A few weeks ago I attended my fourth Gay Christian Network Conference. I’ve gone three other times, so I thought I knew by now exactly what to expect. Every year I go and am astounded by the number of LGBTQA Christians and the stories that are told with such vulnerability. The sense of community and acceptance always blows me away and I come away optimstic about the world in ways I never have been.

Here are some takeaway thoughts that inspired me to start this blog in the first place (most of which will probably be future blog posts on their own):

● In so many spaces, LGBT is really just for the L and the G. Trans voices are only just starting to be heard and bisexuality is still treated like a joke. Bi-erasure is real. Bi-phobia is real. Bi people are real.

● It’s hard to be single. Being single at GCN is like being single in the church anywhere. But there’s the added bonus of feeling like GCN is the ONLY place that you’re ever going to meet enough queer Christians to find one to keep for your very own. There’s no way around this feeling. There just isn’t. I’ve been there.

● For the longest time I believed that there was no place for me in church leadership or seminary or even in conversations about spirituality because I say swear words a lot and I have no tolerance for what I call the “patriarchal bullshit” side of the church (read: purity culture). For the first time I really believe that’s not true. It turns out I can be a theologian anyway. I can be me and do things my own way and there’s a place for that. I don’t have to be paralyzed by my woundedness or “toe the line” out of fear rejection.