Six Videos That Help You Understand LGBTQ Christians

February 27, 2017 By David and Constantino Khalaf

The experience of LGBTQ people in the church is often fraught with conflict. When a person comes out, their newfound safety in God comes often at the expense of safety within their community. To better understand what it is like, for them and their loved ones, we recommend watching these videos: “Through My Eyes”: True stories of young gay Christians. This documentary features interviews with young people who have seen their lives personally affected by the debate over homosexuality... Read more

Five Struggles Unique to LGBTQ Marriages

February 22, 2017 By David and Constantino Khalaf

Same-sex marriages are just like opposite-sex marriages, right? Well, yes and no. The dynamics of human relationship are universal. In some ways we connect, and in others we inevitably clash. And all marriages have underlying commonalities: communication, compromise, connection. But because of our culture, our government, and our churches, LGBTQ marriages face unique struggles, even in the face of marriage equality. It’s worth looking at some of these problems, and how we can approach them to make the marriages of LGBTQ... Read more

If You Want to be a Trans Ally, Declare Your Pronouns

February 18, 2017 By David and Constantino Khalaf

We’re cisgender men. The pronouns we want people to use when referring to either of us are he, him, and his. Why does this matter, and what does it even mean? Being cisgender means that we identify with the gender we were “assigned at birth.” In blunt terms, it means that the genitals with which we were born match our gender identity: We’re both male who have always been male, have always felt male, and whom other people have also... Read more

How to Help a Queer Person with Church PTSD

February 12, 2017 By David and Constantino Khalaf

We love our church. The preaching is always timely and thought-provoking. The worship—liturgical but free of pomp—moves us, bringing us to those thin places where we feel an intimate connection with the divine. Most of all, we love the people. When we first moved to Portland we thought it would be temporary. Now, despite both of us having jobs that would allow us to live anywhere we choose, we’ve chosen to stay. The friends we’ve made at church have made... Read more

When You Can’t Avoid Politics

February 4, 2017 By David and Constantino Khalaf

In the past week, we’ve written about the government’s move to ban Muslim refugees and the importance of staying united even when our own cause isn’t in peril. Now we’re supposed to go back to writing about our main topics: marriage and LGBTQ relationships. But we can’t. As much as we both want to change the subject away from politics, we can’t. Not yet. We all want to pretend that life goes on as normal; we want to pretend that we’re sure life will... Read more

Don’t Let LGBTQ Protections Divide Us

February 1, 2017 By David and Constantino Khalaf

After a series of divisive executive orders from the White House that have left progressives feeling rattled and afraid, many were relieved to hear the president’s announcement that he will, for now, keep in tact federal protections for LGBTQ workers. Don’t be fooled. This bright spot in an otherwise dark week is not a glimmer of hope—it’s a wedge meant to further divide the American people by placating select demographics. Rumors spread early in the week that President Trump would... Read more

What Trump’s Orders Mean For LGBTQ Refugees

January 27, 2017 By David and Constantino Khalaf

We are proud Americans. David’s maternal ancestors can be traced back to the Mayflower, and his father came here as a refugee. Constantino is an immigrant himself. He received asylum here after his work as a journalist in his home country put his life in danger. We are direct beneficiaries of America’s greatest virtues: personal liberty and a hospitable spirit that has, for generations, welcomed the world’s “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” But if Donald Trump’s presidency signals a... Read more

The Return From The Mountain

January 10, 2017 By David and Constantino Khalaf

Mountaintops hold historical significance as places in which we interact with the supernatural. Abraham climbed a mountain with the intention of sacrificing his son in obedience to God. Moses climbed Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments. Peter, James, and John climbed a mountaintop and witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus. The mountaintop is magical—but we can’t stay there. We all have mountaintop moments in our lives. The mountaintop as metaphor offers a view of the critical points in life in... Read more

A Good Year That Was Bad

December 22, 2016 By David and Constantino Khalaf

If the memes this December are any indication, 2016 has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year. Everyone, it seems, is done with it. Over it. People just want this year to end. Some are upset by first-world problems, like the passing of beloved celebrities. Some are concerned about more serious matters, like the political future of America. And yet others are heartbroken and outraged by the carnage we have seen in places like Aleppo. We count ourselves... Read more

The Sacrifice of Christian Parents Of LGBTQ Children

December 17, 2016 By David and Constantino Khalaf

“Mom, dad, I’m gay,” can be one of the hardest things a parent ever hears. We aren’t parents ourselves yet, but we can imagine how those words could fill someone’s heart with concern—first for their child, but also for themselves. It is important and just to acknowledge that loving your child unconditionally is in itself courageous. Accepting and supporting an LGBTQ child often comes at a cost for parents, especially if they are Christian and active in the church. For... Read more