Resist gay temptation by running *toward* gay friendship?
Pastors and mentors offer 1 Cor 6:18 as the default, one-size-fits-all response to all sexual temptation: flee.
But when it comes to my sexual stewardship, I’ve been taught and practiced something different.
“How do I talk to my young kids about a friend who’s transitioned?”
A parent recently asked this about their former babysitter, someone they love and who has since medically transitioned. They wanted to welcome this person into their home during a visit, but didn’t know how to explain what had changed to their 5- and 7-year-old.
God doesn’t promise to take away trans feelings
Miraculous healing from gender incongruence (like same-sex attraction or chronic pain) isn’t promised to faithful Christians.
That might be a hard word. But it’s also a hopeful one.
If celibacy impact was guaranteed, what would you do?
I recently taught at a Christian university about vocational singleness and Christ’s calling in Matthew 19 for every Christian young adult to consider lifetime abstinence for the sake of the kingdom.
Mother’s Day passed. Let’s talk about the moms we forget.
I recently went on the @felixoutstheworld Podcast with Felix Chen to talk about loneliness, spiritual kinship, and what churches owe their single members. I shared
something that gave us both pause.
What if pansexuality is a gift to the Church?
I recently posted about how nearly 40% of Gen Z now identifies as LGBTQ+. But here’s a twist I can’t stop thinking about: What if Gen Z’s weird aversion to labels (and the rise of pansexuality) are actually paving the way for more honest, stable, holy marriages than the ex-gay movement ever could?
What if God sent you a Hogwarts letter calling you to singleness?
I recently taught at a Christian university about vocational singleness and Christ’s calling in Matthew 19 for every Christian young adult to consider lifetime abstinence for the sake of the kingdom.
Do singles have the least to offer their churches?
I recently joined Robby Ortiz on the Enter the Grayzone Podcast to talk about singleness, the Church, and what we miss out on when we don’t support single Christians well.
Does homophobia shove some gay men toward fascism?
Stephen Adubato and I have been cross-blogging on our respective Substacks/platforms. I was honored to write a piece for his spaces exploring the seemingly parallel yet contradictory trends of a new ex-gay movement (under the name of reintegrative therapy) and increased pansexual identification among GenZers. Now it’s Stephen’s turn. And he has not disappointed.
A brief explainer of my views on biblical gender ethics
Christian leaders need to first prioritize relationship with trans people, build trust, address any mental health challenges unrelated to gender incongruence, and patiently wait for the Holy Spirit to move. But eventually, conversation may get to theological questions. Even more often, cisgender straight Christians press me to answer the question, “Is transition permissible for Christians navigating gender incongruence?” How do I answer that question and others?
Beware of the New Ex-Gay
The ex-gay movement seemingly died in the 2010s. Exodus International (the umbrella organization of sexual orientation change effort "SOCE" ministries) closed in 2013, admitting that "99.9% of [participants] have not experienced a change in their orientation." By the end of the 2010s, it seemed that evangelical Christians had widely accepted that people don't choose who they're attracted to, SOCEs were harmfully ineffective, and a different solution was needed. But over the past few years, the ex-gay movement appears to be making a comeback.
I don’t have the secrets to lifetime celibacy
Last month I went on a walk-and-talk with a guy who'd been following me on Instagram for a while. He messaged me and said he'd almost given up hope, but he thought he'd give it a chance and reach out to me. As we crisscrossed the neighborhood, he said he started following me because I posted honestly about my "struggles with sexual purity," as he called it. He was secretly battling addiction and found it refreshing to hear someone speak openly about sexual addiction, gay desire, rooting out sin, and chasing after Jesus...
What’s wrong with porn, anyway?
A few months ago someone online accused me of sex-shaming and asked, “What’s so wrong with watching pornography, anyway?” I knew the Sunday school answer, but this person was marginally Christian and genuinely seeking a convincing rationale.
What if a same-sex couple with kids converts?
Pastors and Christian leaders often ask me what seems like a bit of a sensationalist “what if” question: They ask, “What if a same-sex married couple with kids starts coming to your church, all of them become Christians, and the couple both become convinced of historic sexual ethics? What do they do next?”
Is internalized homophobia holding you back?
People on the left who disagree with gay Christians like me (who hold a historic sexual ethic) often accuse us of internalized homophobia. While they intend to discredit our beliefs with this accusation—suggesting we're only committed to God's wisdom because of deep-seated shame, they're right (in part). I've definitely been haunted by internalized homophobia...
What does it mean to be pansexual?
Do any of your friends identify as pansexual? Over the past year, I've increasingly noticed teens, celebrities, and some Christians identifying as pan or pansexual. I've read the internet definitions, and as someone who teaches about sexuality for a living I'm supposed to know what it means to be pan, with precision. But I'm gonna be honest. I feel a little lost.
The closet created my sex addiction.
I recently shared about my ongoing sexual addiction recovery. And I’ve posted in the past about the fact that same-sex attraction does not inherently lead to sexual addiction. But it’s true that gay people struggle with sexual addiction at higher rates than some other populations. Why? The closet.
Recovery (including mine) is messy
In college and post-grad when Christian leaders shared testimonies about what they used to struggle with and celebrated God's provision, it was often implied (if not directly stated) that they no longer struggled. I remember internally asking, "At all? All of the temptation is gone? You never slip up ever? Even a little?" I never believed it. Do you? Sometimes I worry that I unintentionally send the same signals.
Don’t worry..God has a beautiful plan for your life…
You may have seen this demotivational poster of St. Sebastian in the background of one of my recent videos. I read about something similar in Eve Tushnet’s book “Tenderness” and I couldn’t resist designing and printing a version for myself. The sarcasm and double meaning are deeply satisfying.
Wait, gay sex isn't a salvation issue?!
I recently posted a video sharing why I think God's wisdom for our sexualities is worth following (Proverbs 4:6-7, Matthew 7:24-25). I made a passing comment at the start of the video that I don't believe gay sex is a salvation issue. Some were surprised, so I wanted to explain.