I am often asked why I (a straight woman) care so much about the LGBT community and why I work with the Gay Christian Network (GCN). This question comes from both straight people and from members of the LGBT community in a slightly different way: “We’re glad you’re here, but why?”

It’s funny, because the first part of that last statement is the answer. “We’re glad you’re here.”  You see, many years ago when I first began considering the treatment of the LGBT community by Christians, I was confronted with the same truth over and over again. These are people, these are my friends, and they desperately love Jesus and continue to follow him despite being shunned by much of the larger church. My heart broke for them, and I decided that I would stand in the middle, bridging the gap between two communities that have difficulty communicating with…