Glad You Asked: What does the Bible say about LGBTQ people?

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Whenever Christians discuss questions about human sexuality and sexual orientation, it is only a matter of time before someone references the Bible to defend an anti-LGBTQ ideology. Whole faith communities may even be divided over the question of whether the Bible contains prescriptions against LGBTQ people. For many Catholics and Christians of other denominations, this question is not merely theoretical or academic. It has to do with their own acceptance and belonging, with their core identity and most deeply personal relationships. 

What some participants in these debates seem to forget, or be unaware of, is that the Bible isn’t one monolithic text. It’s a collection of texts from different eras, in different languages and genres, written for different purposes for diverse audiences. So asking “what does the Bible say?” about any topic requires more than a surface reading. It may also mean leaving one’s prejudices at the door and taking time to learn more about different cultures and social customs. 

On this episode of the podcast, hosts Emily Sanna and Rebecca Bratten Weiss talk to Yunuen Trujillo about what the Bible says—or doesn’t say—about LGBTQ people. Trujillo is the author of LGBTQ Catholics: A Guide for Inclusive Ministry (Paulist Press). She is also an immigration attorney, a faith-based community organizer, and a lay minister. 

You can learn more about this topic and read some of Trujillo’s writing in these links. 

• “Catholic social teaching calls for collaboration with Biden administration on LGBTQ policies,” by Yunuen Trujillo

• “We Are Called to Joyfully—And Inclusively—Perfect the Law,” by Yunuen Trujillo

• “How Are LGBTQ+ Catholics to Understand Jesus’ Call to ‘Carry Your Cross’?” by Yunuen Trujillo

• “When your faith is all about exclusion, it’s not of God,” by Yunuen Trujillo

• “LGBTQ rights and Catholic social teaching go hand in hand,” by Father Bryan Massingale

• “Language about LGBTQ people has moral consequences,” by Alex Gruber

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.