Homophobia and Heterosexism

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Homophobia and Heterosexism

We affirm that sexuality is God's good gift to all person

UMC Books of Resolutions
Social Principles 161 F

My youth group randomly started talking about homosexuality one week. As we began to ask what God must think of gays and lesbians, one of my youth group leaders responded that God sent AIDS to the world to send a clear message to the gays and their sinfulness. I was furious. I yelled at her and told her that her statement was utterly ignorant and reflected no knowledge of how the disease is actually transmitted and how it harms all people. My youth group leader told me that science didn’t matter if God is still Judge. I left the group early that day just fuming and pissed.
Young Adult, Illinois, 24

  1. About
  2. Personal Stories
  3. UMC Resolution
  4. Resources

The 2008 General Conference passed "Opposing Homophobia and Heterosexism" (Resolution #2043) calling on the General Board of Church & Society to provide resources on how the denomination can eradicate homophobia and heterosexism. A GBCS Task Force was organized in 2008 to address this mandate, and below are some of the fruits of their labor. This website will be an ever expanding one as additional resources are identified and posted. The Task Force commends this site to you as a spirit-filled gift to the entire denomination hoping local churches and annual conferences will prayerfully study and reflect as well as take concrete actions to eradicate homophobia and heterosexism within church & society

  • During the summer of 2006, a small group of young adults took a mission trip to Mobile, Alabama through the funding and organization of MOSAIC. At the beginning of the trip, we were very excited about getting to serve victims of Hurricane Katrina while spending time with other members of the Reconciling Ministries Network. Life can be challenging for our community in local churches sometimes and we saw this as an opportunity to feel safe and welcomed during a week of service. Unfortunately, we were wrong. During this trip, our group was housed in a camp site that happened to share space with a different Christian service organization. We ate meals with these individuals and shared devotions with them in the mornings and evenings. Throughout the week, members of our group were interrogated about their sexuality by members of the other group. Someone even tried to "save them from their sins" by quoting Bible scripture. This experience was extremely painful for the members of our group. Here we were, trying to serve the victims of the hurricane, and all these other people seemed to be able to think about was our sexuality. We saw it as an opportunity for dialogue, though: dialogue within our group and dialogue with the rest of the camp site. Unfortunately, the other group was not very open to what we had to say. The week turned out very differently than what any of us had imagined, to say the least.
    Young Adult, Michigan, 24

  • Excommunicated: September 11, 2001 occurred during my senior year of high school. As a Christian and as the co-president of my youth group, I felt immediately the need for us to offer students the time and space for prayer. I ran to my co-president and began to ask her when we could start planning some prayer services. Before I even finished my sentence, she informed me that she and the rest of the leadership team had discussed my ?situation? and determined that although it was okay for me to be struggling with and resisting my ?unnatural lifestyle,? it was unacceptable and inappropriate for me to be a leader as an ?active homosexual.? I was speechless and felt betrayed by the faith community I had come to know as more of a family than my biological one. Part of me died that day and I did not feel like I belonged to any church or as a child of God for the next three years of my life.
    Young Adult, Illinois, 24

  • Growing up in South East Texas sadly has left me with no shortage of stories about dealing with homophobia, both within the church and in other areas of my life. The one experience that still stands out among the rest happened the summer after my sophomore year of college. My home church was hiring a youth intern for the summer to help the youth minister with the summer programs. I applied for the job but I was turned down, the reason given was that too many of the youth knew me in high school and would have a hard time adjusting to viewing me as an adult. A few weeks later I happened to be home for the weekend and went to church with my parents. While my parents went to the kitchen to have a cup of coffee I headed to the choir room to pass the time before church and read through the anthem for that Sunday.

    I noticed on the director's music stand, my dad was the choir director at the time, there was a envelope addressed to me. Inside there was a handwritten letter and a brochure. The author of this letter told me that a short time ago they had been visiting my home church and I had been there to provide the anthem that Sunday. After church they asked someone in the congregation who I was. They were told about were I was going to school, what I was studying, and also told about my applying for the youth intern position. They were also told that the reason I wasn't given the job was because there were rumors that I might be gay. The included brochure was from a conversion therapy group. I was so upset by what I read and sadly I had no one to turn too. I had not come out to my parents at that point and even if I had they wouldn't have been very understanding.

    I sat there in the church that I had grown up in, that I had spent countless Sunday mornings at Sunday School and church. The church that I was baptized and confirmed in. The church were I had come to think of the congregation as my extended family and I felt completely alone and isolated. I took a moment to calm myself and then went to find my parents. With a lot of effort to control my breathing and thereby keep myself from breaking down in front of my parents, I told them I wasn't feeling well and I was going to go home. I spent the time before my parents got home from church alternating between anger and hurt. I had never felt so unwelcome in my life.
    Student, Texas, 24

  • I have two stories of homophobia from my church life growing up: I remember one meeting of my church's youth group that included a discussion of AIDS. One of the group leaders (someone I'd known my whole life and considered a close friend) read a poem that included a line something like "unless it's by birth or a transfusion, the origin is sin." I was never quite able to figure out if the poem was implying that AIDS was some sort of divine punishment on homosexuals and drug addicts, but it definitely made me uncomfortable, and question whether my own budding queer identity was wrong.
    Student, New Hampshire, 21

Opposing Homophobia and Heterosexism Resolution (#2043, 2008 BOR)

  • WHEREAS, homophobia is the discrimination of people perceived to be non-heterosexual, regardless of the victim’s actual sexual orientation or sexual identity; and,

    WHEREAS, heterosexism is a self-justifying system of homophobia that:

    1) perpetuates stereotypical categories of what is essentially “masculine” and what is essentially “feminine,”

    2) provides a privileged status for people who identify as culturally defined heterosexuals, and

    3) discriminates against persons who, regardless of their sexual orientation or sexual identity, do not appear to fit within the particular category defined as appropriate for their gender; and,

    WHEREAS, actions rooted in homophobia and heterosexism, including violence, threats, ridicule, humiliation, discrimination, isolation, and rejection, is damaging to persons of all sexual orientations and identities,

    WHEREAS, homophobia and heterosexism are manifestations of sexism in general in that they foster stereotypes based on arbitrary distinctions of gender categories,

    WHEREAS, the United Methodist Church is committed to the eradication of sexism (#48, 2004 Book of Resolutions),

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United Methodist Church strengthen its advocacy of the eradication of sexism by opposing all forms of violence or discrimination based on gender, gender identity, sexual practice or sexual orientation.

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the General Board of Church and Society provide resources and materials aimed at educating members of the local churches about the reality, issues, and effects of homophobia and heterosexism and the need for Christian witness against these facets of marginalization.

    Adopted by the 2008 General Conference

    1 Homophobia, A commonly used definition from the American Heritage Dictionary (1992): “Fear or contempt for lesbians and gay men.”

    2 Heterosexism, A commonly used definition from the American Heritage Dictionary (1992): “Discrimination or prejudice against lesbians or gay men by heterosexual people.

  • The Anti-Homophobia/Transphobia Project
    Through the Anti-Homophobia/Transphobia Project, organizations may receive culturally relevant publications and materials on HIV/STI and teen pregnancy prevention programming for GLBTQ youth; strategic technical assistance and training; and a seed grant in the amount of $7,000. With these resources, partner organizations create safe spaces for GLBTQ youth of color 13-24 years old and redress homophobia within the local community, including schools and agencies.

  • Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood
    This article explores the notion of 'risk' and the consequences of both 'taking risks' or 'not taking risks' in doing anti-homophobia (or anti-heterosexist) education within broader anti-bias and social justice agendas in early childhood education.

  • National Black Justice Coalition
    The National Black Justice Coalition is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Our mission is to end racism and homophobia. These resources are helpful for Bible studies, church committees, and pastoral accountability groups seeking to understand how heterosexism and homophobia often disproportionately affect racial/ethnic minority communities.