I’m in no way capable of leading a charge for some kind of activist movement. I’m just a normal human being who’s dealing with normal everyday life scenarios. As a Christian, I’m doing that as best as I can. The heartbreaking thing to me is that we’re all hopelessly deceived if we don’t think that there are people within our churches, within our communities, who want to hold on to the person they love, whatever sex that may be, and hold on to their faith. It’s a hard notion. It will be a struggle for those who are in a spot that they have to choose between one or the other. The struggle I’ve been through—and I don’t know if I will ever be fully out of it—is feeling like I have to justify my faith or the decisions that I’ve made to choose to love who I choose to love.
— Jennifer Knapp, the former Christian music star who no longer goes to church, on what her post-coming out life will be like, from this Christianity Today interview (with great quotes too many to paste here) [photo via]
Rob Tisinai
Dear Queerty,
Could you make the font bigger? It’s hard to read this small.
Thanks,
Rob
Juan
I think it’s cool.
Activism is not for everybody.
Synnerman
If she’s an activist for Jesus, then she’s an activist. I hope the Religious Right doesn’t turn her into a martyr.
Gridlock
Yes, sometimes it’s easier to just sit back and not do the right thing.
Mark Cahill
Jennifer says “religion first, equality second.”
Nickadoo
If she has no interest in being an activist, and she doesn’t feel qualified to be an activist, I don’t think she really has any business being one. She certainly sounds like she has enough of her own shit to sort out, and I wouldn’t begrudge her that. As an artist, she may very well have the power to open some hearts and minds simply by living her truth as best she can, and if so, amen.
Yuki
I don’t think it’s necessary for everyone to be activists… provided she lives her life in accordance with her morals but also as a lesbian. I personally think that high-profile people should at least make remarks about some things, even if they don’t want to be full-out activists.
Sam
She doesn’t need to be an activist. Just being a Christian singer and coming out of the closet to all her conservative fans was enough. Actually, I’d argue that that in itself constitutes activism.
james p. p.
Until all things are equal, we are all activists in one form or fashion at one time or another.
DR
I would suggest that folks read the article in its entirety. It gives a great insight into what many gay Christians experience in their lives, and will probably answer a lot of the questions gay Christians get from the GLBT community. She’s especially on point when she talks about the heavy theological issues.
I think her music will still give her an avenue to express herself, and as others have said, with all the stuff she’s going through right now, this is an act of activism.
Fitz
My first reaction was to be very derisive of her.. but it’s not reasonable. When I first started ‘being out’ I wasn’t fighting for gay rights, I was just trying to sort my own head out and find a BF. Give her time. She likes being in the public, she is young, the more she sees the more she will say.
nikko
Don’t waste your time with the evangelical crap, Jennifer, and you’ll be fine.
nikko
Don’t waste your time with the evangelical crap, Jennifer, and you’ll be fine. keep what you believe to be true and throw away the dirty bathwater.