Loving Homosexuals as Jesus Would: A Fresh Christian Approach

Young ex-gay don Quixote challenges homophobia

In Loving Homosexuals, a kindly and articulate young ex-gay don Quixote by the name of Chad Thompson tilts at the windmills of homophobia and ignorance within his own community. While coming from an unabashedly Evangelical Christian perspective, this book is not a stereotypical gay-bashing, anti-homosexual tirade. Author, speaker, and founder of 'Inqueery,' an organization that addresses homosexuality on high school and college campuses, Thompson has appeared on local news broadcasts for CBS, NBC, and ABC affiliates in Des Moines and is an outspoken voice against homophobia in the Christian community. His delightfully readable book is precisely the kind of diplomacy our society needs to help defuse the 'culture wars' still raging against respectful sharing of the often polarizing views of a growingly diverse post-modern population. To the general reading community, I encourage you to put away your biases and stereotypes about individuals who claim to have 'changed' their sexual orientation, and listen to this young man's story. The way Thompson shows such respect toward LGBT people is utterly disarming. He speaks as one involved with the gay community, campaigning alongside LGBT individuals for equal protection under the law, the right to be free from harassment and violence, and the right to be fully enfranchised citizens of our body politic; he often attends LGBT parades and protests to hand out drinks and just show kindness. 'I believe that loving gay people requires us to fight for their right to live outside the closet without consequence' (p. 29). The lovely irony of Thompson's message is that his harshest words are for the very Christian community from which he comes, and the sweetest words are for those who have only heard condemnation, judgment and fear from that same Christian community. While Chad certainly believes the view (from personal experience) that those who so desire can change their sexual orientation, that view is not his main message. Rather, Loving Homosexuals is a message to the Christian community to love not only those with whom they agree and feel comfortable, but to love unconditionally those with whom they disagree. One of the first Bible verses Thompson quotes is not about condemnation but from the words of Jesus: 'You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy', But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you' (Mathew 5:43-44). Thompson receives the same respect from the LGBT community as he has shown LGBT people: 'One accusation I seem to hear from religious groups...is that LGBT people are not tolerant of those whose views differ from theirs, but that hasn't been my experience at all. The first time I ever spoke on a college campus as an ex-gay, I was verbally attacked by one of the professors in the audience. When the session ended, the president of the college lesbian and gay group actually approached me to apologize for this man's intolerance and to express her acceptance of me as an ex-gay.... I've found that, for the most part, when I present my message in a truly respectful manner, most of the homosexuals who hear it are tolerant. In fact, almost the entire lesbian and gay campus group that had come to my first session in western Iowa to attack me came to my second session, and many of them even supported me.... [One] reason I was successful is that I did not tell anyone they had to change anything about themselves. I've found that if I tell my story in a way that respects the right of others to remain gay, they'll respect my right not to' (pp. 38-39). This book is filled with passion and compassion for LGBT people. Thompson is passionate about his own Christian faith and world view without being intolerant, and at the same time he is tirelessly spreading a message of Christian non-violence, unconditional love, justice and civil rights for all individuals regardless of their self-identity.

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