4.25 ( )

This book contains twenty one essays about the intersection between sexuality and religion. Each essay is written by a different person, mostly members of the queer community aside from one ally at the end. This book contains both a christian lesbian and a muslim drag queen. Theologians, priests and conversion therapy survivors. Trans and nonbinary people. Artists, activists and writers. Diverse races and nationalities. The different essays cover many different experiences and each gives a unique viewpoint on being both religious and queer. The essays do seem to be predominantly christian, although several different denominations are included.

Can you be both queer and religious? This is a question that many queer people (including myself) have struggled with. So much homophobia and transphobia seems to come from religious communities, and so many queer people have been hurt by religion. But these essays show that for many queer people, it is possible to be both queer and religious, and to be so without supressing part of your identity. This book doesn't deny the hurt and pain that religion causes to many queer people. In fact, it shows that there is hope, and that there are ways to be both queer and religious without needing to 'reconcile' with your identity, or pick and choose which parts of yourself you can express.

This book is beautifully written and at times it's almost poetic. Every story is moving and emotional. Many of the essays talk about family rejection, abuse, exorcisms and conversion therapy, the belief that you are going to hell, and having to choose between religion and identity. Some of the writers explore religion on their own, discovering their own truth. Others have experiences of God, either within or outside of organised religion. There is plenty of discussion of religious texts and how religious groups cherry pick or twist texts to suit their bigotry. The writers of colour talk about reclaiming God as something for them, rather than the weternised, colonial idea of God as a cis straight white man. There are also stories from queer people who have lost their faith entirely, and how conflicting and confusing that can be, and even a story about coming to faith from a non religious background. Whilst there are common themes across all of the essays, each one is a unique voice letting the reader into their heart and mind.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't always an easy read, due to a lot of the issues feeling very personal to me, but a message of hope truly does wind its way through the pages. I think this is the kind of book lots of people could benefit from reading. Queer people struggling with religion, religious people who don't understand why this is an issue for queer people, and even athiests who don't understand why it's all such a big debate.

I'll leave you with this quote, which I felt really sums up a lot of the experiences, regardless of religion, and really resonated with me: 'It's not Allah who forbade my queer identity, but the people who ignored the well of alternative potentials in the Quran'. ( )