Faith communities that belong to LGBTQ+ affirming denominations are often excited to extend a welcome to the LGBTQ+ community. After all, with “more than 1 in 5 Gen Z adults . . . identify[ing] as LGBTQ+,” according to Gallup (see “LGBTQ+ Identification in U.S. Rises to 9.3%” by Jeffrey M. Jones), extending a welcome to the LGBTQ+ community isn’t just a matter of living out articulated values; it’s also a key part of youth and young adult outreach.

However, given the dramatic difference in generational attitudes and exposure to the LGBTQ+ community, many faith communities are not well equipped with the cultural competence to offer authentic welcome that also provides safety and spiritual well-being for LGBTQ+ seekers. Moreover, congregations are often unprepared for the push-back they may receive from non-affirming neighbors. This is where formation leaders can make a big difference in equipping their communities to do this good work.

A Comprehensive Approach to LGBTQIA+ Cultural Competency

As Ministry Developer at the AuSable Inclusion Center, I’ve developed multiple workshops, presentations, and resource guides to help support people of faith in developing the cultural competency and institutional capacity to offer authentic welcome and ensure the safety and spiritual well-being of LGBTQ+ seekers. I’ve had thousands of conversations with church ladies (of all genders, orientations, and orders) about points of discomfort, pain, and awkwardness that come from trying to integrate LGBTQ+ folks into faith communities. I’ve also seen firsthand how often all it takes is a good group book study to break open hearts and begin to shift the culture of a congregation so that when LGBTQ+ folks walk through the door, the community is equipped with the tools and knowledge they need. That said, formation leaders would do well to take a more comprehensive approach, particularly when the road to authentic welcome is especially uphill. As with most things in ministry, there is no “one size fits all” approach, so understanding your context is key.

There are three core components to a solid introductory LGBTQ+ affirming curriculum:

1. Basic LGBTQ+ knowledge
2. Biblical and theological study
3. Exposure to queer perspectives and stories

Selecting resources that both meet your community where they’re at and gently push them beyond their comfort zone is essential. I’ve heard way too many stories over the years of well-meaning church book clubs that dive straight into a controversial memoir before they have the basic LGBTQ+ terminology knowledge or sex and gender framework differentiation to wrestle with the book in a healthy way. Or worse, a queer or trans participant ends up becoming the de facto educator for the group. While some are game for that kind of labor, many find it incredibly uncomfortable and tokenizing.

For this reason, I recommend approaching these three components in order and taking a spiral approach. As a bonus, following this progressive model allows you to gradually build up a resource library so that participants who are jumping into the conversation farther along can be brought up to speed with a well-placed book recommendation or online video.

1. Basic LGBTQIA+ Knowledge

I once had a teacher in high school who argued that, ultimately, all study rests on vocabulary. We understand what we read or hear better when we understand the meaning of the words themselves. The church is no stranger to this concept. We have all kinds of bizarre lingo and ways of thinking about creation, God, and our relationship with both that can take a lifetime to learn and understand.

Happily, with the right tools, LGBTQ+ lingo and constructs are actually much easier to wrap one’s head around than, say, the Trinity. This is also the core component with the most widely available and wide-ranging variety of resources. There are many fabulous videos and books available, and local LGBTQ+ resource centers often offer workshops. Some will even send a trainer to your community to offer an on-site workshop at low or no cost. Understanding what all the letters mean, what the deal is with pronouns, and the difference between sexuality, romance, and gender goes a long way in providing a solid scaffolding for further study and for building cultural competence.

2. Biblical and Theological Study

As people of faith, it’s essential that we are able to articulate our understanding of scripture and theology, especially on matters of controversy. Christians who are not LGBTQ+ affirming are often very well equipped to explain, through both scripture and theological reasoning, why they believe homosexuality, gender nonconformity, and transgender identification and transition are sinful and abhorrent. However, while denominational leadership may have done the hard theological and scriptural work to reach a place of LGBTQ+ affirmation, many people of faith, even ordained folks, are unable to articulate why they affirm LGBTQ+ people and welcome them into the church.

This isn’t about winning debates, although it can sometimes make conversations with non-affirming kinfolk in Christ more productive. Thinking through these questions can help peel back unconscious biases and faulty assumptions, while also deepening a participant’s relationship with their faith. There are increasingly more excellent resources available, including denomination-specific ones.

3. Exposure to Queer Perspectives and Stories

Finally, exposing community members to the stories and perspectives of LGBTQ+ people, especially LGBTQ+ people of faith, is necessary for moving toward authentic welcome. For one thing, encountering these stories and perspectives can familiarize participants with the lived experience of members of parts of the LGBTQ+ community they may have never personally known—or have not been aware that they personally knew. It also broadens the range of individual perspectives on a given identity or way of being that participants are familiar with, which helps reduce stereotypes.

I recall a conversation with a person whose fellow parishioner thought all trans women loved the Indigo Girls and fixing bicycles because the only trans woman she knew loved the Indigo Girls and fixing bicycles. Perceptions of the LGBTQ+ community are also driven largely by the kinds of people who end up in mainstream media: an overwhelmingly more white, wealthy, masculine, and cisgender segment of the LGBTQ+ community than is actually proportionate.

There has been an explosion in recent years of new stories being told through social media, podcasts, books, movies, and television. Encountering more perspectives and stories invites us into a wider perspective on the human condition, and when we’re able to pair that with stories about faith and relationships with God and the church, our appreciation for the ways that queer and trans people of faith navigate their faith journeys can deepen.

Books for Developing LGBTQIA+ Cultural Competency

Here are some book recommendations for each core component. Again, when selecting resources, remember to take your context into consideration.

Basic LGBTQ+ Knowledge

• “A Quick and Easy Guide to Asexuality” by Molly Muldoon and Will Hernandez (Oni, 2022; ages 13+)
• “Life Isn’t Binary: On Being Both, Beyond, and In-Between” by Meg-John Barker and Alex Iantaffi (Jessica Kingsley, 2019)
• “The Savvy Ally: A Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ Advocate” by Jeannie Gainsburg (2nd ed, Rowman & Littlefield, 2023)
• “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson (2nd ed, Sourcebooks Fire, 2021; ages 14+)
• “What’s the T?” by Juno Dawson (Sourcebooks Fire, 2022; ages 14+)

Biblical and Theological Study

• “The Big Queer Bible Study: A Guidebook for Reading the Bible Inclusively” by Kevin Miguel Garcia (independently published, 2024)
• “God, Gospel, and Gender: A Queer Bible Study for Teens” by Margie Baker (Church Publishing, 2024; ages 10+, GREAT with adults, too!)
• “Radical Love: Introduction to Queer Theology” by Patrick S. Cheng (Seabury, 2011)
• “Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians” by Austen Hartke (updated & expanded ed, Westminster John Knox, 2023)
• “UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality” by Colby Martin (expanded ed, Westminster John Knox, 2022)

Queer Perspectives and Stories

• “Conversion Therapy Dropout: A Queer Story of Faith and Belonging” by Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez (Broadleaf, 2026)
• “Heavy Burdens: Seven Ways LGBTQ+ People Experience Harm in the Church“ by Bridget Eileen Rivera (Brazos, 2021)
• “In the Margins: A Transgender Man’s Journey with Scripture” by Shannon T.L. Kearns (Eerdmans, 2022)
• “Outside the Lines: How Embracing Queerness Will Transform Your Faith” by Mihee Kim-Kort (Fortress, 2018)
• “Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States” by Samantha Allen (Little, Brown and Co, 2019)

Featured image is by Carlos de Toro on Unsplash