A few weeks ago a story appeared about a young queer teen being dismissed from volunteering with her church’s kids program because of her sexuality. During the process in which she was removed it was suggested that to be LGBTQ+ is demonic. A news story is available here.
Members of the Regina Area Cluster have prepared a statement in response to this situation and more over affirming queer and trans children, youth and adults who face similar things in their communities.
Sadly, even as this statement was being prepared more instances of religious organizations in SK doing similar things have come to light.
In the coming days the cluster will be putting this statement out publicly through Regina COF social media feeds as well as reaching out to local media.
Folks from the cluster have spoken to the family involved in the situation who appreciate the support and are pleased with the statement itself.
Statement
To All Beloved Queer and Trans Children of God in Regina (and of course, everywhere) …
In the light of a fully-qualified, queer youth being dismissed from a volunteer role by a church in this city where they were exercising their Spirit filled gifting and making a positive impact in the lives of others…
And because that process included the suggestion that to be 2SLGBTQ+ is demonic…
And because this is lamentably one of many instances of churches/Christian organizations causing harm to 2SLGBTQ+ folks in our province that have occurred recently (not to mention beyond SK)…
We, from the Regina Cluster of the United Church of Canada would like to offer the following…
You deserve better!
Your queerness is a gift!
Your queerness is a beautiful expression of God’s divine image!
In your queerness you reveal a glimpse of God’s creativity and joy!
In your queerness you express Jesus’ incarnation and the embodied-ness of Spirit’s beauty!
You make this world a more beautiful and more just place!
There is nothing about your fullest self that you should have to hide, set aside, or tone down within a church, school, camp, or anywhere else in order to be accepted.
You deserve to be seen in the fullness of who you are!
You deserve to have all of you affirmed as part of God’s healing gifts to the world!
Without you, the body of Christ is not expressed in its fullness!
We reject interpretations of Scripture and Theological perspectives that condemn queerness, transness, bisexuality, non-binary/non-conforming gender expression, etc., and we name this as spiritual abuse.
We celebrate the gifts of Queer, Trans, and Allied Biblical Scholars/Teachers and Theologians whose work brings such beauty and possibility to our lives and our Christian Tradition!
We are so sorry that things like this keep happening!
We are so sorry that our tradition continues to condemn that which should be celebrated!
You deserve so much better!
And once more for the people in the back…
Your Queerness is a Gift!
You make this community and this world, a better, more beautiful, and more just place…
We thank God for you!
