Resources That Affirm LGBTQ+ People of Faith

START HERE — Personal Stories – For people who need to feel before they can think

1. Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gay vs. Christians Debate — Justin Lee
A gay evangelical Christian tells his own story with grace and theological depth. One of the most disarming books on this list — impossible to dismiss.

2. Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America — Mel White
A ghostwriter for Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell comes out. Mel White’s memoir is part confession, part reckoning — and completely unforgettable.

3. Outlove: A Queer Christian Survival Story — Julie Rodgers
A former “ex-gay” ministry advocate tells the truth about what it actually cost her. Raw, honest, and beautifully written.

THE BIBLE — What Does It Actually Say? – For people who need to engage the text

4. God and the Gay Christian — Matthew Vines
The biblical case, made carefully and thoroughly. Vines walks through every “clobber passage” with rigor and faith. Essential.

5. UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality — Colby Martin
Ray’s own recommendation — pastoral, accessible, and grounded. Martin shows how context transforms interpretation.

6. Forging a Sacred Weapon: The 1946 Bible Mistranslation Behind Anti-Gay Theology — Kathy Baldock
Ray’s own recommendation — A historical investigation of the history of the mistake that lead to the inclusion of the word, “homosexual” in modern translations of the Bible.

7. Walking the Bridgeless Canyon — Kathy Baldock
Deeply researched. Baldock traces how science, culture, and the church got tangled together — and how to untangle them. A major resource for people who want the full historical picture.

8. The Bible’s Yes to Same-Sex Marriage — Mark Achtemeier
A Reformed Presbyterian theologian changes his mind — and shows his work. Particularly powerful for people in conservative theological traditions.

THEOLOGY & FRAMEWORK – For people who want the intellectual scaffolding

9. Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships — Karen Keen
A rigorous ethical framework built on careful biblical scholarship. One of the most theologically serious affirming books available.

10. Changing Our Mind — David Gushee
A prominent evangelical ethicist publicly changes his position — and explains why, step by step. Landmark.

11. Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians — Candace Chellew-Hodge
Practical, spiritually grounded, and pastoral. Helps LGBTQ+ believers build the internal resources to stay in faith communities.

12. God Believes in Love: Straight Talk About Gay Marriage — Bishop Gene Robinson
Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, presents the case for same-sex marriage using a commonsense, reasoned, religiousargument, made by someone who holds the religious text of the Bible to be holy and sacred

FOR PARENTS & FAMILIES – For the people who love someone and don’t know what to do next

11. Embracing the Journey: A Christian Parents’ Blueprint to Loving Your LGBTQ Child — Greg & Lynn McDonald
Written by parents who’ve lived it. Honest about the struggle and the grace on the other side.

12. Love Makes Room — Staci Frenes
A Christian mother’s story when her daughter comes out. Warm, accessible, and genuinely helpful for families in the early stages.

MEMOIR & WITNESS – For people who need to hear it in someone’s own voice

13. Unashamed: A Coming Out Guide for LGBTQ Christians — Amber Cantorna
Grew up in a prominent Focus on the Family family. Her story is specific — and because of that, it’s universal.

14. And God Save Judy Garland: A gay Christian’s journey — Pastor Randy Eddy-McCain
A deeply personal memoir about growing up gay in the conservative south and the founding of Open Door Community Church in Sherwood, Arkansas, a church that has made a deep impact in changing the hearts and minds around the world on the issue of gay Christians and full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ Christians in ministry.

15. Our Strangely Warmed Hearts: Coming Out into God’s Call — Bishop Karen Oliveto
The first openly gay bishop in The United Methodist Church reflects on call, identity, and belonging.

THE BIGGER PICTURE – For people ready to think about the church’s history and future

16. A Bigger Table — John Pavlovitz
An invitation to imagine a church genuinely large enough for everyone — not just in theory, but in practice. Accessible and prophetic.