There has been an increase in violence and fear tactics used against the queer community in an attempt to make us invisible. Which is why it’s more important than ever that we unite our community and create safe spaces. Today on Queer Spirituality I’m talking about ways that we can rebuild these safe spaces, and celebrate all facets of the LGBTQ+ community, because when we embrace the most authentic expression of ourselves we can feel safe to be seen and heard for exactly who we are.

Did this episode inspire you? I’d love to hear your thoughts ❤️ drop me a review on your favorite listening platform.

The holiday season can be really stressful if you're LGBTQ+ and not out to your family. 

Scenario: You're queer and you're spending holiday time with your family. Do you come out? Do you spend the holidays alone? How do you navigate the potential impending ‘drama’?

Today we're talking about how to find community during the holidays if your family and your friends aren't all accepting, or don't accept all parts of you.

Did this episode inspire you? I’d love to hear your thoughts ❤️ drop me a review on your favorite listening platform.

Nicholas Pearson joined me recently to talk about his work with crystals, his own spiritual journey, and the role that queer people will play (and are playing) in the coming spiritual awakening. Nicholas is a flower essence therapist, Reiki practitioner, & teacher. He is also the author of several books.

Key Points:

• Spirituality is simply finding meaning in life
• How queerness is inherently other and disruptive
• How queer marriage disrupts the status quo
• The goal of spirituality
• How to partner with your crystals and stones
• Why people need to get back into relationship with nature
• How queer people are the shamans of our time
• How queer and femme identified people are leading us to understand Divine love.

Connect with Nicholas at https://theluminouspearl.com or on instagram https://www.instagram.com/theluminouspearl

I'm joined by Normal J. Liverpool IV, coach and author of Over the Top Living: Walking in Next Level Confidence Every Damn Day.

Key Points:

• Coming out and dealing with religion
• Finding spirituality after growing up in an unaffirming religion
• The many pressures queer people face to be someone else
• How the media influences the images we try to live up to (and that others measure us by)
• The process of dismantling so that you can live authentically

Learn more about Norman  
Website:  https://overthetopliving.com 

Pagan musical artist, David Wood, joins me for a conversation on the expansion of queer identity. We chatted briefly about being queer in the music industry and then we got right into talking about how much more expansive queer identity is today versus when we were coming out. I remember a time when it pretty much boiled down to gay, bisexual or lesbian with very little being recognized or discussed outside of those parameters. We're fortunate today that people don't have to try to fit in such tiny boxes. 

Key Talking Points:

• As queerness has become more mainstream, it's easier to just be yourself
• The queer community has evolved to understand many more types of queer identity
• Understanding one another requires taking the time to learn and educate
• While many advances like gay marriage were focused on a small group of the community, it also released energy that had gone into defense to understanding the broader spectrums of queer identity

Connect with and follow David Wood at https://www.davidwoodmusic.com/

While reading a collection of essays called “Why Are Faggots So Afraid of Faggots”, I was inspired to talk about the power of telling our queer stories.  When we tell our stories, we often challenge one another. Each of us has been conditioned to believe that our experience of being queer is the same as others. That’s not true. Also, in our current society we most often hear the stories of the affluent and the white. Much of queer culture has been condensed down to the experience of affluent, white, gay men. We need to create opportunities for hearing the stories of all queer people—trans, non-binary, bisexual, people of color, disabled, and more. 

Telling our stories is only part of the equation though. The power of telling our queer stories is only truly released when we listen to one another without judgement. Our current queer culture is obsessed with making judgements and affixing labels. In order to build a strong and supportive community, we need to release our own judgements.

Key Talking Points:

• How we arrived at a culture that largely tells only one subgroup’s stories
• How telling our stories can create understanding
• The importance of letting go of judgement
• How fear plays a role in judgement

DISCLAIMER: The link to the book in this description is an affiliate link. The producer of this podcast will receive a commission when you purchase from this link.

What exactly is queer spirituality? In essence, queer spirituality is about how queer people envision, relate with, and connect with their higher power. There have been multiple paths of queer spirituality over human history but even so, queer identity is a modern construct. That simply means that modern queer people should feel free to create a vision of the divine that fits their needs.    

Authentic queer spirituality, as opposed to spirituality that accepts queerness, has several hallmarks. 

Key Points:

• Queer spirituality celebrates queerness
• Queer spirituality sees queerness as special and important
• Queer spirituality is sex positive
• Queer spirituality allows us to see our reflection in the Divine
• Queer spirituality reveals the sacred in everyday living
• Queer spirituality brings out the highest and best in us

Read more on the blog and find past episodes at https://www.queerspirituality.net

Follow me on Instagram at @queer_spirituality 

Continue the discussion in our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/queerspirituality

Join us at Wild Spirit Festival in September https://wildspiritfestival.com