When Religion and Sexuality Collide – the experience of LGBT people from faith backgrounds The intersections of sexuality/gender identity and religion are volatile spaces. Resolving ones perceived conflict between faith and sexuality is rarely an easy journey. LGBT people of faith and religion experience the usual issues of resolving their sexuality, coming out, finding their place in the community and learning what it means to live authentically in a predominately straight world, but for them, it is more challenging. Often there are additional layers, such as life purpose, family, culture and social network which add intensity and complexities to the conflict. The impacts of faith/sexuality conflict can include • Intense cognitive dissonance - the acceptance/ rejection of their sexuality has eternal consequences. • Suicidality - this group have thoughts of, or attempts to suicide more often than those from non- faith backgrounds. • Mental health issues. – faith/sexuality conflict causes anxiety, stress and depression. • Trauma and grief - leaving the religion can be traumatic and the loss of family, friends devastating. • Internalised homophobia - after coming out, years of negative conditioning and self-hatred continue to impact. • Loss of purpose and self esteem - The new gay identity, initially, may not be as profound as the previous Christian identity. Understanding the LGBT faith person’s background, beliefs systems as well as their unique issues is essential for community workers, service providers and educators. This presentation draws on the presenters personal journey, 15 years working with LGBT people of faith and recent research. • The specific issues faced by LGBT people of faith • The complexities, various layers and how to separate issues of faith and sexuality • Separate strategies to resolve belief system, sexual identity and scripture • Additional support structures available Presenter Anthony Venn-Brown was a popular preacher in the mega-churches of Australia, such as Hillsong. His bestselling autobiography ‘A Life of Unlearning’ details his 22 years attempting to change his homosexuality through counselling, prayer, exorcisms, ex-gay/reparative/conversion therapy programs and 16 years of marriage. Anthony is now a respected LGBT community leader and was twice voted one of the 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians. He is the co-founder of Freedom2b, Australia’s leading support network for LGBT people from Christian backgrounds. He is the founder and CEO of Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International. Anthony has presented at conferences in the USA, UK and Asia and provided training in Australia for LGBTI and religious organisations. Over the last 15 years, Anthony has also worked extensively, one on one, with individuals seeking resolution of faith and/or their sexuality.

1. When religion and sexuality collide:
The experience of LGBT people from
faith backgrounds
Anthony Venn-Brown
Australia Forum on Sexuality, Education and Health

2. My Observations
• Potential and real suicidality
• Mental health issues
• Self destructive behaviours
• Obsessive behaviours and addictions
• Fragmentation of self
• Closet hokey pokey
• Faith and/or sexuality conflict separate
• HIV & STI infection
• Two way discrimination

3. LGBT people of faith and religion have specific
needs that have not always been identified or
catered for. They experience the usual issues of
resolving their sexuality or gender identity, coming
out, finding their place in the community and
learning what it means to live authentically in a
predominately straight world.
However, they often experience these things with
greater intensity and also have additional issues
to deal with.
© Anthony Venn-Brown
www.anthonyvennbrown.com

4. High Risk Group – Why?
• Having a belief system that says your eternal
destiny is determined by your acceptance or
rejection of your homosexuality creates an intense
cognitive dissonance. Coming out doesn’t
necessarily solve the problems; it can create more
• After coming out, internalised homophobia from
years of negative conditioning and self-hatred
continues to have impact
© Anthony Venn-Brown
www.anthonyvennbrown.com

5. High Risk Group – Why?
• Many invested years attempting to conform to
heterosexuality through secret struggles,
heterosexual relationships, ‘ex-gay’/conversion style
counselling; leaving them damaged and
traumatised.
• For many from faith backgrounds, accepting their
sexual orientation means leaving the
church/religion. Their entire social network is gone,
along with church activities and service. Finding
their place in the LGBT community can be
challenging.

6. High Risk Group – Why?
• Living a life of faith often includes a strong sense of
mission, calling or purpose. Walking away from that
can leave them with a huge void.
• Grief and trauma are common themes. Extricating
oneself from the religion can be traumatic; the loss
of family, friends and faith devastating. The trauma
and the grief are often unacknowledged but play
out in depression, self-destructive behaviours and
suicidiality.
© Anthony Venn-Brown
www.anthonyvennbrown.com

7. High Risk Group – Why?
• Years of secrecy and denial can create unhealthy
addictions, compulsions or obsessions.
• Many have little or no knowledge of safe sex
practices and are therefore at high risk of STI’s &
HIV.
• Although beliefs systems differ, people from
strong Christian, Islamic or Jewish backgrounds
can face similar issues
© Anthony Venn-Brown
www.anthonyvennbrown.com

8. Research
Writing Themselves In 3 (WTi3) 2010. 3,134 SSAGQ
young people aged 14-21
When religion was mentioned the key findings were:
1.More likely to feel bad about their same sex attraction.
2.More likely to have experienced social exclusion or had
to tolerate homophobic language from friends.
3.More likely to report homophobic abuse in the home.

9. Research
Writing Themselves In 3 (WTi3) 2010, 3,134 SSAGQ
young people aged 14-21
When religion was mentioned the key findings were:
4.More likely to report feeling unsafe at home.
5.More likely to not be supported by their mother, father,
brother, teacher or student welfare
coordinator/counsellor, when disclosing their SSA.
6.More likely to report thoughts of self harm and suicide
or to carry out self harm.

10. Research
Sex and the Sinner: Comparing Religious and
Nonreligious Same-Sex Attracted Adults on Internalized
Homonegativity and Distress 2014
Babucarr J. Sowe, Jac Brown, and Alan J. Taylor Macquarie
University
Ordinal logistic regressions revealed that Christian LGB
respondents possessed significantly more internalized
homophobia (IH) than nonreligious respondents.
Furthermore, perceiving greater homonegativity in one’s
religious and familial environments predicted higher
levels of distress and IH among Christians specifically.

11. Research
Despite having apostatized, former Christians still
reported greater religion-sexuality distress than
nonreligious individuals, suggesting that the psychological
effects of homonegative religious environments are
potentially enduring. Across all respondents, IH was also
greater for males, those who were less “out,” and those
who possessed a weaker sense of self. Findings generally
support the premise that religious homonegativity places
LGB Christians at additional psychological risk, with
particular regard to IH and religion-sexuality identity
conflict, and that both personal and interpersonal
characteristics may exacerbate this risk.

12. www.abbi.org.au
info@abbi.org.au
Creating understanding and acceptance for LGBTI people,
empowering community members and building bridges
with religious organisations and leaders.