Becoming an LGBT Ally

I’m guessing that most Theoblogy readers are supporters of GLBT persons in the church. But if you’re not, or if you’ve got friends who are on the fence on this issue, Kimberly Knight has 12 (beautiful, graceful, non-judgmental) steps to becoming an ally in 2013. Here are three of them:

3. Invite –

Invite the Holy Spirit into your heart to do a new thing.

Invite new ideas to your table.

Invite a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender friend to lunch, dinner, out for drinks, or for a rousing round of mini-golf  and ask them about themselves.

Invite yourself to be fully present.

Invite your neighbor into your heart.

4. Listen –

Listen to the stories of their life.

Listen deeply for places where their story might sound a bit like yours.

Listen for places where your stories intersect.

Listen for how their story is interwoven with God’s.

Listen to your heart.

5. Ask –

Ask yourself if you are willing to hear honest answers.

Ask a LGBT person if you can ask them questions that seem weird or uncomfortable – not because you want them to feel weird or uncomfortable or because you are hoping to trip them up but because you need to learn a few things (yes, that means you have to acknowledge a little bit of ignorance and fear but that is actually wise and courageous).

Ask real questions, not veiled, loaded questions that are meant to corner, cajole or convert.

Ask yourself if you learned something new.

Read the rest: 12 steps to becoming an LGBT ally in 2013.