RELENTLESS NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE: ¨We are committed to decriminalization of sexual minorities by all church and state sanctioned organizations worldwide¨

RESISTANCE TO SEXUAL MINORITIES OPPRESSION -- WHY RELIGION?

¨Soulforce is a social justice organization that practices relentless nonviolent resistance to oppression of sexual minorities and other marginalized people. We recognize that oppression is most often rooted in religious belief and ideologies of power in which women, people of color and non-gender conforming (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer) people are subjugated and subjected to the violence of exclusion. You will find us most often in dialogue with religious leaders, denominations and institutions who discriminate in polity, policy or practice. We are committed to decriminalization of sexual minorities by all church and state sanctioned organizations worldwide Our work takes the shape of community-based education, direct action, one-on-one dialogue, celebratory events and ongoing campaigns like the Equality Ride and the United Nations Faith Coalition for LGBT Human Rights. We value acting in coalition with others so that we bring the most wisdom and resources to the process, and we value the development of the individual activist as a leader.

We understand that harmful and limiting ideas about gender promulgated by churches and incorrect translations of sacred texts including the Bible are at the root of anti-LGBTQ discrimination. In particular, we see that a negative attitude toward “the feminine” – no matter who is expressing that femininity – guides LGBTQ discrimination. This attitude, often called sexism or misogyny, divides the world into Women and Men and works to keep people in line with gender norms that tell us How to Be a Woman or How to Be a Man. Sexual orientation is just one example of the behaviors that gender norms attempt to control.

Our overarching goal is to undo the system that would value masculinity over femininity and enforce gender norms. This system is often called patriarchy. Fundamentalist religion is a substantial force for maintaining patriarchy. The work of Soulforce, therefore, is feminist in its approach to ending LGBTQ discrimination and directly confronts fundamentalism. This is very hard work and it is certainly not popular work. It is, however, essential work...¨ please read it all, HERE

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