Finding Love in the Church When You’re Gay, Christian, and Celibate
In this post and others, I’m attempting to build a case for changing the culture of the church, because much of our current atmosphere makes celibacy feel like a death sentence. If we ever hope to achieve a biblical vision of community, this absolutely needs to...Just Because You’re Celibate Doesn’t Make You Single
I’m digging a little deeper into the discussion of celibacy here, focusing on the question of love and intimacy in a celibate person’s life. I’ve found that intimacy is one of the biggest impasses that many people have when it comes to being...When Words Like “Gay” and “Lesbian” Mean “Bad”
There’s so many ways that this post could be misinterpreted that I almost wish I could put a disclaimer after each section. C’est la vie! In short, I’m suggesting that the church’s synonymous association of gay with “bad” is more...Charting a New Course: On Gayness, Celibacy, and the Christian Life
I executed operation “room-to-sit” a few weeks ago when a friend visited my apartment. It’s a familiar routine now that I live in South Korea, where space is limited in my one-room studio. When she arrived, a stack of notebooks decorated my couch, which I...
Bridget Eileen Rivera
Bridget Eileen Rivera is a sociologist completing her Ph.D. at the City University of New York Graduate Center. Her first book, Heavy Burdens (Brazos Press, fall 2021), is a Foreward INDIES 2022 Finalist for religion. Providing an honest account of seven ways LGBTQ people experience discrimination in the church, Heavy Burdens helps Christians across the theological spectrum to grapple with hard realities and navigate a better approach to LGBTQ issues. You can follow Bridget's work on social media @travelingnun.