Last updated 1/1/2025
Most of this applies across the board for LGBTQ+ people. Many homoantagonistic Christians don't bother to differentiate between being gay and being bi, much less care to understand the difference between orientation and being transgender.
1. Expect to hear these sorts of Christians talk about how being LGBTQ+ is a choice or a lifestyle. This implies that LGBTQ+ people are deliberately sinning.
Uncritical examples
Pulse Survivors Leave LGBTQ Lifestyle to Take Up Their Cross and Follow Christ by Allyson Vannatta | Movie Guide (appears to have been published in June 2020)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Cure for the LGBT+ lifestyle, His name is Jesus by PrincessMagical | DeviantArt (sometime in 2016)
Archived on Wayback Machine
They used to be LGBTQ by QuantumInnovator | DeviantArt (June 2020)
Archived on Wayback Machine and Archive.today
Commentary
None yet
2. Homoantagonistic and transantagonistic Christians often push conversion therapy and ”ex-gay” ministries. Research has shown trying to change a person's sexual orientation or gender alignment doesn't work and causes psychological harm. But don't expect homoantagonistic Christians to admit that.
Uncritical examples
Counseling for Sexual Identity Concerns: A measured, careful, and compassionate approach | Focus On The Family
Archived on Wayback Machine and Archive.today
Study: Participants in ex-gay ministry do change by Michael Foust | Baptist Press (August 2009)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today and Ghost Archive
Countering The Cultural Confusion: Answering Frequently Asked Questions About Homosexuality by Jeff Johnston | Focus On The Family (February 2014)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Ex-Gay Makes A Comeback by Warren Cole Smith | Ministry Watch (October 2019)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Facebook Removes Restored Hope Network's Page for Those Struggling with Unwanted Homosexuality by Jeff Johnston | The Daily Citizen (October 2020)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Amazon Banned Her Book From Being Sold. Now This Christian Leader Speaks Out. by Josh Shepherd | The Stream (September 2019)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Netflix Doc 'Pray Away' Unfairly Disparages Christian Ministries, Say Leaders Featured by Josh Shepherd (August 2021)
The Stream version is archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive.
The Roys Report version is archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive.
Commentary
Ex-Gay Harm--Let Me Count the Ways by Peterson Toscano | Beyond Ex-Gay (archived version)
Conversion Therapy and LGBT Youth by Christy Mallory, Taylor N.T. Brown, and Kerith J. Conron | Williams Institute (June 2019)
How journalists can avoid spreading misinformation about anti-LGBTQ conversion therapy by Brianna January | Media Matters For America (February 2018)
"Conversion Therapy" Is Abuse by Deirdre Sugiuchi | Dame Magazine (December 2020)
'Don't hurt your children': A history-making trans man warns against conversion therapy by Angélica Serrano-Román | NBC News (May 2021)
3. Bigoted Christians try to frame pro-LGBTQ+ laws and activism as religious persecution.
Uncritical examples
For Amazon HQ: 'No gay, no way' cuts out those troublesome Bible Belt cities by Julia Duin | GetReligion (February 2018)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Same-sex marriage, celebration and "core values" by Mollie Hemingway | Get Religion (May 2012)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
How does legalizing gay marriage make gay people a protected class, in a bad way? | fatherangel (March 2015)
Archived on Wayback Machine
5 Actions Churches Should Take in a Changing Legal Culture by Christiana Holcomb | The Gospel Coalition (April 2015)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
[video] When Pride Turns Christians Into Babies | Belief It Or Not (June 2024)
Commentary
Research Shows Many Christians See LGBTQ Progress as Bad for Christianity by Hemant Mehta | OnlySky Media (August 2021)
Preserved on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
4. Christians who cling to gender roles may believe affirming LGBTQ+ people is saying men and women are interchangeable. They also may claim feminism and egalitarianism among genders will lead to LGBTQ+ affirmation.
Uncritical examples
Is the Slippery Slope Actually Slippery? Egalitarianism and the Open-and-Affirming Position by Colin Smothers | 9Marks (November 2019)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
A Call for Courage on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by Dr. Albert Mohler | Pure Intimacy (reprinted from a 2005 publication)
Archived on Wayback Machine
[video] Q&A on Womahood [sic] & Gender Roles | Julie Roys (April 2018)
Archived on Wayback Machine and Ghost Archive
Egalitarianism Vs Complementarianism by Ashley Evans | Bible Reasons (May 2023)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Grandma-cracy? How older women take over churches | David Murrow (May 2024)
Archived Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Commentary
None yet
5. Some Christians have treated gay relationships and trans acceptance as being on the same level as incest, pedophilia, and bestiality. This has also come with the assumption that LGBTQ+ people are naturally more predatory than cis straight people.
See here for examples.
6. Right-wing American Christians have attempted to keep discrimination against LGBT+ people legal or at least normalized through "religious freedom" laws.
Uncritical examples
None yet
Commentary
Redefining religious freedom as religious privilege by Andrew L. Seidel | Religion News Service (April 2018)
The GOP's Anti-LGBT, Anti-Women 'Religious Freedom' Law on Steroids by Jay Michaelson | The Daily Beast (April 2017, uses a slur to make a point)
Maryland Supreme Court says it's OK for Catholic charity to discriminate against gay employee by Daniel Villarreal | LGBTQ Nation (August 2023)
Protecting Bigotry as "Sincere Religious Belief" | TransFusion (August 2019)
Republicans return the anti-gay First Amendment Defense Act to Congress by Zack Ford | ThinkProgress (March 2018)
The Un-Christian Nature Of New "Religious Freedom" Laws | The Official Blog of Benjamin L. Corey (February 2014)
7. Yet another falsehood spread about LGBTQ+ people is that we are looking to ”recruit” people, typically framed as adults preying on children. They don't consider that if you make being LGBTQ+ out to be terrible, then those of us already in your circles aren't going to come out until we feel safe from you. So it might look like someone has been ”recruited” when they were LGBTQ+ all along.
Uncritical examples
Homosexual Recruitment in Schools by Reed Irvine and Cliff Kincaid | Accuracy In Media (June 2000)
Archived on Wayback Machine and Archive.today
For LGBTs, 'Q' means 'ReQruit' by Scott Lively | WorldNetDaily (June 2021)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Why Are Young Adults Increasingly Identifying as Bisexual? by Joe Carter | The Gospel Coalition (February 2021)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
12 Ways God-Rejecters Murder, Attack, & Abuse Children | Biblical Evidence For Catholicism With Dave Armstrong (July 2023)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Commentary
An Evangelical Writer Has Some Horrible Theories for Why People Are Bisexual by Hemant Mehta | OnlySky Media (February 2021)
Preserved on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
8. Christian parents rejecting their LGBTQ+ children is a major factor in teen homelessness.
Uncritical examples
None yet
Commentary
Religious Rejection and the Crisis of LGBTQ Youth Homelessness | Impacting Our Future
9. Christians addressing suicide among LGBTQ+ people tend to talk in dismissive and often callous ways. They also refuse to acknowledge the harm their theology and teachings cause. By the way, it doesn't stop being harmful because you added a footnote about how conversion therapy doesn't work.
Uncritical examples
Are kids from devoutly Christian families with same-sex attraction at higher risk of suicide? by Stephen Grcevich MD | Key Ministry (July 2019)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
On suicide in the transgender community... | fatherangel
Archived on Wayback Machine
"Gay, transgender youth at 'significantly higher risk' of suicide than heterosexual peers" | Dan Peterson (September 2019)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Hello Father, I have seen many stories about parents with transgender children... | fatherangel
Archived on Wayback Machine
Commentary
None yet
10. Some bigoted Christians have whined about LGBTQ+ people using the rainbow as a symbol of pride.
Uncritical examples
True Meaning by nghplz | DeviantArt (July 2011)
Archived on Wayback Machine and Archive.today
Commentary
[video] When Pride Turns Christians Into Babies | Belief It Or Not (June 2024, the link skips to the part of the video talking about this specifically)
11. Some churches will claim to be friendly to LGBTQ+ people, but then will discriminate against LGBTQ+ members on the basis of "morality" or "not being a stumbling block".
Uncritical examples
None yet
Commentary
Queer Christian Baiting (And How to Avoid It) | Demisexual and Proud (July 2019)
Andy Stanley's Church is NOT the "Safest Place in the World" for My Gay Teen by Jennifer O'Rourke | Church Clarity (March 2019)
The New Hip Churches are Fooling Google. They Pop Up as ”Gay-friendly” – it's a Hoax. by Ken Wilson | Solus Jesus (September 2018)
The Difference Between a Welcoming Church and an Affirming One Is Huge by Sam Brinton | Advocate (April 2018)
LGBT affirmation is the first, but most important, step to take by Jonny Rashid | Substack (June 2024)
12. Some Christians hypersexualize the very existence of LGBTQ+ people. Anything that talks about us in a way that isn't condemning us may be treated like it's about our sex lives, even if sex is never mentioned.
Uncritical examples
The Importance of Your Gag Reflex When Discussing Homosexuality and ”Gay Marriage” by Thabiti Anyabwile | The Gospel Coalition (August 2013)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Commentary
This Small Virginia Town Could Lose Its Library Over LGBTQ+ Book Brawl by Christopher Wiggins | Advocate (September 2023)
Al Mohler's 'erotic liberty' is an offensive misnomer for LGBT rights by Brian Pellot | Religion News Service (January 2015)
Al Mohler's 'erotic liberty' rhetoric is a sinful, unbiblical, indecent, nasty lie | slacktivist (January 2015)
13. A few Christians compare LGBTQ+ people to Nazis.
They probably like to forget that gay people were treated horribly in Nazi Germany.
Uncritical examples
How does legalizing gay marriage make gay people a protected class, in a bad way? | fatherangel (March 2015)
Archived on Wayback Machine
Dispelling Myths About ”Mental Illness” A Biblical Perspective by John MacArthur | Grace Community Church (June 2024)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Commentary:
None yet
14. I have occassionally heard anti-LGBTQ+ Christians argue we know deep down we're in the wrong, and we're supposedly just trying to hide our sin by loudly proclaiming we deserve the same respect as cisgender and straight people.
Uncritical examples:
Ivan Provorov and the Pressure to Punish LGBT+ Dissent by Trevin Wax | The Gospel Coaltion (January 2023)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Commentary:
None yet
More about Christian homoantagonism and other anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry
Conservative Christians Selectively Apply Biblical Teachings in the Same-Sex Marriage Debate by Kirsten Powers and Jonathan Merritt | The Daily Beast (February 2014)
How can you be LGBTQ+ at an evangelical university? In secret by Soo Youn | The Guardian (November 2020)
'God will finish the job': Texas pastor prays for injured Orlando survivors to die by Sarah K. Burris | Raw Story (June 2016)
My issues with queer-positive Christianity | A Trivial Knot (January 2017)
Duke's Fun Home controversy, explained by Alex Abad-Santos and Libby Nelson | Vox (August 2015, contains NSFW images)
"If our condemnation hurts you it's because you know we're right" – some musings on the "sin of homosexuality" | Speaking When the World Sleeps (May 2013)
Ted Cruz Attacked by Conservative Pundits for Opposing Uganda's Antigay Law by Christopher Wiggins | Advocate (June 2023)
You love gay people? That's great. Prove it. | Geeky Justin (March 2014)
Julie Roys and LGBTQ+ People by Celeste Irwin (July 2023)
Homophobia and Religiosity Drive Struggles with Porn by David J. Ley Ph.D. | Psychology Today (July 2023, discusses conversion therapy and other homoantagonism)
Navajo Nation's LGBTQ Pride Event Celebrates A Return To The Culture's History by Cayla Nimmo | National Public Radio (July 2019)
[video] What Does ”Two-Spirit” Mean? | InQueery | them. (December 2018)
Further information
First Man Faces Death Penalty for 'Aggravated Homosexuality' in Uganda by Donald Padgett | Advocate (August 2023)
Accusations of 'grooming' are the latest political attack – with homophobic origins by Melissa Block | National Public Radio (May 2022)
Nearly half of LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide, survey finds by Rina Torchinsky | National Public Radio (May 2022)
Not Only is the Right Unapologetic For Violent Anti-LGBTQ+ Rhetoric – It's Doubling Down by Thomas Lecaque | Religion Dispatches (November 2022)
Facts About LGBTQ Youth Suicide | Trevor Project (December 2021)
Fact check: LGBTQ community rejects false association with pedophiles by Camille Caldera | USA Today (July 2020)
The Problem With the Sexualization of Lesbians by Marissa Higgins | Huff Post (June 2013, mentions sexual abuse)
From "grooming" to "child abduction": Right's accusations against LGBTQ advocates get even worse by Kathryn Joyce | Salon (October 2022)
US conservatives are rallying around Uganda's "Kill the Gays" bill by Greg Owen | LGBTQ Nation (April 2023)
Incest Is Cancer by William Saletan (December 2010, explains how incest is destructive in a way gay relationships are not)
Anti-Trans "Grooming" and "Social Contagion" Claims Explained by Julia Serano | Medium (November 2022)
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