Patrick Leuben Mukajanga (Mleuben Maccarthy) : Ugandan pastor and LGBTQ activist
Patrick Leuben Mukajanga, known by many as Mleuben Maccarthy, was a gay Ugandan pastor and LGBTQ activist. He died in a motorcycle accident while riding from Kampala to his home in Ibanda town on July 31, 2020 at age 43. A memorial portrait of Mukajanga was created...
Martha and Mary of Bethany: Sisters or lesbian couple?
Mary and Martha of Bethany were two of Jesus’ closest friends. The Bible calls them “sisters” who lived together, but reading the Bible with queer eyes raises another possibility. Maybe Mary and Martha were a lesbian couple. Their feast day is July 29. Mary and Martha...
Lazarus: Jesus’ beloved disciple?
Some believe that Lazarus of Bethany was the “beloved disciple” of Jesus -- and maybe even his same-sex lover. He is celebrated on July 29 in contemporary Catholic and some Protestant churches. Scholars theorize that Lazarus was also the unnamed “one whom Jesus...
Boris and George: Russian saints united in love and death
Saint Boris is one of the oldest and most popular Russian saints, but his same-sex love story has been buried until recently. Boris and his servant George the Hungarian loved each other deeply and were murdered together. The feast day of Saint Boris is July 24 -- soon...
Symeon of Emesa and John: Holy fool and hermit who loved each other
Sixth-century Syrian monks Symeon and John were joined in a same-sex union and lived together as desert-dwelling hermits for 29 years. After a tearful split-up, Symeon went on to become known as the Holy Fool of Emesa, the patron saint of all holy fools (and...
Daniel and the three young men: God rescues Biblical eunuchs, affirming LGBTQ people of faith
Some see the prophet Daniel and the chief eunuch Ashpenaz as a same-sex couple or queer couple. In a hotly contested translation, the Bible describes the “favor and tender love” that he bestowed on Daniel. LGBTQ people find role models in Bible stories about eunuchs,...
Saint Wilgefortis: Holy bearded woman fascinates for centuries
Saint Wilgefortis prayed to avoid marriage to a pagan king -- and her prayers were answered when she grew a beard! This “virgin martyr” virgin martyr has natural appeal for LGBTQ people. Her feast day is July 20. She was removed from the official Vatican calendar in...
Nancy Ledins: First transgender Roman Catholic priest made headlines in 1979
Nancy Ledins made national news as “America’s first female Roman Catholic priest” and first transgender Roman Catholic priest after gender confirmation surgery in 1979. She died on July 18, 2017, at age 82 in North Carolina. Newspapers nationwide covered her...
Good Samaritan: LGBTQ views of Bible story on helping strangers
Lovingkindness from one man to another is celebrated in the Bible story of the Good Samaritan. Could one or both characters be LGBTQ? The parable of the Good Samaritan will be read at many churches worldwide as the gospel reading for July 16, 2028 in the three-year...
Kuan Yin: A queer Buddhist Christ figure?
Kuan Yin, the genderfluid spirit of compassion in Buddhism, is sometimes thought of as a queer Christ figure or LGBTQ role model. Buddhists celebrate the enlightenment of Kuan Yin every year in July or August. This year the date is July 13, 2025. Transcending gender...
2026 brings new LGBTQ Christian books
New LGBTQ Christian books are being published in 2026, including theology, Bible, history, memoir, church life and spirituality by diverse authors. Q Spirit presents summaries of LGBTQ Christian books released this year, plus lists of titles that are coming soon or...
Sally Miller Gearhart: Lesbian educator and activist who challenged the church
Sally Miller Gearhart was a lesbian educator, theologian, activist and author of books including the 1974 classic “Loving Women / Loving Men: Gay Liberation and the Church.” She died on July 14, 2021 in Ukiah, California, at age 90 after a long illness. Gearhart’s...
Steve Pieters: Gay minister, longtime AIDS survivor, LGBTQ activist and friend
I celebrate the life of my friend and colleague Steve Pieters, influential gay clergyman, LGBTQ activist and one of the longest-surviving AIDS patients. It was considered a miracle that he survived. His ground-breaking 1985 interview with televangelist Tammy Faye...
Shulamite in Song of Songs: Gay, lesbian or queer Biblical love poem?
One of the greatest love poems of all time, the Bible Song of Songs, may have been written as same-sex love poetry. Paul R. Johnson translated it as “a gay love poem” and Angela Yarber sees it as erotic poetry between a woman and her female lover. Others are...
Artemisia Gentileschi paints strong Biblical women
Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi inspires many with her paintings of strong Biblical women -- created despite the discrimination and sexual violence that she faced as a woman in 17th-century Italy. She was born on July 8, 1593. Although Gentileschi was apparently...
Clergyman picketed for LGBTQ equality in Fourth of July 1965-69 protests
Early LGBTQ rights protests happened every Fourth of July from 1965 to 1969 in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Among the protesters was Robert W. Wood, the first member of the clergy to picket for LGBTQ rights. [2026 update: “The Story of Bob: The Life and...
Publick Universal Friend: Queer preacher reborn in 1776
A queer American preacher woke from a near-death experience in 1776 with the sense of being neither male nor female. Adopting the name Publick Universal Friend instead of Jemima Wilkinson, this fascinating nonbinary American fought for gender equality and founded an...
Pauli Murray: Queer saint who stood for racial and gender equality
Human rights champion and queer African American saint Pauli Murray is a civil rights pioneer, women's rights advocate, author, Episcopal priest and lawyer whose legal arguments were used in landmark Supreme Court decisions outlawing discrimination. The gender...
All-time favorites at Q Spirit
Top 22 LGBTQ Christian books of 2025 named
Check out the top 22 LGBTQ Christian books of 2025 — including theology, Bible, memoir, church life and history by diverse authors. The list was announced today by lesbian Christian author Kittredge Cherry, founder of Qspirit.net. “Creativity was this year’s hottest...
Trans Saints? Early cross-dressing monks and martyrs share similar lives
Early Christian cross-dressing monks are being reclaimed as possible transgender or LGBTQ saints. At least 30 saints share a similar story: They escaped their lives as women and lived as men, joining monasteries or becoming religious hermits. Often they were desperate...
Litany of Queer Saints
LGBTQ saints and martyrs are remembered in the Litany of Queer Saints from Q Spirit. The prayer was created by Q Spirit founder Kittredge Cherry. She also wrote a major essay on why we need LGBTQ saints. Both traditional and alternative saints are featured. It is a...
Why we need LGBTQ saints: A queer theology of sainthood
It’s time to welcome the queer saints. Many believe that saints and other souls will visit for Halloween, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos). The LGBTQ saints are important because people are searching for alternative ways to lead...
Kittredge Cherry: Christianity inspired me to come out as a lesbian
I am celebrating my birthday on Oct. 21 by re-posting this reflection on my coming-out story and life journey as a lesbian Christian. During my birthday month, I try to appreciate my own accomplishments and reflect on my dreams for the future. My 2025 birthday wish:...
Rainbow Christ Prayer: LGBTQ flag reveals the queer Christ
Colors of the LGBTQ rainbow flag reveal the many faces of the queer Christ in the following Rainbow Christ Prayer by lesbian Christian author Kittredge Cherry and gay theologian Patrick S. Cheng. The Rainbow Christ Prayer honors the spiritual values of the LGBTQ...
Gay Passion of Christ blog series starts Palm Sunday at Q Spirit
A gay vision of Christ’s Passion will run during Holy Week here at Q Spirit. Reflections and art will be shared online daily from Palm Sunday through Easter (March 29 - April 5, 2026). All 24 paintings in the original version of Douglas Blanchard’s “The Passion of...
Black Jesus, Latinx Jesus, Asian Jesus, female Christ and other liberating visions join the gay Passion of Christ
Liberating visions of Jesus as Black, Latinx, Native American or female join with the gay Passion of Christ series to help people experience God more fully. “All people are made in God’s image, so it is important to envision Jesus as queer, Black, brown, female and...
Queer Nativity scenes show love makes a family
I create my own queer Nativity scenes for the Christmas season. One has two Marys at the manger with the baby Jesus, and the other features two Josephs with the Christ child. I put Mary with Mary and Joseph with Joseph—just like putting two brides or two grooms on top...
Sign up: Free newsletter on LGBTQ spirituality and the arts
You are invited to sign up for a free subscription to the monthly Q Spirit newsletter on LGBTQ spirituality and the arts from Jesus in Love. The e-newsletter covers LGBTQ saints and the queer Christ, with an...
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Art That Dares
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| Art That Dares:
Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, And More
By Kittredge Cherry Packed with color art by 11 contemporary artists "An amazing, disconcerting, and sacred book" |
Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision
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| The Passion of Christ:
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