Religious Homophobia: It’s About Straight Sex, Not Gay Sex

The University of Michigan undergrad interviewing me for his research paper on “progressive evangelicals” was trying to make sense of my thesis that the term is a misnomer. To retain the label “evangelical” so-called progressives in the evangelical fold cannot cross the line on LGBTQ. So they fudge, obfuscate, misdirect— but always toe the line. I told him from my experience as a pastor who founded a large progressive-leaning evangelical church that one can violate lots of evangelical boundary-markers, except the one that treats LGBTQ people humanely — that is, with full equality. Once I attempted that in 2014, all hell broke loose, despite the fact that many evangelicals now admit “reparative therapy” can be harmful and enforced-celibacy is not a “good news” solution either. My interviewer sat there, baffled. “So what is it about this one issue that makes it so important to evangelical identity?”

I gave him my usual answer about money — how large evangelical donors pull their funding over this issue more than any other. And most evangelical pastors, sadly, follow the money. But I realized that was only begging the question:

Why LGBTQ? Where does all the energy come from to lower the boom on LGBTQ people?

That’s when I told him what I really believe: