Projekt Neprocjenjiva

RICE 2020 Research has come to life. A lot of effort was put in. Among all the people that participated, Wielie Elhorst and Misza Czerniak were involved right from the beginning. We are taking a look at the process, but also at the impact this research could have on advocacy work in Europe. Though the research was published, it is not the end. The work has only begun and you can be part of it!

It has been an effort with many people involved. Still, the end product wouldn’t come to life without experts who know how to look at those numbers and make sense out of them for all of us. The first Rainbow Index of Churches is out with a Webpage to further explore and even add information. This is a major step to have a better insight into what is happening in European Churches when it comes to LGBTIQ+ inclusion. Researches talk about the challenges, about the research as well as their insights and hopes for the future of Churches.

We are celebrating the “finished” product of RICE 2020 – The Rainbow Index of Churches in Europe. For this occasion, the researchers and Forum representatives who were working on this research were interviewed. The whole interviews (there are two) will be published on Monday, May 10th. For now, you can see this overview. Join the live presentation on Saturday, May 8th from 11:30 to 12:45.

Shanon is a life-long activist and advocate for LGBT rights. They share their process of discovering who they are in a time where Trans* wasn’t a known identity, let alone being nonbinary. They talk of their experience, blessing, and challenges of going into transition, the challenges for friends and family, but also of having fun while people try to put them into a binary context.

Many of us living in Europe fight for the rights of LGBT+ people and we see the problems and discrimination, but we don’t really think about being prosecuted. Poland wasn’t a leading country in LGBT+ rights, but it wasn’t this bad either. A populist government made it possible to scapegoat a minority that managed to make progress. For many of them, it seems like it was for nothing. What does one do when the church and government turn against them? When they make use of a law that was intended to protect minority religions? How does someone keep their hopes up when they are threatened by being locked up in a prison or mental hospital for doing an LGBT+ mass (Chruch service)?

Whenever we talk about different sexualities, we use the abbreviation LGBT+. Yet we barely mention or talk about B, maybe a little bit more about T. Carol shepherd talks about her experience as a Bisexual person, how she started her journey of writing books on Bisexuality, and gives an interesting insight on misconceptions and prejudices about Bisexual people.

Talking about mental health is still a challenge. The ‘hush-hush’ strategy is still prevalent when it comes to this topic. But mental health is not just about getting help when we do not feel well. It is about caring for ourselves. It is about regular check-ups and keeping our minds healthy, and of course, it is also about healing. Taking some simple steps can help us maintain our health and even find our way home to “I am enough”.

There are still too many countries in the world where being LGBT is illegal. At least being caught in a same-sex relationship. This often leads to greater discrimination within their own communities and families with horrible consequences. Monika tells her story of running for her life in the hope of a better future. Arriving in a new country she faces old and new challenges that go on for years and years. Still, there is light because of Churches and Organisations that embrace her and offer support.

Last week we had the opportunity to listen more about the Theory of Queer Theology. Kerstin Soelderblom told us about her view on what it means and how it can be used to reinterpret some texts as an encouragement for the LGBT+ community. Many of us experienced how the Bible can be used against us. This has caused a lot of pain and suffering. Not only to the LGBT+ but also other groups of people. Kerstin has taken the time to show how it can be done. How we can take the story of Joseph, Ruth and Naomi, as well as the story of the Eunuch from Ethiopia, and read them through the “Queer glasses”. What might be interesting to some is looking at the texts but also withstanding the widespread urge to read things into the texts that are not there or we cannot know.

The Bible was and is still used to hurt LGBTQ+ people amongst others. What we need is a new look at the Bible and find out how it can be an encouragement instead of a judgment. Kerstin Soelderblom is giving her perspective on Queer Theology and how we can take a Queer look at the familiar.