“Lorde’s writing empowered me to challenge the narratives of shame and damnation I had internalized and helped me to see that I could reconcile my spirituality with my identity in a way that honored both.”
- Shani Wilson
I did not discover Audre Lorde’s writings until later on in my life, when I had started to confront and accept my own sexuality. It was not easy, as I battled constantly with the thought of being “disqualified” from God’s grace. I am sure that some can also identify with this.
Many of us also grew up in the space where, as Lorde wrote, “we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves”, and because of this fear of not belonging, risking hell and damnation, it was better to believe that “our silence protects“ us. Because, as we have, queerness could never sit in the same place as purity or freedom.
Lorde’s writing empowered me to challenge the narratives of shame and damnation I had internalized and helped me to see that I could reconcile my spirituality with my identity in a way that honored both. Discovering her writing gave me permission to believe that there is room, there IS room in Christianity for someone like me, and people like us.
In the book Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, Prudence asks Christian, “Do you not still carry baggage from the place in which you escaped?” I often think of this quote when reflecting on my journey- knowing there is still a long walk ahead towards my self-acceptance. I do have a better knowledge of my walk through Lorde’s writings—knowing that this journey calls us to embody compassion—for myself and others, understanding, and advocacy—paving the way for a future where everyone is celebrated and valued, fully accepted by God, just as they were created to be.
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