Why The Reformation Project’s Atlanta Conference Will Start With A Racial Justice Institute

In her keynote address at The Reformation Project’s D.C. Regional conference last November, Rev. Allyson Robinson exhorted Christians in the affirming Church to consider and overcome the “temptation to power,” the temptation to think the LGBT issue is the only gospel issue we should focus on.

She asked what kind of Church will we become, and what kind of authority will we yield as a movement who is closer than ever to full equality and inclusion?

She asked—what will the LGBT movement do with the opportunities and privileges we are being granted?

Rev. Robinson’s speech left me convicted that an intersectional approach toward reform of the Church is the only way we can truly move forward. In particular, I am increasingly aware of how critical it is for me to become more educated, more informed, and more equipped to discuss and pursue racial justice, regardless of how young I am in the conversation or how uncertain I am of the next step.

If my passion is to see a deeper, thoughtful, and more whole global Church, then humbly learning from other people of color should be a priority.

As an organization, The Reformation Project rejoices in the momentum surrounding shifts in attitudes and perceptions toward LGBT people within various Christian contexts. However, when the only voices we hear on this topic are the same white and cisgender voices we have always heard, we believe we are forsaking the gospel imperative to build life and community with all of those who have been marginalized.

More so, we fail to steward the influence God has granted us, and ultimately, we narrow our picture and understanding of God all together.

The Academy for Racial Justice set for the first day of The Reformation Project’s regional conference in Atlanta is designed to help our membership take a step in a better direction. It is designed to meet people wherever they are in their racial justice and reconciliation journeys.

Those who are newer to conversations about ethnic identity and systemic oppression will find a safe space to ask questions about taking their next or first steps, and those who have been working on this for decades will celebrated in their wisdom and expertise. The academy will combine biblical teaching, simulations, ethnic-specific break-outs, and significant cross-cultural dialogue around the intersection of racial identity and LGBT issues.

Amplifying the voices of marginalized people within the LGBT Christian community is one of the top priorities for The Reformation Project.

And one means to this end is motivating and training attendees at our conferences to become better allies to people of color.
In February, The Reformation Project’s staff attended Creating Change, the National LGBTQ Task Force’s annual conference in Denver. One of the most formative aspects of the conference for all of us was what we experienced through the Racial Justice Institute, and we were convinced that it was imperative for us to incorporate a similar effort from a specifically Christian standpoint into our work at The Reformation Project.

Although some Christians see the intersectional relationship between racial justice and LGBT inclusion as intuitive, for others the connection is a bit more challenging to see, if not entirely contested. Unfortunately, many people still have erroneous notions about racial justice and LGBT communities at large.

Historically, both white and people of color have asserted that LGBT identity, politics, and especially the pursuit to reform the Christian Church’s teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity are exclusively ideas by and work only for white people. This is in part because the goals of the LGBT movement at large have primarily reflected the needs and concerns of white LGBT people.

Conversely, the myth that communities of color are disproportionately homophobic has also been perpetuated by people who are not a part of those groups.

These myths harm everyone involved and specifically impact individuals like me who identify as both LGBT and as people of color.

Like many members of the LGBT Christian community, I spent years looking at my Christian identity and LGBT identity as not only mutually exclusive, but actually opposed to one another. This of course produced a lot of turmoil, inter-psyche conflict, and emotional devastation.

In a similar way, for years I implicitly understood my racial identity and LGBT identity as mutually exclusive as well. This in turn produced internalized prejudice, cultural incompetency, and has stifled my process of becoming a full-integrated and well-adjusted person.

When we look at racial justice and LGBT equality as mutually exclusive, we not only perpetuate systemic injustice, we also continue the oppression of ourselves and of others. At The Reformation Project, we know that if we don’t intentionally extend a platform to LGBT people of color, LGBT women, and transgender and gender non-conforming people, then we are doing a disservice to both ourselves and our work.

In fact, we may be missing the point altogether of what it means to live out our call to “do justice.”
While we all have a long way to go, we are thrilled to have an opportunity to weave together the wide range of experiences we all bring to the table and determine how we can best work together to see God’s glory reflected in and through the diversity of every kind of person.
Click HERE to register for The Reformation Project this year. 
Photo by Rick Wood