Month: November 2025

allyship, asexuality, faith, queer

The point of all this

jennadewitt

I want to be absolutely clear: The end goal is no more nonaffirming churches. Not a “diversity of thought” that’s just rewriting purity codes. Not a “range of opinions” with a variety of ways to exclude and dehumanize and tolerate “separate but equal.” Not a bare minimum. Not an “I love you but.”

Whether these churches accept correct, just, God-honoring theology or simply fade into history as factories of shame and harm and fake-nice, the collective liberation vision does not include nonaffirming theologies. Affirming theology *is* correct theology. We have beat around the bush long enough.

The mainline squandered opportunity after opportunity to draw that line, and we’re seeing the fruit of that, but we’re also seeing the fruit of the risk, the courage, the willingness to say NO to fence-riding and big-tent and “inclusive of all, the marginalized and the powers behind marginalization.”

In Christ, gender is not a factor for whether a marriage is holy, for whether sex is sinful, for whether someone is qualified to lead, serve, parent, teach, adopt, or write, for when passion is lust or love is healthy. That doesn’t mean we abandon discernment, but that gender isn’t relevant to it.

We are uncompromising in that. Lesbian, gay, bi/pan/+, trans/nonbinary/genderqueer, intersex, asexual/aromantic/agender, and all other kinds of queerness are not just permitted but *required* for the full reflection of the image of God and the accurate representation of the Kingdom come on earth.

Churches that factor in gender to who is permitted to do what are not only harmful, even deadly, for a small subset of the population. That is too minimizing. They are lacking in faithfulness. They are missing out on our gifts and our presence, but they are also missing out on the real, true God.

Conviction isn’t the enemy. Just like how becoming affirming isn’t “throwing out sexual ethics” or “there are no rules” or “rewriting history/the Bible,” it also isn’t an accommodation we’re asking for, a way to boost your Good Person points, or a secondary issue. It’s accurate, correct, right.

Have the courage to say so. Have the willingness to exclude the intolerant beliefs and opinions while honoring the need to listen, learn, grow, influence, and teach. It’s not about excluding individuals; it’s about setting our doctrinal truth, our policies, our reason for being.

Conservatives will panic: “See, the crazy liberals want to erase us! They want to eradicate us! They discriminate against us! The intolerant left!” Yes. I do. I want to erase the possibility that any queer kid grows up thinking God hates, Jesus is ashamed, or the Spirit would take away their joy.

I want to eradicate queer death, suffering, rejection, and homelessness. I do discriminate against bigotry and hate and fear-peddling propaganda lies. I want the world to stop tolerating violence, inequality, and terror in the name of “religious freedom,” “thought diversity,” and “broad umbrellas.”

We refuse anything less as the destination. The future is one where every church is practicing and preaching the truth, the life, the freedom, and the blessing that is only reflected with full queer welcome, inclusion, affirmation, belonging, and leadership at every level.

essays, faith

Bread Trek 2025

jennadewitt

I had two big goals for the year: I wanted to watch all of Star Trek, and I wanted to bake my own bread. Neither of which I had any experience in.

With the exception of the 3D animated show Star Trek: Prodigy, I have accomplished the first through a year of binge watching. But the second is not one of those things you just do once and check off the list.

Dough dripping over the side into the oven

It started out rough, as I was warned it might. The dough overwhelmed the pan and dripped all over the oven because I didn’t know to put a baking sheet underneath. The dough was messy and sticky, and so much got on my hands that I wondered if it would affect the size of the loaf. I didn’t have a stand mixer, and this was far beyond the capabilities of my hand mixer, so I tried using a wooden spoon to knead instead, which was much harder and not very effective.

Continue reading “Bread Trek 2025” →
allyship, aromanticism, asexuality, Poetry, queer

Occurrences

jennadewitt

It occurs to me tonight to put my rainbow grocery bag in the trunk. Not just because that’s where it belongs, but to not give anyone an excuse to take out their religion on my car window.

It occurs to me that if I were in a redder county, I would never have left it visible to begin with.

It occurs to me on a Walmart run after work that I should have taken off my company staff badge with the Pride flag on the back while walking alone in the dark.

It occurs to me that in other places, I would never have been allowed to put that sticker on my identification to begin with.

It occurs to me to move my black ace ring to my left ring finger in a protective lie, signaling to the men of the crowd that I am another man’s property. If they don’t respect my humanity, they may respect the rights of possession—or at least the fear of violating them.

It occurs to me that I have the privilege of safety in being gender conforming, able to chameleon my way into invisibility.

It occurs to me that I have to constantly remind people I know what I’m talking about, that my experiences are erased, that I am here too, that we are not new or a trend or a bonus feature.

It occurs to me that I do not require documents to be changed, or medicine to be seen as myself, or a search for my literal voice with the help of lessons.

It occurs to me that I am likely the only one you know. That when I speak, I must point to many others like me but not like me, so you have a broader view.

It occurs to me that I occupy a space of assumed privilege as others explain marginalization that I live every day myself. Amusing at times, but mostly frustrating.

It occurs to me that my intersections give me advantages to steward so others will be heard.

It occurs to me that most people don’t have to wonder if their friends, family, church, or job will disown them over basic identity facts. If they confess who they are, will they receive a birthday card this year, will they have any references for their job applications, will they be welcomed home at Christmas, will they still have an emergency contact?

It occurs to me that others have faced far worse: Will they still have a home, food, a functional body, their lives?

It occurs to me that there is safety in numbers, and my numbers are small, often just me and my carabiner and my rainbow T-shirt.

It occurs to me that an ally up the mountain was murdered for less.

It occurs to me that I can change my shirt, but others can’t change their voice, their government, their bones.

It occurs to me that some allies will only care to the point that it is comfortable to be with us. Our humanity is an issue on which they agree to disagree with friends and colleagues and those who can help their careers.

It occurs to me I must have patience for the indoctrinated.

It occurs to me that I don’t have the tolerance to wait.

It occurs to me, too, that even the wait is privilege. Others, our youngest, are running out of time.