• LGBTQ Healing & Resource Guide: www.laurenlanzaretta.com/youcanbeboth• Submit your story: https://bit.ly/49G1tpz________________

Can you stop being gay?Can you pray the gay away?Does God actually change someone’s sexual orientation — and if so, why doesn’t He do it for everyone?In this episode of You Can Be Both, we take an honest, compassionate, and deeply personal look at ex-gay testimonies, conversion therapy, and the psychological and spiritual harm caused by shame-based faith narratives.Many LGBTQ Christians are told that if they pray harder, surrender more, or fully “commit,” God will remove same-sex attraction. But for countless people, that never happens — and the result is anxiety, depression, self-hatred, and even suicidal ideation.In this conversation, we explore: • Why “ex-gay” stories are often rooted in survival, trauma, or repression • The difference between healing trauma and trying to change sexual orientation • How shame-based Christianity fuels fear, guilt, and self-abandonment • Why being LGBTQ does not prevent you from following Jesus • The truth about conversion therapy and why it’s been denounced by major medical associations • How faith, mental health, and sexuality intersect • Why God’s love is not conditional on becoming straightThis episode is for: • LGBTQ Christians questioning their faith • Anyone harmed by “pray the gay away” theology • Parents trying to understand their LGBTQ child • People deconstructing harmful church teachings • Those healing from religious traumaYour identity is not a sin.Your attraction is not a failure of faith.And you do not need to change who you’re attracted to in order to be loved by God.✨ Resources mentioned: • LGBTQ Christian Healing Guide: https://www.laurenlanzaretta.com/shop/p/gaychristianresourceguide • Pray Away documentary on Netflix 📩 Have you experienced conversion therapy or ex-gay ministry?There’s a confidential form linked below — your story matters.👉 Subscribe for more honest conversations at the intersection of faith, healing, and LGBTQ identity.👉 Follow You Can Be Both on Instagram and TikTok as well!

If you're LGBTQ+ and Christian, you've probably experienced religious trauma—rejection from church, kicked out of ministry, told you're going to hell, or living a double life hiding who you are. You're not alone, and you're NOT broken.

I read dozens of stories from LGBTQ Christians daily, and the pain from Church abuse is heartbreaking but the healing is REAL. This episode is for every gay, lesbian, bi, trans, or queer person who still loves God but has been wounded by His people.

💔 REAL LGBTQ STORIES SHARED:

• Trans woman forced into military by parents, sexually assaulted, then fired from school job for being trans

• Sunday school teacher excommunicated after 10+ years of faithful service—just for coming out

• Gay Catholic altar boy standing next to a priest who says LGBTQ people belong in mental institutions

• Christian educator living a double life, hiding her identity to keep her job

• I was personally excluded from part of my mission trip to Thailand for being gay (even though I was closeted at the time)

📊 THE 3 THINGS WE ALL STRUGGLE WITH:

1. Rejection, judgment, and harm from the church

2. Reconciling faith and LGBTQ identity ("Can I be fully myself AND fully Christian?")

3. Long-term emotional/mental health trauma (anxiety, depression, shame)

✝️ THE TRUTH:You are NOT worse than anyone else. You're covered by God's grace. Being LGBTQ is NOT a sin. You deserve love, dignity, and a place in the church. God is NOT ashamed of you.

🌈 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

✓ Why religious abuse happens to LGBTQ people in churches

✓ How to heal from spiritual trauma and shame

✓ The connection between LGBTQ rights and the Civil Rights Movement

✓ Why allies matter and how they can help

✓ Bible verses for the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18, Matthew 11:28)

✓ Homework: Do something just for you and God this week

💡 KEY MESSAGES:

• The church has weaponized 6 Bible verses against LGBTQ people

• Kicking someone out of ministry for being gay is religious abuse—period

• LGBTQ people are NOT more dangerous, perverted, or spiritually corrupt

• You can't "pray away" being gay—it ends in exhaustion and crisis

• Manifesting yourself out of shame doesn't work—community and healing do

🏳️‍🌈 YOU ARE NOT ALONE: This community is resilient. You didn't walk away from God even after how His people treated you. That's powerful. And God sees you, loves you, and is walking with you every single day.

📚 RESOURCES:

• LGBTQ Healing & Resource Guide: https://www.laurenlanzaretta.com/youcanbeboth

• Submit your story: https://bit.ly/49G1tpz

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - You Are Not Alone

2:30 - Take a Breath: You're Covered by Grace

7:00 - Trans Woman's Heartbreaking Story

10:30 - Sunday School Teacher Excommunicated

12:25 - Why Being Gay Doesn't Disqualify You

15:10 - Living a Double Life at Work

17:20 - MLK & the LGBTQ Movement

23:30 - Gay Catholic Altar Boy's Pain

25:30 - The 3 Things We ALL Struggle With

31:00 - Hope is Still Present33:00 - Bible Verses for Healing

35:00 - Prayer for the LGBTQ Community

💬 COMMENT BELOW:Which story resonated with you most? What's YOUR experience with church and being LGBTQ? Let's heal together.

👍 If this helped you feel less alone, please like and subscribe. New episodes every Sunday at 11 AM.

🔔 Turn on notifications so you don't miss future episodes.You can be LGBTQ. You can be Christian. You can be BOTH. 🏳️‍🌈✝️

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Why do I call myself a "gay Christian"? Is it wrong to identify as LGBTQ+ and a person of faith?

In this episode, I tackle one of the most controversial questions in the Christian LGBTQ community: Can you identify as both gay AND Christian without compromising your faith?

Many Christians argue we should find our identity solely in Christ, but does that mean we have to deny who we are? In this episode, I break down:

✅ The difference between IDENTITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, and DESCRIPTORS

✅ Why sexual orientation is NOT a sin and what the Bible REALLY says about homosexuality

✅ The truth about those "6 clobber passages" and how they've been mistranslated

✅ Why the word "homosexual" wasn't even in the Bible until 1946

✅ How coming out of the shadows and living authentically strengthens your faith

✅ What it means to truly find your identity in Christ while being honest about who you are

This episode is for anyone struggling to reconcile their LGBTQ+ identity with their Christian faith. Whether you're in the closet, recently out, or supporting someone on this journey—this message is for you.

📖 RESOURCE: Download my 51-page healing guide for LGBTQ+ people of faith: https://www.laurenlanzaretta.com/youcanbeboth

💬 STRUGGLING? Email me or leave a comment—you're not alone in this journey.

👍 If this message resonated with you, give it a thumbs up and share with someone who needs to hear this.

🙏 PRAYER: At the end of this episode, I pray over everyone listening who's been rejected by the church, family, or friends. God loves you, is proud of you, and your identity is secure in Him.

📅 New episodes every Sunday at 11 AM!

Follow us on on TikTok and Instagram: @YouCanBeBoth⁩

You can find my music on Spotify/Apple Music/Youtube ⁨@LaurenLanzaretta⁩

#GayChristian #LGBTQFaith #ChristianLGBTQ #ProgressiveChristianity #AffirmingChristian #QueerChristian #ComingOut #ReligiousTrauma #BiblicalInterpretation #FaithAndSexuality #YouCanBeBoth #LGBTQChurch #GayAndChristian #ChristianPodcast #FaithJourney #LGBTQMinistry #AffirmingTheology #QueerTheology #ReligiousDeconstruction #ChristianIdentity