According to a report from the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute, nearly half of LGBT adults in the United States are religious. While religious affiliation spans age and race, the report found that the most common religion among LGBT people is Protestantism, followed by Catholicism, other Christian communities, Judaism, Mormonism, and Islam.
While the report found that older queer adults are somewhat more likely to be religious, 40% of those 18-34 said they’re religious — meaning young, queer religious people exist. Mary, a 25-year-old Roman Catholic, told TeenVogue: “I was always taught that God is love and that as being a ‘good Catholic’ meant being kind, respectful and charitable…We are all made in God’s image and God implored kindness above all, not to judge or shame…The last time I went to confession…the priest…said that of all the identities one person can hold, the one that is first, last, and always is ‘child of God,’ and that comes with God’s unconditional love.
That’s enough for me, [someone] else’s prejudice or hate is their own business and burden — not mine.” 20-year-old Envy Cameron said, “Like many others, finding harmony between my faith and queerness was lifesaving. I went on a long journey to deconstruct the homophobia and transphobia that I learned in church as a kid, but beyond that, I had to learn how to find joy in my queerness.
Making the realization that your queerness is not only “okay” with God, but also a beautiful reflection of God, will change everything for queer people who are trapped in internalized homophobia…Go where you are celebrated, not where you are tolerated.” Hannah, 25 said: “God has shown me that I can trust Them… My queerness has brought me closer to God, more so than anything else in my life…In every aspect of my sexuality, I find God….God is fluid, and so am I. It is a joy to be queer. It is a joy to be queer in the presence of God.”
