What Christians Should Learn from Queers

  • Drew Goodmanson
  • Dec 1, 2004
  • Series: Other
    What Christians Should Learn from Queers

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    The week wore my wife and I out. After a quick dinner in Hillcrest (“Well known as San Diego 's gay and lesbian Mecca” - SignonSanDiego.com ) we decided to rent a movie and call it a night. I dropped my wife off at home to put our son to sleep and drove to the nearby Blockbuster. Recently, the movie Saved! was recommended to us, so I hurried to the ‘s' area and picked up the movie. It was then I noticed a young man and woman browsing nearby. The woman, a hip urbanite said, “That's a good movie. It is a little strange though.” It is important to state, that my week had been a long one, work was crazy, and my wife and I had just had a conversation about serious life stuff, so I had entered into Blockbuster this evening in a utilitarian mode. Without thinking, I retorted, “Yah, but are you a Christian?”

    Her answer began with two words that most of us all feel when we face this question. “Yes, BUT…” It isn't really important what comes after the ‘but'. Yes, BUT I'm not religious. Yes BUT I'm not like all those fanatics. Yes, BUT please give me a chance; get to know me before you judge me, don't think I will judge you before I get to know you because that is what you think Christians do. We all have our ‘yes but' answers. We have been trained to believe Christian is a dirty word, something to be ashamed of. No one wants to be called ‘Christian' to their face without the chance to defend themselves.

    Here is where the lesson comes in; there was a time, long before Queer Eye for the Straight Guy that the word ‘queer' was a slap in the face of any homosexual. Instead of being embarrassed and hiding from the word, they embraced it. Here is a quote from Ramon Johnson, Gay Life! Editor:

    “Did you know that today, the word ‘queer' is most often used in a non-derogatory way? Once used by homophobes to negatively describe a gay man or woman, the term is now being used by the gay community itself as a positive or neutral descriptive of each other. By embracing a word that was used to attack or degrade, the gay community has demagnetized the strength of the word, making it a common everyday term. This lessens the effect of the word when used against them.”

    Or you can get more academic and read Queer Theories by Donald E. Hall, edited by Walter L. Williams of University of Southern California as they discuss the reclamation of “queer” as a term of radical self-identification. You won't need to for the simple point I believe Christians should learn from the idea.

    It's ok to be a Christian. Next time someone asks you if you are a Christian, try to answer without saying, “Yes, but…” Often we believe we are helping the cause for Christianity by presenting a case separating ourselves from other Christians. How does it look to unbelievers if anytime they find out someone is a Christian, the Christian sheepishly apologize for numerous things, when no offense has been taken.

    We have been trained in our age of tolerance to hide our faith in Christ. We feel the need to apologize for following Jesus, for trusting in Him and believing that his work on the cross is our salvation. We need to reclaim Christian and embrace this as a word that is part of our identity in Christ. Its time we reclaimed 'Christian' as a non-derogatory word.

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