Jamie Arpin-Ricci's Blog, page 5

We Are Glorious

When I started posting my “Coming Out” series, I knew that I was opening myself up for all kinds of negativity. And while most of the response has been positive, the fall out came as well. Beyond the inevitable internet trolls, the judgment, rejection, and disdain of people we know, respect, and love are most painful of all. In one such situation, I found myself despairing of our future.

It was at this time that a good friend approached me, offering me one of his earbuds, asking if he could s...

Better Conversations – Part 3

Given that we are already at Part 3 of this series about how to have better conversations around difficult issues (see below for links to previous posts), it should be clear that debating the issue at hand should not be the primary focus. Instead, the point is to foster mutual dialogue and understanding.

That said, when exploring topics that are deeply meaningful to both/either party, it is inevitable that disagreements will arise. When exploring the question of LGBTQ+ people and faith, it is...

The Heartbeat Of Confession

Over the last several weeks I have been engaged in seemingly countless conversations around faith and sexuality as a result of both my “Coming Out” series and my interview with CBC Manitoba. Most of them have been with Christians who do not share my theological position on the topic. They believe that “the Bible is clear” and so, while they might appreciate my compassion, they cannot share my convictions.

Without question, I hope to see Christians change their beliefs on this topic. However,...

Better Conversations – Part 2

In Part 2 of this series, we are going to look at how to set the stage of good conversations. With some of the preparation work in place (see Part 1), I want to continue by offering some tools that we can utilize as we enter into difficult conversations around issues of faith and sexuality (though widely applicable). Again, see the introduction for the source material that has significantly informed my ideas.

However, before we delve into this, I want to introduce an important caveat that sho...

Better Conversations – Part 1

As I said in the introduction to this series, my hope is to equip people to have better conversations about faith and being LGBTQ+, not to arm people for fierce debate. To that end, our priorities have to shift from being right or “winning” to mutual understanding. The word “mutual” is critical here because it means that if we want to be heard, we are going to have to listen. To be clear, that does not mean we have to listen to abusive people rip us to shreds. There will be times where we wil...

Having Better Conversations About Faith & Being LGBTQ+ – An Introduction

Since writing my 13 part “Coming Out” series, I’ve been inundated by people reaching out with questions, stories, recommendations, and more. It has been overwhelming and wonderful. One of the most common themes in the communications was the question: How do we do better at talking about these things?

This series is going to be aimed at trying to equip people, especially Christians, to have better conversations around these topics. To be clear, this is not going to give you tools or arguments...

Generous Space Ministries

In the weekends CBC interview and in the last post in my #ComingOut series, I mentioned the support group that I help facilitate. I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about the group and the parent organization, so I thought it might be helpful to post some information. The following info in quotes is directly from the Generous Space Ministries website:

“No matter your reason for visiting-whether you’ve got questions about your own sexuality, you’re trying to be a safe person for a friend, ar...

My Coming Out Story – Part 13 (final)

When news of the Pulse nightclub shooting reached us, like so many others, we were stunned and grieved. Omar Mateen, the 29-year-old security guard, shot and killed 49 people, leaving 53 others wounded. Mateen himself was shot and killed by police after a 3-hour standoff. Fear, grief, and anger swept through the LGBTQ+ communities around the world.

While there was much outpouring of love and support, the sadly expected trend of negative comments began to emerge almost immediately. The respons...

Happy Pride!

For many Christians who are raised to believe that “pride” is a serious sin, LGBTQ+ Pride events can seem like willful sinfulness. However, this is misunderstanding. Pride can have many meanings, some positive. After all, I’ve never met a Christian who felt morally compromised because they were proud of their children. In similar ways, given how much fear and shame have been imposed on queer people, being proud of who we are is a celebration of good.

Pride is about solidarity, connection, and...

My Coming Out Story – Part 12

During the same few years that I was discovering the deeper more complex meaning of what it means to be bisexual (as discussed in the last post), we were also wrestling with the deterioration of several important relationships as a result of my views on the topic. Most painful was the slow yet steady break down of the relationship I had with my childhood church.

Before I go into more detail, it is important to note that this church played a significant role in my life. Not only was it the pla...