“I must say that this in that transition period [between going to an unaffirming church and finding a new church home] the courses and community here became, in my mind, the real manifestation of the Body of Christ for me. This space will forever remain in my heart as the place where I learned that I deserved more than tolerance, and could ask God for more grace as manifested in a community ‘in real life’”

When I started this Queering The Bible course, it was still hard for me to listen to a Bible passage being read because it reminded me of past religious trauma. I asked myself several times whether I was rushing myself in doing this work at this time. But with your help and feeling myself part of the community of the others in this course, I was really able to transform how I look at the Bible. I am so excited now to realize not just intellectually but viscerally, that the Bible is mine and I can relate it to my queer story. I don't have to accept the harmful stories that others have used these words to tell. This course allowed me to bring two separate parts of me together, my queerness and my Christian upbringing, and that has been so healing. I'm excited to keep exploring how I can relate my queer story and the stories of other queer people to scripture. Thank you so much for this!