the powers of hell can separate us from
Gods love.
Romans 8:38
You all know that being gay is wrong, right? had a girlfriend in over a year, but I would
We dont even have to cover that? the Rever- one day soon?
end Jim Byrnes asked to my 10th Grade Guys
Still, I knew that somehow when Jim spoke, he
Sunday School class one morning. The class
spoke of me. That though I hadntwouldnt
nodded in agreement. My heart clenched in-
couldntclaim the identity of Gay, his words
side my chest.
were directed at me nonetheless. I was wrong.
I was most definitely not gay. I was increas- I could feel it.
ingly aware that my relationships to/with
After that, I returned home and consulted my
guys were in some ways different than that
Bible for what it had to say on the subject of
of most of my other guy friends. But I hadnt
homosexuality. I remember looking it up for
wouldntcouldntput a label on it. I hadnt

#SPITANDSPIRIT SUBSCRIBE PAGE 23 SHARE ISSUE ONE // FAITH

 the first time, hoping it would disagree with
Jim. My NIV Teen Study Bible, sadly, did not.
And thus began my wrestling match with my
faith. I wanted so desperately to remain a good
and faithful Christian and yet with each pass-
ing day I became more and more certain that
this was part of me.
//
I would, perhaps, add to the list of that which
cannot separate us from Gods love which Paul
lays out in Romans 8:38 another would-be
obstacle that has no power over us: neither
Christians nor their churches can separate us
from Gods love.
Queer people refuse to give up.
Churches of all denominations and with all
sorts of beliefs count LGBT people amongst
their members and worshippers. The messages
we received from Christianity may have been
Not welcome but we are refusing to leave.
The queer Christians I know are among the
most thoughtful and intentional of believers
out there.
When I came out in college, at the University
of Southern California, I separated from the
faith Id grown up with. While my friends from
home were attending Campus Crusade for
Christ or InterVarsity or YoungLife, I couldnt.
#SPITANDSPIRIT SUBSCRIBE PAGE 24 SHARE
I mean, sure I could. But I couldnt really.
I tried. It was just too hard. Sometimes they
would actively preach against homosexuality,
one time a friend from Cru suggested I come
listen to Derek, who is also struggling with
same-sex attractions, share his testimony. But
Im not struggling. Im not someone who slips
up occasionally, or who is wrestling with a
thorn in my side.
Im gay.
Queer, even.
Proud, affirmed. I have discerned not only that
my queerness is a true part of who I am but
also that it is a good part of who I am.
God has not shown me otherwise. And Ive
asked.
That put me at odds with the Christians around
me. So, for years I wandered in a desert of spir-
itual isolation. Id crack open my Bible or offer
up a prayer to God or turn on the WOW CDs
Id ripped on to my iTunes. But it wasnt the
same as being surrounded and nourished by a
community of friends and believers.
THANKSGIVING WEEKEND
2006
Im home from college, sitting at the dinner
table the day after Thanksgiving with my par-
ents. Im graduating early so in just a month
ISSUE ONE // FAITH
Ill be out in the real world.
Any leads? my dad asks.
Ill start applying for film production jobs
closer to graduation, I offer.
You should find a job with health insurance,
my mom adds. Thats important.
Thats not really how the film industry works
I explain.
And then, following my example, my family
could be reconciled to me (and we have been).
I see in Jesus what reconciliation looks like:
Reconciliation is embodied.
I must reconcile myself in my own body. In
this bodythat I carry through the world, that
I dress up for school or work, that I use to fight
or to make lovebegins the work of reconcili-
ation.

It began benignly enough. Then, somehow, in
a way I would never have seen coming, we are
talking about how I am gay. And how wrong I
am. And how, when they tell me I am making
a mistake, it is only because they loved me.
When I realized that it was up to me, it be-
came easier. Because there was nothing any-
one could do to take this faith away. Id named
it and claimed it. Id found my Truth. And even-
tually I found others who share that Truth.

And in that moment I realize that they havent Together we are, every single day, building a
changed. In the past three years I thought I new world and bringing forth a new way of
was giving them space, being patient, allow- practicing faith.
ing them their process; but in reality I was
This faith that Ive fought forthat weve
being silent. They hadnt changed because I
fought foris hard won. Its not something I
hadnt asked them to change. And in that mo-
will ever take for granted. Every day I inspect
ment I also realized that America would need
it, analyze it, and question it. Its not conve-
people to ask her to change. I could be that
nient, its just True.
person.
And if Truth is for us, who can be against us?
And thus began my activism. I could no lon-
ger stand to be two halves: a gay Brian and a
Christian Brian.

The first step was reconciliation. It began

within myself. I had to reconcile myselfno
one could do it for me.

#SPITANDSPIRIT SUBSCRIBE PAGE 25 SHARE ISSUE ONE // FAITH

a prayer.
Sometimes I pray and I feel like no one is listening,
but I pray anyway.
Sometimes I feel like I cant go on,
but I persist anyway.

The troubles of my life are big and scary and overwhelming.

Even if they are small and simple.

The troubles of the world are big and scary and overwhelming.
And I am only small and simple.

I swing from deepest doubt to grandest faith and back again

Just when I think Im ready to give up hope,
And still I cant shake the feeling that there is something
Im greeted with miracles
bigger.
Some are big, and others are small.
Bigger than me. Some are created by human hands and others seem to drop
Bigger than us. into creation unexpectedly.
Something that groans and creaks and is ready to burst forth.
The miracles of Creation and Humanity and the Higher Power
Something that is powerful and mighty and
and the Creator and Goodness and God keep me in awe and
refuses to be stopped.
wonder.
Sometimes there is devastation and destruction
I dont always know what I believe but I know that I want to
and chaos and pain.
take each day with faith
Still other times there is hope and beauty and redemption.
Faith that today might be better than tomorrow
Sometimesoften timesthe two go hand in hand.
And the day after better still.
Faith that I can find the courage and strength to do justice
Love mercy
Walk humbly

So help me, thats my prayer.

#SPITANDSPIRIT SUBSCRIBE PAGE 26 SHARE ISSUE ONE // FAITH

A CALL FOR QUEER THEOLOGY
Our faith is a gift to the Church
There is an impulse in LGBT activism toward
fitting in. That we are just the same as you, we
just happen to like people of the same gen-
der. Or, Im just a woman, just like any other
woman.
This desire to not to rock the sexual or gen-
der status quo is an authentic reality for many
people.Many trans* people are in fact men or
women and nothing more. And many gay peo-
#SPITANDSPIRIT
ple are the same as their straight neighbors,
save for the gender of their lover.
But it is not true for all of us. The beauty of
ology, Ministry and Communities of Faith. For
gender and sexual minorities is that we get to
upend everyones notions of sex and gender.
That is our gift, not our hindrance.
Similarly, there is an impulse in religious dia-
logue around LGBT issues to place queers in
SUBSCRIBE PAGE 27 SHARE
the existing boxes. We are all brothers and
sisters in Christ. Gay people can be loving,
committed, monogamous, married too. The
prevailing discussions are around why (or why
not) gay relationships should be affirmed. The
clobber passages. Adam and Eve (not Adam
and Steve), Sodom and Gomorra, Leviticus and
abominations, Romans 1 and unnatural pas-
sions, 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy and homo-
sexual offenders. Those dont say what you
think they say about us is our reply.
Enough.
I will no longer be defined by what I am not. If
you have questions about my worth and dig-
nity, readWhat The Bible Says (and Doesnt
Say) About Homosexuality by Mel White,
read Jesus, The Bible and Homosexuality by
Jack Rogers, watch Fish Out of Water, watch
Call Me Malcolm, read Trans-Gendered: The-
the love of God stop asking me about it. Stop
asking your gay friend, your lesbian daughter,
or your genderqueer coworker about it. Talk to
your therapist or your pastor. Talk to my pas-
tor, if you need to.
We have more to offer the world
than what we are not.
There is something liberating and life-saving
about the Gospel. Ask me about how as I wait-
ed in the silence and isolation of the closet
scared to tell anyone that I was gayJesus gave
me the courage and God washed me with the
grace and love to stay strong and true to my-
self. Ask Bram Wispelway about how the Gos-
pel motivated himwithout knowing a single
gay or transgender personto join theEqual-
ity Ride and be an advocate for LGBT justice
across the country. Ask Micah about the inspi-
ration he finds when the scriptures say that
God has given you a name greater than sons
and daughters. Listen toShay talk about cru-
cifixion and resurrection and the real, tangi-
ble meanings they have in his life. Let me talk
to you about how questioning my sexuality
caused me to look seriously at my faith and
find one deeper than I ever thought possible.
Ask me about how the queers I know em-
body the church in Acts where there were no
needy persons among them in a more real
way than I have ever seen before. How we re-
ISSUE ONE // FAITH
placed Leos clothes when he was mugged,
how we chipped in for Micahs surgery, how
we supported Ashers business. Ask about how
Matt Beams will drop whatever he is doing to
talk you down from your own craziness. How
Mayra David and Jay Bakker will stand on milk
crates in Madison Square Park to take a literal
stand for justice.
Listen to Peterson Toscano weave beautiful
stories about gender transgression in the Bi-
ble. Listen to Vincent Cervantes tell you how
he pieced his life (and soul) back together af-
ter an exorcism. Listen to Brian Adkins preach
without even trying while he talks to you over
coffee and muffins about experiencing the
Holy Spirit at a drag show. Listen toanything
Allyson Robinson has to say (especially about
faith, family, and self-care).
Talk to any of the queers in your
midst and let them awe you in so many
deep and profound ways; ways shaped by
their orientations and identities but certainly
not limited to them.
because he felt sorry for them. He did that be-
cause God is, literally, there.
And so when we talk about homosexuality
and the Bible or LGBT issues and faith do
not talk to us about what straight, cisgender
people have to offer us queers. We dont need
any more conflicted feelings or journeys or
open arms or apologies.
It is so much easier than that.
The only thing you need to bring is yourself.
Come, rather, with questions and an open heart
because what you will find is something trans-
forming, liberating, and awe-inspiring. We will
teach you about ourselves and you will learn
more about yourself than you imagined pos-
sible.
And you will find God in our midst.
The table is ready, you are welcome there with
us.

Jesus hung out in the margins. With the out-

casts. With the ones the religious elite deemed
outside and undesirable. He didnt do that

#SPITANDSPIRIT SUBSCRIBE PAGE 28 SHARE ISSUE ONE // FAITH

 I tell you the truth, if you have
faith as small as a mustard
seed, you can say to this
mountain, Move from here to
there and it will move. Nothing
will be impossible for you.
Matthew 17:20

#SPITANDSPIRIT SUBSCRIBE PAGE 29 SHARE ISSUE ONE // FAITH

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Brian Gerald Murphy is a filmmaker, media consultant, and social activist. He is the co-creator of the Legalize Trans* campaign and online strategies
manager for GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. Brian was a participant in the Soulforce Equality Ride in 2007, where he and
a number of other young adults visited colleges and universities across the Western United States. Today, Brian conspires with visionary individuals
and organizations to change the world through web and media.

Thats my fancy professional bio. Heres the inside scoop: I see my work as bridging the online-offline gap. I am an activist and an entrepre-
neur. I work at an office as an employee, and online as a business owner.

My work comes in a variety of formats: free writing, via email to subscribers; shirts and merchandise with the Legalize Trans* campaign; this
monthly queer spirituality magazine, SPIT & SPIRIT; an on-going series of videos on YouTube; occasional paid online offerings; and public
speaking and workshop facilitating.

I also work as a digital strategist for non-profits. If you access it through a screen, Im figuring out how to leverage it for social good: web-
sites, social media, digital video, email marketing, online fundraising.

Did I mention I really like theology?

CREDITS
Creative Commons photography used in this issue by
Holly Lay Hartwig HKD amboo who? Hindrik Sijens Sheu Hau Chow Fabiana Zonca
Cea. Michelle Makar Parker Kevin Morris smithfineart.comt

Photographs of Brian Gerald Murphy by Robert Wm. Wood

Photographs of Chris Stedman by Evan Clark, event for the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard; Evan
Clark, speaking at California Lutheran University; Jon Hooten; Shaylah DeViney

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