Queer Theology Podcast

We've been doing this podcast for 9 years now, so we wanted to spend some time talking about how we actually got here and why we continue to do this work. Queertheology.com might have started as a whim purchase of an unclaimed domain space, but what it has become is something we are both proud to be a part of. We see how much has been accomplished in the last decade but also how much more work the...

Do you still have questions about sex, relationships, and the Bible? We get it. And we've heard them all over the years here at Queer Theology! In this episode, we talk about how important it is to find your own sexual ethic because (spoiler alert) it's complicated when it comes to the Bible. And sex. And relationships. And what the "rules" are. We encourage you to work through the fundamentalist...

For this two-part miniseries on Sex and Relationships, we're kicking off this discussion by asking: what are the messages you first got about sex and bodies in Sunday school? (We really want you to respond and let us know!) Both of us share our earliest memories that range from expectations of chastity, purity pledges, comparisons of apple pie and "Twoo Love," and clinical descriptions of sexual a...

This week's episode is for the allies, specifically for all of those allies who want to be better advocates for the LGBTQ+ community. We often get questions on how people can do more to support the LGBTQ+ folks they love without overstepping. We appreciate this and welcome these allies and want to give you the tools, the actual next steps, to take your advocacy and allyship to the next level. List...

This two episode mini-series is going to focus on how to be an active (and effective!) ally. In this first episode, our message is for queer and trans folks as you interact with people in your life who call themselves allies. Many of us have internalized a feeling that we are not enough through unaffirmaing messages, but you deserve more. Specifically, you deserve to demand more of allies. Fr. Sha...

Last episode, we talked about the different ways to define calling and in this episode, we're getting into the nitty gritty of what following your calling can actually mean versus what you think it means. We look at different leadership positions, in activism or in a religious spiritual setting, and if you really need to go to seminary to get the experience and knowledge you are seeking. We encour...

For the next two episodes, we're taking you on a miniseries about calling, leadership, and seminary. How do you know for sure you are being "called" to do something? Does it have to come from the Divine? Do I have to be miserable and can I please change my mind? We go into all of this and what "calling" means to each of us. We also discuss how it has impacted what we do for work and put out in the...

For our fourth and final episode in this series, we talk about the importance of moving from theory into practice when it comes to creating your own rituals. We've covered a bunch of information on rituals and now it is time for you to put that into practice by revisiting old rituals, revising or leaving rituals that no longer serve you, and creating new rituals that bring meaning and emotional co...

There is no rule that every ritual needs to be old or a traditional Christian one performed in a church. In this episode, we look at the surprising places you can find rituals in what you are already doing. Brian explains how you can recognize rituals that support you and your communities, how they can be just as sacred as traditional Christian rituals and connect you to the divine. Learn how you...

We dive into a few of the rituals that already exist in the Christian church for this episode: Baptism, Communion/the Eucharist, the Liturgy/Liturgical Year, and Prayer. We explore ways to find new meaning in these old rituals and hope this conversation sparks a desire in you to reconnect with these rituals in new and life-giving ways- but only if they do not cause you harm. Follow along as we rea...

It's the official launch day for Fr. Shay's book, In The Margins: A Transgender Man's Journey With Scripture , and to celebrate we're giving y'all a super special podcast episode! Listen in as Shay discusses why he wrote this book, who he wrote this book for, answers questions, and reads an excerpt from his story. If you haven't already, make sure to grab a copy!    You can find ways to order at q...

Welcome to our new four part series on rituals! What are rituals? How can we use them for resistance? How can they build resilience in us and our communities? We'll answer these questions and talk about how rituals can connect us to our history and give meaning to our lives but also how they can be harmful, disconnected, and come from old Christian rituals that no longer work for you. Tune in as w...

It's time for another Q&A episode where Brian and Fr. Shay answers a selection of burning questions submitted by our listeners! If you have a question you would like answered, please send them over at the email below, or at queertheology.com/listen and submit a video or audio question. We'd love to feature your voice or question on our next episode of Asked And Answered!   Questions answered in th...

As we close this series on affirming parenting, we had the opportunity to talk with three different parents and get their unique take on raising kids in our world today. We hear from Rev. Kim Wildszewski and Candiace Czubernat on their perspective as queer parents raising young children. They each explain how their queerness has informed and enriched their parenting and what cis/straight parents c...

This episode is all about the simple actions parents can take to show their affirmation. We encourage you to have age-appropriate conversations with your kids about sex, introduce your child and expand your circle to include queer folks who are thriving at all stages of life, and hold space for complexity and nuance in your kids. But the number one action you can do to lead the way on being an exa...

How can cis-straight parents be a better ally, offer more support, and be a better parent to kids who are coming out? We've received this question countless times, and so we talk more about that in today's episode. Parents often come from the role of teacher, but this moment is an opportunity and invitation to learn more and respectfully enter your child's queer life. Shay reminds us that ally is...

We're kicking off a new podcast series all about parents and parenting! While we may not be parents ourselves, we get lots of parenting questions about resources; how to be a better ally for queer kids, how to be a Christian and/or member of a church and still affirm your child, and just how to be a better parent all around when it comes to queerness, conversations, and kids. For our first episode...

As we end this series of folks who have been moved by their faith to action, we share our own stories of making Holy Mischief and invite y'all to create some yourself! We can all get into this by telling our truth, standing up and being visible, and really leaning in and getting a little uncomfortable. Being an Angelic Troublemaker doesn't necessarily mean having to be on the front lines of activi...

For the second interview in our Angelic Troublemakers series, we had the pleasure of speaking with activist, author, and recent NYU graduate, Edafe Okporo. Edafe was born in Warri, Nigeria. He migrated to the United States in 2016 as an asylum seeker and is now a refugee of the United States. He is a global gay rights activist, the founder of Refuge America, and one of the country's most visible v...

In this episode, we get the pleasure of talking with a remarkable and influential Angelic Troublemaker of our time: Rev. Dr. Robert E. Shore Goss. And oh my goodness, y'all. This interview is amazing. Rev. Dr. Shore Goss has been on the frontlines for decades as an activist, teacher, priest, and author. From finding spirituality in sexuality, to activism as a form of prayer, to the Holy Spirit in...

"Power concedes nothing without demand" Frederick Douglass   Happy Pride!! This month our series will focus on Angelic Troublemakers- folks who have been moved by their faith to action. We look at advocacy, activism, and prophecy in the Bible and how even small actions can lead to a big impact. This isn't just something relevant in the Bible, it is timely and important that we engage in activism t...

To close out our Jewish Leaders series, we have an inspiring interview with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. We cover a wide range of things; from her roots growing up secular in goth punk culture, finding her calling and faith, spiritual practices, and how queer folks harmed by religion can claim their faith again. As a Scholar in Residence at the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), her work is groun...

For our third episode of our Jewish Leaders series, we are excited to talk with Millie, more well known as Milli Not So Vanilli on social media. She is a 34-year-old Jewish mother and "accidental" TikTok creator. We learn how her grandmother has inspired her to speak out and how she is her greatest source of inspiration; her grandmother had been a Holocaust survivor and her grandfather was a victi...

For this episode, we chat with Enzi Tanner (he/him/his), a trans, disabled, Black American, Jew living in Minneapolis. Enzi is a community organizer, a consultant, a licensed social worker, and an ICF-certified life coach. He explains what it means for him to be an atheist/agnostic Jew looking at racial justice through the lens of the Torah. As an abolitionist, he talks about what you can do to ge...

For the month of May, we are starting a new series in which we interview Jewish Leaders. To kick us off, we have the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Council of Learned Societies grant awardee, Dr. Amy Jill Levine.    In this episode, Dr. Levine tells us about her concern with the Bible being used to tear people down instead of lifting each other up. W...