Police arrested 41 men at a Mexico City drag ball known as “the Dance of the 41 Queers” in a notorious police raid on Nov 17-18, 1901. The scandal had lasting impact on LGBTQ people. Now it's being reclaimed by queer activists and scholars. Art by @felixdeon.bsky.social qspirit.net/dance-of-the...

Reactions to queer religious art are analyzed in the new book “Provoking Religion: Sex, Art, and the Culture Wars” by @apetro.bsky.social with case studies of “subversive” artists such as David Wojnarowicz, Judy Chicago, Robert Mapplethorpe and Marlon Riggs. www.amazon.com/dp/019093843...

Michael B. Kelly was a queer theologian, author, educator, activist and Old Catholic bishop in Melbourne, Australia. He died on Nov. 14, 2020. He created the Erotic Contemplative lectures and co-founded Australia’s Rainbow Sash Movement. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/michael-b-ke...

Lessons from diverse LGBTQ Christians come in a book based on more than 100 interviews: “Choosing Love: What LGBTQ+ Christians Can Teach Us All About Relationships, Inclusion, and Justice” by Dawne Moon and Theresa Tobin. #FaithfullyLGBT Oxford University Press. www.amazon.com/dp/019777651...

Happy birthday to Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz! Born Nov. 12, 1648, she was a 17th-century Mexican nun who wrote #lesbian love poetry and had a passionate friendship with a countess. Juana is one of the greatest Latin American poets. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/sor-juana-de...

Grant-Michael Fitzgerald was a gay black Roman Catholic brother who advocated for LGBTQ rights in the 1970s and ‘80s. He died of AIDS Nov. 10, 1986 at age 39. He was called “the first openly gay black Christian in a public role in the US.” #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/grant-michae...

Queer saint Matrona of Perge, who lived as a eunuch named Babylas, founded a convent where nuns dressed as men in 5th-century Constantinople. The feast day of Matrona / Babylas is Nov. 9. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/matrona-baby...

For Intersex Day of Remembrance (Nov. 8): Thomas / Thomasine Hall was an #intersex person in 17th-century America who caused controversy by switching gender identities. Queer theology says intersex conditions can inspire church and society. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/thomasine-ha...

New book: Ancient documents reveal a same-sex relationship between Jesus and his follower Lazarus in the novella “The True Myth of Gay Jesus” by Rupert Evensong. The fictional account includes 6 imaginary papyrus letters from Lazarus and Mary Magdalene. #FaithfulyLGBT www.amazon.com/dp/940380494...

Malachy of Armagh and his soulmate Bernard of Clairvaux were called a “twofold treasure” by their 11th-century monastic community. Malachy’s feast day is Nov. 3. Bernard gave Malachy kisses in his lifetime and Malachy died in his arms. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/saint-malach...

More than 130 LGBTQ saints are profiled in my ongoing series at Q Spirit. They include traditional canonized saints and alternative/unofficial figures. I'm sharing the main page listing all of them here for #AllSaintsDay #faithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/saints/

LGBTQ saints are remembered in the Litany of Queer Saints from Q Spirit. It begins, "God, thank you for the lives of the LGBTQ saints and martyrs. May they inspire us to live with courage and loving hearts...." Both traditional and alternative saints are featured. qspirit.net/litany-queer...

Happy #AllSaintsDay! It’s time to welcome the LGBTQ saints -- because people are searching for alternative ways to lead loving lives. LGBTQ saints show us not only THEIR place in history, but also OUR place. A #queer #theology of sainthood. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/why-we-need-...

Navy Seaman Allen Schindler brought international attention to anti-LGBTQ hate crimes and LGBTQ people in the military when he was murdered by his shipmates for being gay on Oct. 27, 1992. Queer love in the military includes Saints Sergius and Bacchus. qspirit.net/allen-schind...

Sally Gross was a South African #intersex activist who was a Catholic priest, but was stripped of clergy status when she revealed a female identity. Queer theologians still study her work. For Intersex Awareness Day (Oct. 26): #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/sally-gross-...

I am what many people believe is impossible: a lesbian Christian. My Christian faith gave me the strength to come out as a lesbian in 1985. As soon as I experienced God, I knew that God loved all of me, including my queer sexuality. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/kittredge-ch...

When Jacob wrestled with the angel in the Bible, they embodied the struggle between sexuality and spirituality. The story from Genesis 32 will be read at many churches worldwide on Oct. 19, 2025. Queer Bible scholars grappled with it. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/jacob-wrestl...

People are speaking out against bullying of LGBTQ youth for Spirit Day on Oct. 16, 2025. Books for LGBTQ Christian teens, books about LGBTQ youth ministry, a painting of Jesus with LGBTQ youth and other resources are posted for the occasion. #spiritday #faithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/spirit-day-l...

Two-spirit Native Americans are honored at Q Spirit on Indigenous Peoples Day 10/13/25, an alternative to Columbus Day. Contemporary artists re-envision the freedom and spirituality of queer people before and after Europeans came. #IndigenousPeoplesDay qspirit.net/indigenous-p...

Come out for LGBTQ equality on #NationalComingOutDay with faith-based books, cartoons, videos and worship resources. On Oct. 11, #ComingOutDay urges LGBTQ people & allies to be open about who you are & your support for LGBTQ equality. #FaithfullyLGBT #NCOD qspirit.net/national-com...

Vida Dutton Scudder (1861-1954) is a social reformer, professor, #lesbian author - and an official saint in the #Episcopal Church. Her feast day is Oct. 10. For 35 years Scudder lived with author Florence Converse. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/vida-dutton-...

John Henry Newman, an official Catholic saint and 19th-century British scholar-priest, had a “romantic friendship” with Ambrose St. John. They lived together for 32 years and share the same grave. Newman’s Catholic feast day is Oct. 9. #faithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/john-henry-n...

New book: Scripture hints at forbidden love between David the giant-slayer and Jonathan the prince, but their gay love story is fully revealed in the historical novel “Abomination” by @jezabelle.bsky.social. Biblical heroes bound by desire and faith. #faithfullyLGBT www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR4SXXZ...

Archbishop #DesmondTutu was a Nobel Peace Prize-winning South African activist for racial and LGBTQ equality. He famously fought apartheid, but he was also a major religious voice for LGBTQ people. His birthday is Oct. 7, 1931. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/desmond-tutu...

Saints Sergius and Bacchus were 3rd-century Roman soldiers who loved each other. The story of these "gay saints" is told in words and images for their feast day Oct. 7. They are a classic example of paired saints. #FaithfullyLGBT #gay qspirit.net/sergius-bacc...

Happy birthday, MCC! My photos from 40 years of MCC history are posted here in honor of the anniversary. On Oct. 6, 1968, Troy Perry founded Metropolitan Community Churches, the first denomination to affirm LGBTQ people. @mccdenomination.bsky.social #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/metropolitan...

Matthew Shepard was brutally attacked on Oct. 6-7, 1998 in Wyoming. He is a modern #gay martyr whose murder brought international attention to anti-#LGBTQ hate crimes and became a cultural icon, inspiring many. #faithfullyLGBT #MatthewShepard qspirit.net/matthew-shep...

October Q Spirit Newsletter is out! Queer saint Francis of Assisi art, gay martyr Matthew Shepard, rainbow Mary, Hildegard's same-sex love, Nouwen's gay struggle, Euphrosyne / Smaragdus, Rumi, Carl Bean, new LGBTQ Christian books and more #faithfullyLGBT at: conta.cc/4nAzhIV

Historical records reveal a queer side to Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved religious figures of all time. His feast day is Oct. 4. Few know about the 13th-century friar's love for another man and his gender nonconformity. #faithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/francis-assi...

Rumi is a 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic whose love for another man inspired some of the world’s best poems and led to the creation of a new religious order, the Whirling Dervishes. #Rumi was born Sept. 30, 1207 in Afghanistan. #faithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/rumi-same-se...

FannyAnn Eddy was an #LGBTQ rights activist in Africa. She was murdered on Sept. 29, 2004. She told the United Nations, “Silence creates vulnerability,” and founded the Sierra Leone #Lesbian and #Gay Association. FannyAnn, you are not forgotten! #queer #qtbipoc qspirit.net/fannyann-edd...

Good King Wenceslas might be #gay. Yes, the king in the Christmas carol. The king and his page Podiven are real historical figures who loved each other in 10th-century Bohemia. Sep. 28 is the feast day of St Wenceslaus I, duke of Bohemia. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/gay-king-wen...

Euphrosyne / Smaragdus of Alexandria is a 5th-century saint who left life as a woman to become a male monk in an Egyptian monastery. His own father didn't recognize him until the saint revealed the truth to him shortly before dying. #faithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/euphrosyne-s...

Virginia Mollenkott was a feminist Bible scholar and queer theologian whose 13 books liberated many LGBTQ lives. She died on Sept. 25, 2020 at age 88. Her books include “Is the Homosexual My Neighbor?” and “Omnigender.” #faithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/virginia-mol...

Christianity means loving your “queer neighbor as yourselves. Or your queer self as your neighbor” in new book “You Can, If You Want To: Navigating Christian Faith, Conscience & Matters LGBTQ+” by gay priest James Alison. @bloomscontinuum.bsky.social #FaithfullyLGBT www.amazon.com/dp/139942299...

Bullied into killing himself, gay teen Tyler Clementi brought international attention to suicide of LGBTQ youth by jumping to his death Sept. 22, 2010. Anti-LGBTQ religious leaders helped form the hostile atmosphere that drove him to die. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/tyler-clemen...

John McNeill was a pioneering #gay priest, psychotherapist, author, theologian and Jesuit scholar who inspired many LGBTQ people of faith and allies. He died 10 years ago on Sept. 22, 2015. McNeill wrote the 1976 book “The Church and the Homosexual.” #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/john-mcneill...

Henri Nouwen was a priest and author who wrestled with his homosexuality. He died on Sept. 21, 1996. His struggle with being #gay may have added depth to his writing. His “spirituality of the heart” touched millions. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/henri-nouwen...

Hildegard of Bingen is a medieval German mystic, artist, composer and scientist who loved another nun named Richardis and wrote with ecstasy about Mary. Her feast day is 9/17. Hildegard celebrated God’s green web of life as “viriditas.” #faithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/hildegard-bi...

Free newsletter on #LGBTQ spirituality & the arts. Readers call it inspiring, informative, courageous and “always fabulous.” The Q Spirit Newsletter covers LGBTQ saints and history, emphasizing books & visual art. See samples and sign up at qspirit.net/newsletter/ #FaithfullyLGBT

La Paula Turner was a pioneering Black lesbian clergy who supported LGBTQ Christians since the 1970s. She passed away on Aug. 4, 2025, at age 88. She was one of the first African Americans ordained by the LGBTQ-affirming @mccdenomination.bsky.social. #faithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/la-paula-tur...

September Q Spirit Newsletter is out! Gay chaplain Mychal Judge died helping on 9/11, remembering LGBTQ Christian pioneers La Paula Turner and Trudie Barreras, Mary has lesbian goddess roots and legacy, Augustine defended intersex, queer Bernard of Clairvaux and more at: conta.cc/3VdISJf

Trudie Barreras enriched LGBTQ Christian life as an artist, author wise woman of deep faith, major Q Spirit supporter, @mccdenomination.bsky.social member, and now a queer saint. She passed away on Sept. 2, 2025, at age 86 in Albuquerque, NM. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/trudie-barre...

Mychal Judge, chaplain to NY firefighters and unofficial gay saint, died helping others in the attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Some are trying to canonize him as an official Catholic saint. #911Anniversary #911day #faithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/mychal-judge...

Rainbow icons of Mary highlight her compassionate connection to the LGBTQ community -- evoking both controversy and celebration. Various rainbow Mary images by contemporary artists are posted for Marymas or the Nativity of Mary on Sept. 8. #faithfullylgbt qspirit.net/rainbow-mary/

Carl Bean was the founding archbishop of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement in the black LGBTQ community, an early AIDS activist and Motown singer of the 1977 gay-liberation anthem “I Was Born This Way.” He died Sept. 7, 2021 at age 77. #faithfullylgbt qspirit.net/carl-bean-bl...

Maurice and Theofredus are 3rd-century martyr-saints and soldiers of Thebes with a homosocial bond. The men gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes in a 15th-century illuminated manuscript. Artists often showed Maurice as a black knight. #faithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/maurice-theo...

After a sexually active and probably bisexual youth, Augustine of Hippo became an influential early Christian theologian. His feast day is Aug. 28. This contradictory queer saint was sex-negative but argued that God created intersex people. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/augustine-hi...

A queer black man was welcomed as an early Christian convert in Biblical times. The Episcopal church honors Simeon Bachos the Ethiopian Eunuch on Aug. 27. He was a triple outsider - a gender-variant foreigner from a racial minority. #FaithfullyLGBT qspirit.net/ethiopian-eu...

The Black Madonna of Czestochowa, whose feast day is Aug. 26, is the model for Haitian Vodou goddess Erzulie Dantor who protects lesbians. Black Madonnas embody the dark face of the divine feminine. #faithfullylgbt qspirit.net/black-madonn...