4 People From LGBTQ+ History That Continue to Inspire Us
In 2024, a few Q Christian Fellowship Community Members wrote about someone from LGBTQ+ history that inspired them from a faith perspective and continues to help keep them grounded in the work that they do today. Below, you will find a sample from each article. We hope these wonderful individuals and their work inspire you as much as they inspire our community writers.
Audre Lorde
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.
William Stringfellow
Stringfellow’s activism, whether anti-racist, anti-war, or for the preservation of human rights or the environment, was deeply rooted in his vision of the Bible as an essential part of the wholistic Word of God that also included the person of Jesus, the Spirit, and all of Creation.
Sally Gross
As an intersex person of faith myself, I am inspired by Sally’s powerful combination of intersex advocacy and her dedication to her religious faith, even in the face of having her clergy status revoked.
Rev. Cecil Williams
Reverend Williams pastored his first integrated church in Kansas City, Missouri. He moved to San Francisco in 1963 to pastor GLIDE Memorial Church, where his inclusive vision challenged the small, white congregation. Reverend Williams brought a vision of “radical inclusion,” which he defined as ending suffering and poverty. GLIDE quickly became a place for gays, hippies, sex workers, transgender youth and the struggling people in the Tenderloin.
