Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  IDENTITY

You Gotta Have Faith
by AMY MATHENY
2004-02-01

This article shared 2902 times since Sun Feb 1, 2004
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


Many people think that having an article on faith in a GLBT magazine is an odd waste of space. That there are more important topics. Gender, ethnicity, healthcare, HIV/ AIDS prevention and treatment, politics, these are all more relevant. And yet, faith is a crucial element always missing in our community. While the heterosexual world relies on faith as a foundation for their identity, homosexuals often deny we need it. I won't say religion. Not yet. I know it is a scary word conjuring images of Jerry Falwell, the Pope, or Fred Phelps. People who ridicule, reject, or abuse us. Or, religion points to the too perfect and benevolent such as Mother Teresa and saints to whom we can in no way relate. But faith should be ours. Sure, we have been rejected by many churches or temples, but when has that stopped us? We made our own bars, our own movies, our own newspapers. It is supply and demand like everything else. Why are we not demanding that faith is a necessity in our lives?

As a lesbian who is also a Christian, I know that my faith informs my identity greatly. I also know that GLBT people have strong views on faith. It is ironic to me that I find more negativity in telling GLBT people that I am Christian, than I do telling Christian people that I am lesbian. Why is that? Do Christian people hide their true feelings about my sexuality? Why are GLBT people so quick to be loudly shocked? Asking me 'How?' and 'Why?' GLBT people can be very passionate about their rejection of faith. Many of us shrink away from anything Christian. We struggle with issues based in childhood Catholicism. GLBT people raised Jewish now just celebrate the 'important' holidays, not feeling entirely comfortable with their religious identity. Islamic GLBT men and women have been repressed so subversively by their faith that it seems unfathomable to pray as did their parents.

But what does that mean for us as adults? As gays and lesbians? As a community? Has our sexuality become our religion? But then where is our faith? It is a question that needs to be addressed.

What is faith? Faith n 1) belief in, devotion to or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof; 2) a system of religious belief, or the people who adhere to it; 3) belief in and devotion to God; 4) a strongly held set of beliefs or principles; 5) allegiance or loyalty to somebody or something.

Most believe in something. That one is easy. System of belief? Many GLBT people say they don't believe in organized religion. Understandable. Judgment comes down from many of 'faith' to exclude us. God? What kind of God are we talking about, you may ask. Strongly held principles? Well, no community is as passionate as ours. Loyalty to somebody or something? Oh, there is the rub. How loyal are we to ourselves? We are in denial somehow. We pretend we don't need faith and I am sure that we do. That it is an essential missing ingredient to us as a community.

Lest I be thought of as a Southern (which I am) converter (which I am not), let me say that I believe a diversity of faiths is as important as a diversity of sexuality. But I believe faith is sorely missing in the GLBT community. That we somehow feel unworthy of the divine. That it does not belong to us. It is for heterosexuals, our parents, 'others.' I think it belongs to us more. And that as a community we have a great ability to use our faith for good. In this space, as odd as it may seem, I will work with others to explore that. The divine in ourselves and our community. How unlocking it, accepting it and sharing it, will make us stronger individually and as a community.

editor@windycitymediagroup.com . Leaders of various faiths answering questions monthly. Matheny is co-host of Windy City Radio, Sundays, 11 p.m., WCKG, 105.9 FM.


This article shared 2902 times since Sun Feb 1, 2004
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Pope: Church open to LGBTQ+ people...but there are rules 2023-10-02
- On Aug. 6, Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church is open to everyone—including the LGBTQ+ community—and that it has a duty to accompany them on a personal path of spirituality but within the framework of ...


Gay News

Pope: Church open to LGBTQ+ people...but there are rules 2023-08-07
- On Aug. 6, Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church is open to everyone—including the LGBTQ+ community—and that it has a duty to accompany them on a personal path of spirituality but within the framework of ...


Gay News

Hungry Souls Collective founders talk genesis of company, other work endeavors 2021-12-22
- Licensed clinical social workers Victoria Aron and Mikki Guerra have joined forces to create Hungry Souls Collective—a woman-, LGBTQIA- and minority-owned business that specializes in trauma, addiction and spirituality. According ...


Gay News

Chef Sheldrick Holmes embraces spirituality, authenticity at The Grail Cafe 2021-11-08
- Officially, The Grail Cafe is a restaurant in the South Loop. But for owner and chef Sheldrick Holmes, one of the few openly gay Black restaurant owners in the area, the cafe is both home and ...


Gay News

AFC conference focuses on bisexual health 2017-11-08
- Dr. H. Sharif Williams, otherwise known as Dr. Herukhuti, (Center for Culture Sexuality and Spirituality founder, Goddard College professor of interdisciplinary studies and CUNY School of Professional Studies adjunct associate ...


Gay News

Tangible Things immerses visitors in African culture 2017-02-06
- To stop at the unassuming storefront and walk through the doors of Tangible Things is to immediately allow all the senses to become immersed in a wealth of African culture, a beautiful myriad of spirituality and ...


Gay News

Youth center supporting LGBT young adults, changing workspaces 2016-07-27
- Tucked away in the basement of the Wellington Avenue United Church is a refuge. It's not a place to find comfort in spirituality, as one may guess, but a place for LGBTQ youth to find support ...


Gay News

Queer Youth Exploring Spirituality Holds Fundraiser in Pilsen May 14 2016-05-11
From a press release - Queer Youth Exploring Spirituality (QYES) will be hosting its first fundraising event 5-7 p.m. at Lincoln United Methodist Church located at 2242 S. Damen May 14. The event will be emceed by the QYES Youth Leader ...


Gay News

Latin@ issues focus of community strategy session 2015-03-31
- Wesley United Methodist Church of Cicero's Queer Youth Exploring Spirituality (Q-YES) group hosted a community strategy session, "Latin@ LGBTQA United For Action" March 28 at Wesley United Methodist Church in Cicero. This was the third Latin@ ...


Gay News

Q-YES to host panel on Latin@ issues 2015-03-25
- Wesley United Methodist Church of Cicero's Queer Youth Exploring Spirituality (Q-YES) group will be hosting a community strategy session, "Latin@ LGBTQA United For Action," Saturday, March 28, 12-3 p.m., at ...


Gay News

LGBTQA youth retreat examines spirituality 2014-06-24
by Robert Castillo - Pre-Retreat: Organizers ironed out last-minute details On a recent Monday evening at Wesley United Methodist Church in Cicero, Alicia Vega, Cesar Robles and Katya Mazon were finalizing details for a unique event taking place, a three-day ...


Gay News

Affinity hosts Spirituality, Faith, Non-Belief in LGBTQ Communities 2013-09-19
- Affinity with the Charles Shelby Rooks Society will host a panel discussion Spirituality, Faith, Non-Belief in LGBTQ Communities on Sept. 21. The panelists will be Consuella Brown, Ann DeShawn, Brenda Lee, and Anthony Stanford, the author ...


Gay News

Meshing sexuality, spirituality in video 2013-09-10
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - The month-long "My God Is Not A Bully" campaign was powerful and inspiring to Anna DeShawn, the founder and CEO of E3 Radio and a collaborator in the project with the Church With A Church Movement ...


Gay News

Pope Francis: Don't judge gay people 2013-07-29
HRC, Catholic LGBT Ministry respond - Pope Francis has said gay people should not be marginalized or judged, the BBC has reported. Speaking to reporters while flying back from Brazil, the pontiff asked, "If a person is gay and seeks God and ...


Gay News

Cardinal George urged to sit out 'ex-gay' conference 2013-07-24
- Cardinal Francis George is being urged to skip a conference this weekend they say will offer workshops on "reparative" gay therapy. Conference organizers say that's not the purpose of the event, but some participants have close ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.