I came to realize that being gay is not a reason to feel guilt or shame. I was created in God's image just as much as any straight person. Finally, I had peace. The guilt and shame left me. My love for music did not.

I tried to hang on to church. I went to some progressive churches but no longer felt home in those bittersweet sanctuaries. I had this intense feeling of physical discomfort, as if everyone were watching me, as if everyone knew.

Today marks the sixty-fifth birthday of Bishop Vicky Gene Robinson, who, in 2003, became the first non-celibate openly gay Anglican bishop. Robinso...

Church officials and followers from many different demoninations have long used the Bible to argue that homosexuality and transgender identities are a...