Being gay in a christian school
“You want to shove those words back in and put the lid on. But you can’t. Your child is gay. This goes against everything you’ve been taught. It was not what you had in mind, and you instantly wonder where you went wrong.”
When you get a parent, you perceive to expect the unexpected. But for many Christian parents, nothing can equip them to hear that their beloved child is gay. This is the child you have cradled, spoon fed mashed bananas, and dreamed a lovely future for. How could this be? What will the church say? What will your friends say? What does the future hold? You can’t even get your head around this.
If you are a Christian parent, family member or friend to whom your loved one has come out as homosexual or lesbian, then this is for you.
I ask you to sit down, relax, maybe get a cup of tea, and soak in what I’m about to tell you. My hope is to guide you as we walk for a bit through this maze of confusion, to help you find your way to wholeness. In many Christian circles, this is not good news, and you may begin to spiral into reflection and self-searching. We’ll get to that. But at the bottom of it all, this is not about you. Most parents’ first mistake is to mak
Archer Magazine
“If you’re for, depart to the left corner. If you’re against, leader to the right.”
My English teacher pointed to the bright red signs he’d stuck to the walls for our class debate. I could feel my cheeks warming; my skin was prickling and itchy. This was it: the moment I’d been dreading and hiding from.
It was ‘persuasive essay week’ in English, but that wasn’t my issue. The issue was the question written on the board: Should marriage equality be legalised in Australia?
Image: Stephen Kiers
This type of thing was not an uncommon occurrence at my school, nor at Christian or Catholic schools around the country.
In January 2022, a Christian school in Brisbane made headlines for sending place a homophobic ‘enrolment contract’; it quickly sparked controversy and public outcry.
The contract stated that by signing, students would accept to live by the school’s code of actions, which declared homosexuality to be a sin. The contract gave the college the ability to discriminate against – and potentially expel – students who were LGBTQIA+, or simply questioning their gender or sexuality.
The school required families to return t
Karen says she was fired by a Christian institution due to her sexuality. She's not alone
Key Points
- An Australian Law Reform Commission report on Australia's anti-discrimination laws has been delayed.
- The inquiry is part of the Albanese government's election promise to legislate protections for LGBTIQ+ staff and students.
- LGBTIQ+ and Christian educational facility advocates are at loggerheads over the laws.
A dedicated Christian for her whole life, Karen Pack says it was devastating when she was lost her teaching job at a Baptist college in Sydney in 2020.
At the time she had just gotten engaged to her long-time same-sex partner. It was meant to be a joyful occasion, but it triggered an email complaining about Dr Pack's sexuality and urging the school to "denounce" her and "demonic actions".
The daughter of a pastor, and now an ordained pastor herself, Dr Pack said the experience was damaging.
"And for them to turn around and express, 'you're fired, you can no longer work at this college'; it's incredibly traumatic because all the things that you feared, all the things that you are taught are going to happen to gay pe
Christian school that embraced the LGBTQ group is forced to close its doors
A conflict over what it means to be Christian is forcing a university in Kansas Town, Missouri, to close.
Urban Christian Academy is a private, K-8 school with an enrollment of 100 that describes itself as providing "a tuition-free, high-quality, Christ-centered education for low-income students."
The school’s mission statement has always stressed inclusivity in general terms, noting that following Jesus "opens up doors and makes room at the table." But last year it added a paragraph to its website, which interpret in part, "We are an affirming school. We remain with the LGBTQIA+ community and consider in their holiness. We celebrate the diversity of God's creation in all its varied and beautiful forms."
According to the school, that update prompted donors to stop contributing, many of them citing their understanding of Christianity as the reason. Now, UCA has announced it will end at the close of the educational facility year due to the loss of financial support.
Kalie Callaway-George, UCA’s executive director and co-founder, said this new language "is kind of what started the
Jess was one of the highest achievers at her academy. Studied hard. Played music. Before she was named captain, she was asked to sign a contract to dwell her life in a godly style and according to the teachings of the Bible.
The only problem with that was Jess was gay. No-one knew that. There was only one openly gay student at her private Christian school, and they were ostracised and treated differently.
And so Jess signed the contract, and kept her secret.
"I came out the year after I graduated, at the launch of year," Jess told Hack.
"I came out on Facebook to my friends and that Facebook post was printed and taken to the school and then distributed to principals and the heads of schools.
"It was discussed that I have my name taken off the captains's board."
"At the time I was tutoring students on premises and I was told by a instructor there that it would probably be best if I take my tutoring off-site."
"I lost all the friends I went to academy with and felt like crap."
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