Onward gay Christian soldiers? Exploring the positioning of lesbian, gay and bisexual Christians in the ‘battle’ against religious homophobia

Abstract

This study explored the positions that gay Christians adopt in navigating both a Christian and a lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) identity, particularly in the context of religious homophobia and hostility toward homosexuality. Twenty-one LGB Christians participated in either a face-to-face interview or a qualitative survey; the data were analysed using thematic analysis. The participants often framed their relationship with other Christians and with Christian institutions as a ‘battle’. In fighting this battle, participants adopted one of three stances: (1) An ‘intellectual’ position which used theology and biblical scholarship as the weapon of choice; (2) a confrontational and oppositional ‘warrior’ position, which demanded recognition of homosexuality (as a ‘gift from God’); and (3) a conciliatory position, which sought change from within through reasoning with the Church and being sympathetic to their theological position. All of these positions were underpinned by an essentialist discourse of sexuality and the framing of homosexuality as a ‘gift from God’.