Piercing Questions

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1) How do you find being a Christian and being gay/lesbian and what advice would you give to someone who is struggling with this?

It's not easy to put the negative images and messages of the press and the churches into perspective, alongside the Christian message of love and redemption. Yet my experience of both being gay and being Christian is fundamentally one of love, respect and communion. My advice to someone who is struggling is to come to some personal accommodation with each before trying to accept the combination, and to remember that whatever you do you are personally loved by God. (P.M.)

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Still quite tricky, sometimes great, sometimes I feel like the two will never go together. Advice would be not to let it fester: talk to God and to someone sympathetic. (S.H.)

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I have absolutely no theological problems with it, but personally it has been much more difficult. Being quite an introverted person it was really difficult for me to come out in the beginning, and to meet other gay people. I was always very fearful of rejection. To others I would say that there really are people who are going/ have gone through similar questions and feelings (like me and others in YLGC), and you are not alone. It is worth taking the risk to start to ask questions and seek help and support. (M.C.)

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1. At times hard work, particularly when you spend most time trying to justify your existence! But this isn't the final word. I have met some wonderful people because of being gay and Christian and wouldn't swap it for anything in the world.

2. Look after your friends

3. Keep your sense of humour

4. Go to/hold your own dinner parties with good food and wine - they are eucharistic

5. Read anything by Jim Cotter (particularly his latest book 'Quiverful'). (L.D.)

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It's difficult. I had been involved with running the CU at school which was quite evangelical. I knew I was gay from age 13 but I thought I would have to be celibate because I thought the Bible said it was wrong. Only when I did some research for my social science degree about attitudes to homosexuality (a very clinical term I liked to use at the time ...) did I begin to find out that the Bible is more complex than I had imagined. I didn't come out to my friends until I was in my final year - I was twenty-two. That happened so late on for me purely because of Christian hang-ups, as I am quite confident and outgoing in other aspects of my life. My advice is to be honest with yourself (step one) and to question every system of thought that presents itself as the "obvious truth" - things are usually more complicated than they at first appear. (G.E.)

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I'm still struggling with it myself to be honest. I'm also a very new Christian (about 2/3 months) so I try to maintain open lines of communication to God at all times and in all areas of my life: this is hard but essential. I fail regularly so I just pray and confess to God that I don't know how to sort this out, so He has to let me know how to reconcile being gay and Christian. Asking Christian friends and open minded older Christians (or Christian friends' parents if they know about you) is particularly useful. Mainly just pray about it openly and honestly with all your heart - just give it to God and He will sort it out. Ultimately He knows what is best for us and what direction we should truly be taking which is why although it may be painful at times we must persevere and keep on listening to Him. We must always remember that he is omnipotent and omnipresent and has more power than we can ever comprehend! (R.A.)

2) Why did you join YLGC and what do you like about it?

I joined YLGC to make contact with other gay Christians; what I like is the diversity, the energy and the sense of support. (P.M.)

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I joined YLGC when I had just encountered my first problems with being gay and Christian. I was looking for support and understanding from people in the same situation as me (and I needed to know that there were people in that situation) because straight Christians, although they try and can be absolutely wonderful, can never really understand. I like it because I found exactly that and a wonderful group of balanced people who make me feel truly loved by God, because they have so much more knowledge of God and who He is than me. They are willing to share it for the mutual good of the group. (R.A.)

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I wanted to help support other YLGCs who were struggling in the same way as myself. I also believe strongly in faith, and think we all need encouragement to keep going in the Christian life. I like the variety of perspectives which YLGC offers. (M.C.)

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YLGC is a good network of people my own age. (L.D.)

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I had been a member of LGCM for a few years, but joined YLGC to meet with people my own age in a similar situation. I wish this group had existed when I was younger as it would have helped get me through the difficulties that arise in life as a result of being a gay Christian in a straight world full of dogmatic Christians. (G.E.)

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I joined to try and fit two parts of my life together. I like the support and being able to share with others in a similar situation to mine in an open and relaxed way. (S.H.)

3) How would you like the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) to be of help to you and how would you like to be involved in it?

I want LGCM to support young people more and to affirm that young gay people can be Christians too. I hope to support LGCM through involvement with YLGC, by prayer, and through supporting other gay Christians in any way I can. (M.C.)

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I'd like LGCM to be a bedrock of support and a service I can access when issues become pressing personally. This includes information, the helpline, and the awareness that I am in the prayers in some way of people all across the country. I'd like to be involved in LGCM by getting involved in groups (like YLGC), offering my services to the network if they should ever be relevant, and remembering the movement in my prayers. (P.M.)

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It would be great to see LGCM reaching out still further to young gay people isolated in churches and to links with universities, being part of a positive alternative within the church which also speaks to those outside it. (S.H.)

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I would like LGCM to be a lot more vocal within university LGB groups and I think that an awful lot of young gay people desperately need the support, love and knowledge that they are made in Christ's image and can grow to be like him every day that they are with God. They need the qualities that can be gained from a relationship with God - this helps an awful lot with self acceptance (and strength and courage and everything else that can be drawn from God when you really need it) in what can be a difficult and confusing time for a lot of people. I would like to become more involved because there is the possibility of me being vice-president of Bristol University LGB Society, so I would like to use that position to the full for God's will. (R.A.)

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Two main things. Firstly, I would like to see LGCM reaching out to young gay people isolated in churches. Secondly, LGCM should publicise itself within other LGB groups (e.g. universities / colleges) as a radical alternative to the loud voices of mainstream dogmatic Christianity. LGCM should continue to communicate the Christian message to gay people who are not Christians. (G.E.)