1 March 2026 This Month in Queer Religious History* Issan Dorsey: Sōtō Zen Monk and Teacher In the landscape of American Buddhism, few paths have been as unconventional (or as profound) as that of Issan Dorsey (7 March 7, 1933- 6 September 1990). A former drag queen, drug addict, and US Navy veteran who became […]
Click here to view a video recording of this CLGS Lavender Lunch! Since their founding in San Francisco in 1979, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have used drag, camp, public joy, and irreverent spirituality as tools for service, protest, and radical care. What began as a small group of queer men in habits has grown […]
1 February 2026 This Month in Queer Religious History* Congregation Beit Simchat Torah On 9 February 1973, a small group of LGBTQ+ Jews gathered in a Manhattan living room for the first service of what would become Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST), the world’s first LGBTQ+-founded synagogue. This humble beginning marked a revolutionary moment in queer religious […]
Click here for a video recording of this online CLGS event! In this Lavender Lunch theologian and librarian Keegan Osinski discusses her recent book, Queering Wesley, Queering the Church, (Cascade Books, 2021) and its presentation of a prototype for thinking about Wesleyan holiness as an expansive openness to the love and grace of God in queer Christian lives rather […]
6 February 2026 During Black History Month in February, honor the contributions of African American LGBTQ people. And don’t limit this to February: honor African American LGBTQ people all year round! There are so many people who have had a profound impact on the LGBTQ community, from the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s and 40s to today. Consider […]
30 January 2026 Since any time of the year is a good time to talk about the fact that religious people have been advocating for LGBTQ inclusion for quite a while, your congregation might want to take the opportunity now to investigate the movement for LGBTQ equality within your tradition. You can then highlight your […]
1 January 2026 This Month in Queer Religious History* The 1965 New Year’s Benefit Ball in San Francisco “Drag queens and attendees at the New Year’s Mardi Gras Ball, held at California Hall in San Francisco on January 1, 1965. Photos from the Citizen’s News, in the Periodicals Collection of the GLBT Historical Society.” [San […]