If Jesus Were Gay & Other Poems

by Emanuel Xavier

Emanuel Xavier's If Jesus Were Gay & other poems pulls no punches and is brutally frank about his views on sexuality, politics, and religion. Yet as deeply personal as these poems are, they are universal enough to move any reader. Both sacred and profane, it is a compelling and confessional collection from a daring and ambitious voice in contemporary poetry.

Genres: Poetry, Queer, LGBT, Religion

154 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2010

About the author

Emanuel Xavier helped open the doors for queer poets of color to take center stage and speak their truths. Through passion and perseverance, he emerged as an LGBTQ+ icon, as proclaimed by The Equality Forum. Long before diversity, equity, and inclusion became buzzwords, Xavier gave voice to his lived experiences, confronting politics, sexuality, and religion in poetry collections such as Pier Queen, Americano, If Jesus Were Gay, Nefarious, and Radiance.

Following Selected Poems of Emanuel Xavier—named one of Kirkus’ Best Indie Poetry Collections of 2021—he returned to an intimate exploration of Latinx and LGBTQ+ culture, community, and identity with Love(ly) Child (Rebel Satori Press, 2023), a finalist for the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. His forthcoming collection, Still, We Are Sacred (Rebel Satori Press, 2026), continues this work with poems of survival, resistance, and unapologetic queer joy.

Reviews

[Zeke · Rating 2 out of 5]

i just found this very boring and like. instagram poetry es que.

[theperksofbeingmarissa ;) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up!

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Jesus were gay then this title would not be provocative :)

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confessional but also coy, engaging, lyrical, prayers of lament and praise.

[Queer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I’ve been on these dates, sexed these men, seen these endings and always survived. You remind me here to tell those stories and make sly reference to you.

[Shelby Blevins · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5; love some good poetry now and then.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm usually not a fan of poetry as I despise spending hours trying to analyze words that are often irrelevant to modern society. However, Xavier's talent as a writer and his ability to capture reality far surpasses my normal expectations. His spoken word consists of raw honesty; it is relevant and relatable to all readers.