Reaching The Queer Community

Author: Zoe Holland
June 03, 2025

Reaching the Queer Community

In this generation, more and more people are coming forward to talk about their experience with same-sex attraction, gender dysmorphia, and similar queer experiences. There can be conflicting messages about how to deal with this topic. Some professing Christians think all queer feelings should be affirmed as natural and good. Others will ostracize and condemn anyone who opens up about queer feelings. Given such conflicting views, how should we respond when someone confides these struggles with us? What do we do when we recognize those feelings in ourselves?
Let’s begin with what God wrote through Paul in these three New Testament letters:
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (LSB) “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

1 Timothy 1:9-11 (LSB) “But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and godless, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for sexually immoral persons, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.”
Romans 1:24-28 (LSB) “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions; for their females exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the males abandoned the natural function of the female and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to an unfit mind, to do those things which are not proper.”
The word homosexual in the first two passages is translated from a Greek word Paul coined to refer to a man sleeping with another man. This translation has caused a lot of controversy because some people believe that Paul may have been referring to a Roman custom where older men of high rank had relations with younger men often of lower rank. Some people believe he was not condemning homosexual acts, but pedophilia and sexual coercion.
But the passage in Romans offers a more expansive perspective. Here, Paul mentions homosexual acts between women as well as men. All evidence of homosexual relationships between women in the Roman empire were from women of the same age and rank. No pedophilia or coercion, but it is still counted as sin and condemned as it is in Paul’s writings.
That being said, our modern understanding of the word homosexual can still create confusion. While it’s true the act of sleeping with someone of the same sex is homosexual, many confuse the act to be the same thing as temptation. The difference is vital in how we handle the issue in our church and society as a whole.
For many people who struggle with same-sex attraction, the feeling can come as naturally as breathing. It may even be the result of a traumatic experience. While temptations can be a difficult thing to wrangle with, we need to remind ourselves that temptations are not part of our true identity. Feelings come and go, but dedication to Christ and His love for those who believe in Him is forever.
Temptation to sin sexually exists for those with queer and straight attraction alike; it can lead to lustful thoughts and actions in the same way. Learning to take our thoughts captive is no easy task, but it is one we all wrestle with.
If you struggle with same-sex attraction, gender dysphoria, or any other temptations, please know you are not alone in this fight. Jesus underwent incredible temptation on earth. He was triumphant over temptation, so he can help us on our journeys.
Hebrews 4:15-16 (LSB) “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things like we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
There has been a sad trend in many well-meaning churches and programs where they try to “fix” homosexual feelings by holding up marriage to the opposite sex as the ultimate goal, instead of salvation through Jesus Christ. Here’s a difficult truth: God never promised us that our temptations will disappear after salvation. Marriage and singleness are equally beautiful paths to glorify God, and we must embrace whatever path we are called to (1 Corinthians 7:7) and lean on our church family in the difficult times. The church body will surround those who struggle with temptation and offer fellowship, love, and accountability.
While in some cases God has established godly marriages between men and women who struggle with homosexual feelings, every person’s walk is different, and God’s plan for our lives are all unique, beautiful, and bring him glory.
The Queer community prides itself on its open arms radical love, but we know God’s love is far more radical and powerful. He fashioned us in our mother’s womb, and He desires us to become the most beautiful and authentic versions of ourselves, not tied down by sins that lead to our spiritual death. There is hope and community in Jesus Christ if we are willing to accept His free gift of salvation and let Him shape us into the unique person He desires us to be.
Let us be an extension of Christ’s radical love, putting to death our own sins and coming beside our neighbors with hope and encouragement.

For additional information on this topic, check out these materials
Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Hill Perry
The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield
Same-Sex Attraction and the Church by Ed Shaw
And don’t forget to check out our in-church bookstore for additional materials!