Frequently Asked Questions – Faith Communities
Frequently Asked Questions – Faith Communities
Frequently asked questions for Straight for Equality: Faith Communities
Fairness at work
10 things you can do to be an ally in your faith community
Looking for simple ways to start being a more engaged and active ally in your faith community? Try using a few of these suggestions to build your ally skills and start creating change.
download pdf- Learn. Research and understand your faith communityĘĽs position on the issues that affect people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) such as relationship recognition, non-discrimination, and the ordination of openly LGBTQ+ clergy.
- Become a resource. Learn more about welcoming and affirming resources for your faith tradition and share them with others. Provide books or movies about the intersection of faith and LGBTQ+ issues for the congregation library.
- Educate others. Let your faith community know about which companies, community groups, and charitable organizations are inclusive of people who are LGBTQ+…and which ones arenʼt.
- Encourage participation. Personally invite people who are LGBTQ+ to services and/or events at your place of worship and ask them to share their stories with others in your faith community.
- Speak up. When people speak negatively about people who are LGBTQ+, be the one who raises an objection. Remind people that everyone should be treated with respect and kindness.
- Tell your story. Do what you can to share with others in your faith tradition why youĘĽre an ally. Tell a story about acceptance and love for all people, including people who are LGBTQ+.
- Have a discussion. Meet with faith leaders, share why you think your community needs to be more welcoming and affirming for people who are LGBTQ+ and provide suggestions on how to achieve that goal.
- Host an event. Show a film, host a panel presentation, or invite a guest speaker to get a new perspective and follow it with a group discussion.
- Consider change. Support organizational policies at the local and institutional level that promote diversity, inclusion, and equality, and encourage others to do the same.
- Make the ask. Request that faith leaders of your tradition perform commitment ceremonies and wedding ceremonies for LGBTQ+ couples.