by Kittredge Cherry | | Dec. 16-31, Saints, Sept 1-15
John the Evangelist and Apostle is commonly considered to be Jesus’ “Beloved Disciple” — and possibly his lover. His feast day is Dec. 27 in Catholic and Protestant churches. He has two feast days, May 8 and Sept. 26, in the Orthodox tradition. [Update on Sept....
by Kittredge Cherry | | Saints, Sept 1-15
Rainbow icons of Mary highlight her compassionate connection to the LGBTQ community — evoking both controversy and celebration. Various rainbow Mary images by contemporary artists and activists are posted today at Q Spirit in honor of her birthday, which is...
by Kittredge Cherry | | April 16-30, Aug 15-31, Oct 1-15, Saints
A queer black man was welcomed as an early Christian convert in Biblical times, according to progressive Bible scholars. He was a triple outsider — a gender-variant foreigner from a racial minority — and his story shows that the early Christians welcomed...
by Kittredge Cherry | | Aug 1-15, Saints
Joseph, a popular figure in the Bible’s Book of Genesis, can be seen as a gender-nonconformist who inspires LGBTQ people today. Queer Bible scholars focus on how Joseph wore a robe that is usually known in English as a “coat of many colors,” but could be translated as...
by Kittredge Cherry | | Aug 1-15, Saints
When Jacob wrestled with the angel in the Bible, they embodied the struggle between sexuality and spirituality. Queer Bible scholars and religious leaders have grappled with the story and artists have created many homoerotic images of the scene over the centuries. It...
by Kittredge Cherry | | July 16-31, Saints
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...
by Kittredge Cherry | | July 16-31, Saints
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...
by Kittredge Cherry | | July 16-31, Saints
Some see the prophet Daniel and the chief eunuch Ashpenaz as a same-sex 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, including the...
by Kittredge Cherry | | July 16-31, Saints
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 13, 2025 in the three-year...
by Kittredge Cherry | | Aug 15-31, Saints
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...