When someone asks why gays would be attracted to Christianity, I have to ask: Which Christianity? Which gays?

Same-sex-attracted folks who reject their sexual status-quo are attracted to fundamentalist and conservative Catholic institutions. (Though some very satisfied gays are also attracted to those churches’ traditions and authority.)

Spiritually and socially inclined gays are attracted to the healing, social service, peace, and contemplation churches — Catholic hospitals, Catholic Charities, United Church of Christ, Quakers, Thomas Merton.

Activists seeking to liberate church and society from authoritarianism and economic violence are attracted to Catholic Worker houses and the Maryknolls — those are the folks who toss their own blood on nuclear missiles and Pentagon doors, or who start liberation movements in the shantytowns of Colombia and Brazil.

There is a common denominator, I suppose — a feeling that the antigays running certain denominations are rendering themselves irrelevant. The gays feel they will either outnumber or outsmart the bigots. In some cases, they may be right.

In asking why gays are attracted to Christianity, does one assume Christianity is inherently antigay, antimodern, or antirational? I think that depends again on one’s perspective. Some parts of the religion are, some are not. Some parts are reactionary, some are revolutionary. Some are legalistic, some are poetic. All Christians — especially the fundies — play the cafeteria game, selecting what fits for them and deferring on the rest.

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