A local LGBT community center will explore the intersections of faith and LGBT identities in a new workshop series.
William Way LGBT Community Center received a $5,000 grant last month from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation to support its faith-based programming initiative Out & Faithful. The program will offer a quarterly workshop series for LGBT people of faith.
“The intersection of faith, spirituality and LGBTQ identity is something that is so important as part of a wellness strategy,” said William Way Chief Operating Officer Candice Thompson. “[We want] to continue to emphasize that a person’s faith and their spiritual life is a key element of their queer identity. So we’re always looking for opportunities to grow and add additional support for the Out & Faithful program.”
Thompson spoke of the four workshops the series will offer:
- Radical Welcome: From the Church to the White House: “This is an exploration of social activism, nonviolent resistance and political advocacy in faith communities. That’s setting the stage for us to go deeper into specific communities.”
- A Light in My Heart: LGBT and Muslim in America: “We’re really looking at exploring, uplifting an important dialogue specifically around that topic. So we’re not shying away from the hard questions but we also want to illuminate how wonderful Islam can be and how affirming it can be to a queer identity while still exploring the myriad of issues around that.”
- Queer Voice in the World: An International Perspective on LGBT Faith — “Through that, we are going to be exploring stories from across the world as told by LGBT people of faith [to ask], ‘What does the world landscape look like for people of faith?’”
- Walking Along: LGBTQ People and the Quakers: “We really want to highlight and bring forth the story of the Philadelphia Quaker community and its influence on LGBT activism because there’s such a rich tradition there.”
While these topics are set to launch as early as November, Thompson said the program could expand with community input.
“One of the goals that comes out of this is that other issues, other ways to engage, will emerge from this, naturally,” Thompson said. “So we want each of these events to be a conversation, a dialogue around these topics. But we also want to find ways to empower people and meet their spiritual and religious needs. I can imagine that coming out of this, we will explore different programs that are happening with the support of the center.
“We’re excited and energized to dig right in this year and have a huge focus on faith and spirituality through a queer lens,” Thompson said.
While each workshop topic is niche and specific for a certain faith community, Thompson said they would also allow allies to learn about other backgrounds.
“I think anyone can tap into this,” she said. “I think each of them is going to be incredibly interesting and an opportunity to share but also listen and know a little more about these topics.”
For more information on the workshop series or to get involved, contact Candice Thompson at [email protected] or by calling the William Way LGBT Community Center at 215-732-2220.