The Real Meaning Of Gay Spirituality
What exactly do we mean when we talk about gay spirituality? Since many of us grew up in religious organizations that told us we were abominations and unworthy sinners there are plenty of people within the GLBT community that aren’t interested in religion. Others want some validation from the church and thus look for meaning in religion. If you take your spiritual journey, you’ll find that the process can definitely be satisfying.
Many of us began our own form of gay spirituality when we were young. Growing up in our churches we heard things, realized things, and felt like an outsider standing within the ring of fire.
It is not surprising that a great number of individuals chose to go from their churches directly into movements and social causes. Small groups have formed that help to deal with the whiplash many were left with.
Fortunately, spiritual answers do not necessarily have to come from a church or a person of religious affiliation. Not all of us culminate our gay spirituality quest on the steps of a religious building. We’ve gone from the efforts of a few brave religious figures reaching out toward the community to what are now known as open and affirming churches.
It can be a painful road if you come from a religious background. You may have been subjected to prayer sessions that were supposed to “cure” you or religious studies that openly humiliated you. Thus, in today’s GLBT community there are many who find spirituality solely within themselves.
You do not have to go to an organized church or even claim a religion in order to mark your spiritual journey. You are able to move through your questions and find your own answers whether it be through actual religious study or it becomes more of a silent quest along the beach. However you go about looking for your spiritual self you are simply not alone. The truth is that the GLBT community has been hit rather hard when it comes to spiritual acceptance, which is why it is important to understand what you want from your journey.
When you find that spiritual beliefs and religious beliefs don’t actually stem from the same place, your journey becomes lighter and more involved. We have sat in classrooms or listened to our parents as they taught us religion. We feel spirituality. We bring it forth from a place inside that is often fleeting for those of us who resist the idea. Embracing those moments brings your spirituality straight to the surface.
Of course, if joining an open and affirming church feels good to you, by all means they offer a great spiritual sanctuary. The biggest point of all is that along your journey of today, there are actually choices. You get to choose your own journey, church or no church, which is a step forward in and of itself. Since your journey never needs to actually end, you get to choose your direction all the time.
Column by Howie Holben. Spirit Journeys offers gay yoga retreat and romantic gay couple vacations.
