Mississippi has been an epicenter of national debates over the relationship between SEXUALITY AND CHRISTIANITY.

The American Family Association (AFA), based in Tupelo, MS is a flagship organization of conservative Christianity and anti-queer messaging. Founded by a Methodist preacher in Southaven, MS in 1977, the AFA has stated that "homosexuality is a poor and dangerous choice, and has been proven to lead to a litany of health hazards not only for the individual but for society as whole" (AFA Action Alert, July 20, 2012). One of the primary ways the AFA coordinated their efforts over the years, was by documenting and drawing attention to the presence of queer people in the media, politics, and beyond, through the publication AFA Journal. Published monthly, the journal often calls for readers to boycott and write letters to corporations who have represented Queer identities in media or publically supported Queer workers within their ranks, companies like Disney and HBO. They even went so far as to suggest the Bush administration in 2001 was in the pocket of big gay. To this day, the publication continues to inform on the anti-queer agenda and is issued to its subscribers on a monthly basis.

Photo: Excerpts from the American Family Association Journal

Yet Christians in Mississippi, including LGBTQ+ Christians themselves, have also called for churches to accept and affirm the queer community. By the mid-1980's, the Episcopal Church, including the Diocese of Mississippi, began to incorporate the idea that "homosexual persons are children of God and are entitled to full civil rights," though this stance proved controversial for some in the church. Nonetheless, nationally, and in Mississippi, beginning in the mid-80's, committees were formed to support folks struggling with Aids and to affirm the lesbian and gay community through ministries, as evident in these clippings from the 2002 Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi "Reports to Council". In the present day, queer people serve as priests and can be married within the Episcopal Church.

Photo: 175th Annual Council, Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. Vicksburg, Miss. (2002)

Ministry with LGBT Persons (Episcopal Church of Mississippi)

Throughout the year 2001, the committee and its members continued to seek to fulfill its mandate to support gay and lesbian Episcopalians in their lives in the church. It met regularly to discuss issues of human sexuality and to seek ways to assist parishes and communicants throughout the diocese in struggling w1ith these issues. It encouraged the creation of the diocese's Presbyter's Theological Convocation on Human Sexuality, and members of the committee served on the convocation's design team. It· also continued to sponsor a booth at Annual Council, offering a variety of educational materials on human sexuality. – The Rev. David Christian

Excerpts from Queer Mississippi Oral History Interviews

I had a problem with depression my whole life, believe it or not. I thought I needed to kill myself because the way I was raised, so strictly Baptist, and that upbringing, that there was no way for me to go to heaven. And I loved God so much. And I said, well, you know, I might as well just die. It's not that my parents didn't accept me. It was me not accepting me.

I said, Dad, do you think homosexuals go to hell? And he said, I don't know, Cheryl, I guess the Bible kind of says, they don't get into heaven. And I said, well, I would rather die now and get on with it than wait alive and then go to hell because of who I am. – Cheryl Sproles (2019)

But being in such a small town, I grew up Southern Baptist. When people ask me what religion I am now or if I'm practicing any religion I say I'm recovering Baptist. (laughs) I have since joined the Episcopal Church, which I thank God that I finally found that. I wish I’d found that forty-five, fifty-five years ago. – Laura Leigh Fowlkes (2019)

I realize that I was not in fact a Baptist in my soul and I ended up back in the Episcopal church a few years after that. I have had some sabbaticals from my church in years past because of all of the – I guess the mean spiritedness with the, you know, you just – if you're gay you just feel like “well, they don't want me here. I'm not welcomed here.” And so I have – you know, church shouldn't hurt. – Leslie Criss (2019)

I guess in the first day or so, I shared with this Jesuit priest that [negative religious driven thoughts on queerness], and he just looked at me and said, “Where did you ever hear that?” Other than all my life. He said, “God smiles on love. Whatever that is, God smiles on love and God loves you as you are.” And for the first time in my adult life, after hearing from so many people that same message, it clicked. God loves me as I am, as God created. And that was it. I knew at that moment I could not take a vow of celibacy and continue in that life. I needed to go and explore as an out gay man go and explore live outside the monastery, as me. And I did. So there were other reasons too, that my time at the monastery had ended. But that but that was a very significant piece. – Rufus Van Horn (2019)

Listen to "Rufus' Journey"

"Rufus' Journey" focuses on Rufus Van Horn and his journey with Christianity. Almost all of Rufus’ interview is dedicated to this journey, so the excerpts we have chosen show highlights of that story - from the Baptist bible study that led him to Love and Action conversion therapy meetings in Memphis, to his time as an Episcopal monk among a group of Gay monks in Massachusetts, to his encounter with a Jesuit priest who convinced him God loves him as he is, to his decision to pursue Episcopal priesthood as an out gay single man. This interview demonstrates that despite negative rhetoric in some Christian denominations, there are Queer Christians who believe deeply enough in the love of God and the tenants of Jesus’ teachings, that they have worked hard to create a safe place for their queer community within the church.

Rufus’ Journey - Rufus Van Horn, interviewed by Maddy Shappley. Edited by free feral. Music from the Free Music Archive by Lobo Loco: Old Forest Lodge, Evening Car Blues, Free Space Organ, Just a Beginning, Free Choral Church Organ, Check it Out, Raining Softly, and Waiting for a Better World. And Battle Hymn of the Republic by Boiling Point.

Listen to "Chorus"

In the "Chorus" piece, we demonstrate a volume of negative experiences in christianity among interview subjects and show a range of echoed sentiments to demonstrate a common experience of young queers being raised in Christian Mississippi. There are a few examples of children being expelled from their homes churches and schools as a result of their sexuality, and of preachers insisting on a fire and brimstone “god hates gays” rhetoric. There are also examples of inner turmoil, depression, and suicidal ideation as a result of this rhetoric, perceptions of a hypocritical double standard when it comes to other so-called “sinful behavior,” as well as several subjects who speak of their spiritual conviction that god made them as they are and that therefore they cannot be hellbound sinners simply because they are gay. This piece demonstrates, briefly, the depth of slander and abuse many Christian raised Mississippi Queers endure and the resilience of the community under such pressure.

In this piece there are interview excerpts from Eric White, Leslie Criss, Laura Leigh Fowlkes, Stephanie Bell, Jeffery Grimes, Hayden Gates, and Cheryl Sproles. Edited by free feral. With Music from the Free Music Archive by Lobo Loco: Lovely Echos, Peaceful Morning, Sleeping Dragons, Free Guitar Riding Blues, Free Floating Strings Over the Clouds, Crumpet River, Mountain Pass, Free Canyon Guitar, Free Guitar Walking Blues