{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F9be9f54d-a5d1-4439-a8ac-73c8ef4a3f2f","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"Episode 018: Let\u2019s Talk Gay and Religion\u2026Shall We?","description":"One of the most hotly debated topics when it comes to acceptance of LGBTQ individuals, is that \u201cyour lifestyle is a sin against God.\u201d Really? That would mean that God screwed up majorly when he created the more than 4 million Americans that identify as LGBTQ.\r\n\r\n* Did God really make individuals to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender?\r\n* Is it a sin or a misinterpretation of the scriptures?\r\n* What does the bible really say about sexual orientation?\r\n\r\nAnswers and understanding abound when Crystal Cheatham & J Mason, authors of The Identity Kit: For Queer Christian Youth, joins the show this week to unravel and explore \u201cWhat the Bible tells us so about sexuality and gender.\u201d Drawing wisdom from personal exploration and The Identity Kit Project, Crystal & J Mason will help us discover gender non-conforming figures within the Bible, take apart scriptures often used against LGBTQ people, draw inspiration from the holy roles of trans/GNC folks, and uncover ways LGBTQ people are affirmed in both the Old and New Testaments. Be prepared to be moved, laugh and fall in love (with scripture!) as we break down the boundaries between sexual/gender identity and religion.\r\nAbout Crystal\r\nCrystal Cheatham is a Masters level writer, keynote facilitator, acoustic performer, and a published author in news sources including Spectrum magazine and Adventist Activism. Having been raised in a fundamentalist community and versed in biblical doctrine, Crystal is also a speaker for teen advocacy and a key facilitator in church leadership. As a community developer for Soulforce\u2019s 2012 Equality Ride, Crystal led workshops and panel discussions at Universities including Stanford, Dallas Baptist, Mills College, and Southern Nazarene University. Crystal continues her support of the Queer Christian community through The IDentity Kit Project workshops hosted at the Philadelphia William Way Community Center for youth and young adult listeners. Find out more about Crystal and her work at YourIDK.com and CrystalCheatham.com.\r\n\u00a0\r\nAbout Mason\r\nJ Mason III (who prefers to be called Mason, thank you!) is a Black/Trans/Queer educator and performer based in Philadelphia, PA. Mason has worked with thousands of community members and service providers on the needs of LGBTQ youth and adults in spaces such as church communities, elementary schools, domestic violence shelters, medical agencies, juvenile justice organizations, foster care programs and others. Currently, serving as Co-Director of Soulforce\u2019s 2012 Equality Ride, Mason works to end religious based oppression in addition to his role working with/for LGBTQ youth as the Training Coordinator of the Attic Youth Center\u2019s Bryson Institute. On his off-time, he can also be found contributing to various academic and literary publications to keep his mind busy.\r\n\u00a0\r\n<a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save addtoany_share" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Frickclemons.com%2Fepisode-018-lets-talk-gay-and-religion-shall-we%2F&title=Episode%20018%3A%20Let%27s%20Talk%20Gay%20and%20Religion%E2%80%A6Shall%20We%3F" data-a2a-url="https://rickclemons.","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/4b9b6c41-474a-4fd0-a374-cbb2a7aa23a4/1400x1400_uncloseted_artwork-01-573.jpg"}