LGBTQ Icon and pop singer Chappell Roan released an interview on her religious upbringing and how it affected her life. She said on A Carpool Karaoke Christmas holiday special the she found church to be stifling growing up. Roan said “I know for a lot of people, it’s actually very freeing.” While she is “grateful” to be from Missouri but that she found a lot more freedom when she removed to Los Angeles.
She went on to say that “For me it almost did the opposite, where I felt like I couldn’t be myself, that who I was was a sin and I was going to hell no matter how good of a person I was or how much I loved God, for being gay.” She went on to say “And I just couldn’t handle feeling ashamed anymore.” She explained in another interview that She was “raised on Christian rock” but “never identified with it”.
She explained that [In] a conservative community, I understand the fear and where it comes from. It’s scary when it’s something you don’t know or understand. So it’s like one degree every conversation.” She also said “It’s conversation after conversation and not just giving up on people that had helped you when you were in diapers. Like, that’s just not how I personally operate. The door has to be open or there is no learning.
Roan said that “I felt such a push and pull because I was so curious about pop music but couldn’t identify why I related to it. It was [talking about] lifestyle I did not live. I was very sheltered and very prude.” She said that growing up she had been told about Los Angeles being “demonic.” And that her family had made negative comments about sexual minorities. Roan added that “Going to gay clubs for the first time, it felt spiritual.”
Roan is not the only person to try and mesh their faith with their sexuality. As we reported, African Methodist Episcopal Church is the world’s largest independent Black Protestant denomination. At their General Conference in Ohio this August, a debate raged over same-sex marriage. Rev. Jennifer S. Leath is at the center of the controversy. While gay marriage has been normalized in the broader culture, the denomination is debating if it will abandon its historical stance.
Leath describes herself as “quare.” This term is supposed to capture both her intellectual background as a “blackqueer womanist” thinker and her attraction to other women. She currently teaches teaching courses like “Queering Religion” at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, where she is an associate professor. The last time the AME debated the issue was in 2004, she was a 23-year-old seminary student. 20 years ago the church decided to make participation in same-sex marriages or unions punishable under church law.
She’s trying to force the conservative faction in her denomination towards acceptance of gay marriage. The traditionalist faction won out in August, scrapping plans to discuss the issue further. For the past three years, the Sexual Ethics Discernment Committee has been preparing recommendations about how the AME should treat the controversy going forward.
She was left “disappointed and frustrated.” However, she wants to keep fighting for her cause. Leath said, “LGBTQ+ people in the church suffer in relative silence while those who have left are forced to find or even create new spiritual communities.” Her faction is predominantly younger and focused on celebrating sexual diversity and other left-wing issues.
According to her ‘queer‘ identities have “sacred” status, she wrote. “People who exist “outside of heterosexual, cisgender categorization … will neither hide and lie nor leave and disappear.” She said “Future generations will likely push for even stronger and unequivocal affirmation of our gender and sexual diversity.” Leath vows to continue her crusade even after this setback.