You Can Be Both

What happens when a Harvard Divinity School graduate, public theologian and gardening philosopher sits down with an LGBTQ Christian podcast host for over an hour of raw, unfiltered conversation about faith, sexuality, race, the church and what it means to truly know God? This. This episode happens. Lauren Lanzaretta sits down with Ciarra Jones — known as the Gardening Theologian — for one of the m...

What happens when a deeply Christian mom learns her daughter is gay — while sitting in a rainy parking lot before school? In this powerful episode of the You Can Be Both Podcast, host Lauren Lanzaretta sits down with Staci Frenes — singer, songwriter, author and Christian mom — who shares the raw, emotional moment her daughter Abby came out to her at 16, and the years-long journey that followed as...

Have you ever wondered if God actually loves you — or if the hate you've heard from others is the truth? In this solo episode of You Can Be Both, host Lauren Lanzaretta takes a break from guests to speak directly to her community about one of the most important questions LGBTQ people of faith wrestle with: does God love me, exactly as I am? Lauren reads a powerful listener testimony from a wom...

Did the word “homosexual” really appear in the Bible for the first time in 1946? In this episode of the You Can Be Both podcast, host Lauren Lanzaretta interviews Sharon “Rocky” Roggio, director of the documentary 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture. The film investigates how the word homosexual entered an English Bible translation for the FIRST TIME in 1946 — and how that translation ha...

What happens when you grow up evangelical, marry a man, build a life… and then realize you’re actually a lesbian? In this powerful episode of the You Can Be Both Podcast, host Lauren Lanzaretta sits down with Sophia Spallino — luxury lesbian matchmaker and founder of The Queer Country Club — to talk about coming out at 29, leaving a heterosexual marriage, losing everything, and rebuilding a life r...

Can you be transgender and Christian? What happens when a megachurch pastor comes out as trans? And why is she now running for public office? In this powerful episode of You Can Be Both, host Lauren Lanzaretta sits down with Joanna Whaley, a former evangelical megachurch pastor who was outed, fired, and subjected to 15 years of conversion therapy — and is now running for the Michigan House of Repr...

To inquire about Candace's services please visit: https://www.thechristiancloset.com/ Follow her on Instagram at: @lesbiantherapist Can you be gay and Christian? What does growing up LGBTQ in the church actually do to your mental health? And how do you heal from years of being told you’re going to hell? In this episode of You Can Be Both, host Lauren Lanzaretta sits down with licensed therapis...

Does conversion therapy work? What actually happens behind closed doors in Christian “ex-gay” programs—and why do people stay for years? In this episode of The You Can Be Both Podcast, host Lauren Lanzaretta sits down with Timothy Rodriguez, author of Conversion Therapy Dropout, for a raw, unfiltered conversation about surviving eight years of conversion therapy, working behind the scenes for some...

What does it mean when a straight, white male pastor says LGBTQ+ people fully belong in the church? In this powerful episode of the You Can Be Both Podcast, host Lauren Lanzaretta welcomes her first-ever guest, Danny Lybarger — a straight, white male pastor, theologian, and founder of The Well: An Inclusive & Justice-Centered Church in the St. Louis area. Danny is known for using his platform,...

• LGBTQ Healing & Resource Guide: www.laurenlanzaretta.com/youcanbeboth• Submit your story: https://bit.ly/49G1tpz________________ Can you stop being gay? Can you pray the gay away? Does God actually change someone’s sexual orientation — and if so, why doesn’t He do it for everyone? In this episode of You Can Be Both, we take an honest, compassionate, and deeply personal look at ex-gay testimo...

If you're LGBTQ+ and Christian, you've probably experienced religious trauma—rejection from church, kicked out of ministry, told you're going to hell, or living a double life hiding who you are. You're not alone, and you're NOT broken. I read dozens of stories from LGBTQ Christians daily, and the pain from Church abuse is heartbreaking but the healing is REAL. This episode is f...

Why do I call myself a "gay Christian"? Is it wrong to identify as LGBTQ+ and a person of faith? In this episode, I tackle one of the most controversial questions in the Christian LGBTQ community: Can you identify as both gay AND Christian without compromising your faith? Many Christians argue we should find our identity solely in Christ, but does that mean we have to deny who we are? In this epis...

GET THE RESOURCE GUIDE HERE: https://www.laurenlanzaretta.com/youcanbeboth Welcome to You Can Be Both — the podcast for LGBTQ+ Christians, gay Christians, and anyone navigating faith and sexuality while healing from religious trauma, church hurt, and rejection. In this New Year episode, Lauren shares how we’re moving from confusion to clarity in 2026. If you’ve ever wondered “Can I be Christian an...

Why are Christians so obsessed with LGBTQ people—when LGBTQ Christians make up just 3% of the Church? In this episode of You Can Be Both, we explore a question many LGBTQ people of faith are asking: Why does such a small, vulnerable community receive so much scrutiny, legislation, and moral policing from Christians—while far bigger issues go ignored? This episode unpacks the rise of Christian nati...

Navigating the holidays as an LGBTQ+ person—especially in religious families—can be incredibly stressful! In this holiday edition of You Can Be Both, host Lauren Lanzaretta shares practical tools, responses, and boundary-setting strategies to help LGBTQ+ people of faith protect their peace during difficult family gatherings. In this episode, we talk about how to handle awkward or triggering conver...

To submit your own testimony or question click this link: https://bit.ly/49G1tpz For sponsorship opportunities email: youcanbebothpodcast@gmail.com. What happens when you’re a LGBTQ+ and Christian… but don’t fully fit into either community? If you’re LGBTQ and Christian, you may feel caught in the middle — not fully welcomed by the church, yet not always aligned with everything in the LGBTQ commun...

Have you ever had a partner break up with you because they “don’t want to be gay anymore” or because they’re “choosing God”? 💔 If you’re LGBTQ and your partner left you for religious reasons, this episode of You Can Be Both is for you. In this powerful, faith-filled conversation, Lauren Lanzaretta talks honestly about LGBTQ heartbreak, Christian guilt, and the pain of being left “for God.” She re...

Can you be gay and still love Jesus? Can you be LGBTQ+ and Christian? Yes—and this episode of You Can Be Both walks through exactly how. 🏳️‍🌈✝️ In this honest, vulnerable conversation, I share my journey of balancing my relationship with God while being gay—and how I moved through deconstruction, becoming conscious, and reconstruction of my faith. If you’re a gay Christian, queer Christian, LGBTQ...

Are you LGBTQ and grew up hearing “I love you… but”? In today’s emotional and empowering episode of You Can Be Both, I break down how conditional love from Christian families, churches, and communities impacts LGBTQ+ people—mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. We talk about: ✨ The trauma behind “love the sinner, hate the sin” ✨ How conditional love damages self-worth ✨ Internalized homophobi...

In today’s episode of You Can Be Both, Lauren Lanzaretta dives deep into one of the biggest questions she receives across comments, DMs, and emails: What is the TRUTH—especially when it comes to being gay and Christian? Christians can’t agree on anything… yet claim they know the "TRUTH" about gay people. We explore Biblical interpretation, denominational differences, context behind the “...

Welcome back to the "You Can Be Both" Podcast! 🌈✝️In today's episode we're talking about how to deal with people in our lives who DON'T fully accept us for who we are. From parents, to siblings, to friends and of course, our churches, I dive into how I've been able to maintain relationships with people who say "I love you, but..." or those who simply don't...

Welcome to the very first episode of "You Can Be Both!" 🌈✝️ In this powerful debut, host and singer/songwriter Lauren Lanzaretta opens up about her personal journey of being both gay and Christian -- two identities that many say can't coexist. Lauren shares her heartfelt testimony, reflecting on the struggles, faith and freedom she's found through embracing all parts of who she...