#askingforafriend by LOVEboldly
Last Updated: June 13, 2026
Do you have questions regarding faith and sexual orientation or gender identity, but avoid asking them for fear of saying the wrong thing, sounding insensitive, or coming across as unloving?
By #AskingForAFriend you can anonymously ask your most pressing questions, and one of our carefully selected LGBTQ+ Christian panelists will respond. Our panel consists of friends of LOVEboldly who we know, love, and trust. They are committed to providing sensitive and respectful answers.
Visit https://www.loveboldly.net/askingforafriend to submit your own questions and view our archive of answers!
By #AskingForAFriend you can anonymously ask your most pressing questions, and one of our carefully selected LGBTQ+ Christian panelists will respond. Our panel consists of friends of LOVEboldly who we know, love, and trust. They are committed to providing sensitive and respectful answers.
Visit https://www.loveboldly.net/askingforafriend to submit your own questions and view our archive of answers!
Testimony in Opposition to Sub. Bill HB472
Chair Roegner, Vice Chair Gavarone, Ranking Member Blackshear, and Members of the Senate General Government Committee, Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Huelskamp. I'm the Executive Director of LOVEboldly, an Ohio, faith-based nonprofit serving LGBTQIA+ Ohioans, and the Pastor of Blue Ocean Faith Columbus. In my work, I walk alongside people who are routinely pushed to the margins of civic life including people experiencing homelessness, people...
Queerfully and Wonderfully Made
Sunday, June 7, 2026 - Pride Sunday The Rev. Dr. Joelle Henneman LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” ~Psalm 139:14 (NRSV) Devotion Or as I like to say: “You are Queerfully and wonderfully made.” There’s something holy that happens when you hear the truth about yourself and believe it. For many of us in the LGBTQIA+ community, we’ve spent years being told we’re “too much” or “not...
A New Chapter for the Body of Christ
Sunday, May 31, 2026 - Trinity Sunday Jon Carl Lewis LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” ~Matthew 15:5 (NRSV) Devotion The Sunday after Pentecost is celebrated in many branches of the church as “Trinity Sunday.” Beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, we have marked the life of Jesus from before his birth (Advent), his taking human flesh...
How Big is Our God?
Sunday, May 24, 2026 - Pentecost Siobhan Boyd-Nelson LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith LOVEboldly Board Chair Quote “Pentecost is about being empowered to get beyond the strictures created by these silos and find our way to one another beyond race, gender, empire, or nationality. It is about moving to a place where we can see the entire family of God as one family.” ~Bishop Yvette Flunder Devotion How big is our God? Most of us would say that our God is enormous, infinite, or a size beyond...
Opposition Testimony to SB113
Monday, May 19, 2026 Today, May 19, 2026, the Ohio Senate Education Committee is hearing opponent testimony to Senate Bill 113, which would prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Ohio public schools. Given the conduct of the committee's chair in other hearings, LOVEboldly is joining Honesty for Ohio Education, Trans Allies of Ohio, Right to Read Ohio, Columbus Education Justice Coalition, and other organizations in submitting the following statement as written testimony to this...
A Prayer for Our Libraries
Sunday, May 17, 2026 Lisa Vahey Allied Person of Faith Devotion Oh, amazing Lord, what a gift you’ve given us in libraries. Like churches, they can hold us in quiet and contemplation. Like churches, they can spring to life – workshops, meetings, little ones singing at story time, youth tumbling in afterschool, all kinds of community gatherings - the busyness of our community, the hub of our humanity. And our librarians are angels here on earth. Helping without judgement. Putting the...
Your Harvest is Already Germinating
Sunday, May 10, 2026 Karen Marie LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote “Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 (NRSV) Devotion This verse lands like a hand on the shoulder and a whisper in the soul. A reminder that the calendar keeps turning, but the call remains steady: keep planting good in the world, even when the ground feels stubborn. Keep showing up, even when your spirit feels like it’s running on low...
Lived in Love
Sunday, May 3, 2026 Bishop Tim Wolfe LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quotes “Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us, and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” ~Ephesians 5:1-2 (CEB) “The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.” ~St. Gregory the Great Devotion Those quotes are a sermon all by themselves. Love is much more than an emotion....
Chosen Family
Sunday, April 26, 2026 Kevin Marsh LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate...
LOVEboldly Supports the Southern Poverty Law Center
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 23, 2026 Contact: Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp, Executive Director, LOVEboldly Email: bhuelskamp@loveboldly.org Phone: 614-918-8109 LOVEboldly Supports the Southern Poverty Law Center Columbus, Ohio – Today, LOVEboldly is proud to reiterate its full and unwavering support for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the extraordinary legacy of justice it continues to build. “SPLC's work is not abstract,” said the Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp, Executive Director of...
Seen, Known, and Loved: Embracing Divine Belonging
Densil Porteous - LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote “You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.” ~Song of Solomon 4:7 (NRSV) Devotion For so many in the LGBTQIA+ community, faith has often been a battlefield—one where we’ve fought for our place, questioned our worth, and wrestled with the voices that told us we were somehow less than. We have been told we must change, suppress, or hide parts of ourselves to be welcomed at the table of faith. But what if we took a...
Celebrating New Board Members
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Westerville, OH - At its March and April meetings, respectively, the LOVEboldly Board of Directors voted to appoint two new board members: Mr. Eli Shiltz and the Rev. Br. Ian Boden, OLF. Eli Shiltz (he/him) Passionate about helping others and with a faith that has always been central to his life, Eli is an epidemiologist with the Ohio Department of Health. He moved to Ohio in 2018 and began his gender transition in 2020. In his spare time, Eli volunteers with Meals on...
Blessed are the Doubters
Sunday, April 12, 2026 The Rev. Dr. Caleb Lines Allied Person of Faith LOVEboldly Advisory Board Quote “Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into my side. No more disbelief. Believe!’” John 20:27 (NRSV) Devotion I love Thomas’ story! “Doubting Thomas” gets a bad rap for questioning, though. Maybe it’s because I’m originally from the “Show Me State,” but I’ve always felt an affinity for Thomas. I, too, need to see it to believe it. While the...
The Liberating Power of Easter
Sunday, April 5, 2026 - Easter Sunday The Rev. Charles Graves, IV LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote “We are an Easter people, moving through a Good Friday world.” ~Bishop Barbara Harris, Hallelujah, Anyhow! Devotion As a preacher, I’ll let you in on a little secret—for a long time I’ve been less than enthusiastic about Easter. After all, what more could I add from any pulpit to the joy of Christ’s Resurrection? Jesus is alive, our salvation is restored, and we again see the joy of new...
The Sacredness of the In-Between
Saturday, April 4, 2026 - Holy Saturday Jordan Morrow LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote Holy Saturday is the only time I know for sure that Jesus is near in suffering. As a gay man, I know what it’s like to be crucified by people you love and sit in the tomb with the aftermath. Devotion Holy Saturday is the one day that the Church routinely turns it’s face away from. It’s the day that God goes quiet. Jesus was hung on the cross and placed in the tomb. The world just crucified the...
The Blessing of Discomfort
Friday, April 3, 2026 - Good Friday The Rev. Brian Steele Allied Person of Faith LOVEboldly Board Member Quote “God loves you and there’s nothing you can do about it.” The Rev. Brian Steele Devotion About 13 years ago I was sitting in a room with LOVEboldly folks, and it hit me: I am the only straight white male in this room. “Well,” I thought, “this is weird.” Truthfully, as I sat there, I realized what I was experiencing was actually discomfort. For the first time in my existence,...
Without Love
Thursday, April 2, 2026 - Maundy Thursday The Rev. Morgan Annable Allied Person of Faith Quote When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews so now, I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new...
LOVEboldly condemns Ohio House Bill 798: An assault on trans lives, introduced on the day set aside to celebrate them
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 31, 2026 Westerville, OH - Today, Trans Day of Visibility, one Ohio lawmaker introduced House Bill 798. The timing was not an accident. It was a statement. And we're making one too. HB798 is a sweeping assault on the dignity, safety, and legal existence of Transgender and Nonbinary Ohioans. The bill would ban Trans people from using bathrooms, changing rooms, and overnight accommodations that match who they are. It would strip the ability to update sex markers on...
LOVEboldly Condemns Supreme Court Ruling Undermining Protections for LGBTQIA+ Youth
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 31, 2026 Contact: Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp, Executive Director, LOVEboldly - bhuelskamp@loveboldly.org LOVEboldly Condemns Supreme Court Ruling Undermining Protections for LGBTQIA+ Youth Westerville, OH - Today, the United States Supreme Court dealt a devastating blow to LGBTQIA+ children and teenagers across this country, ruling 8-1 to strike down Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors. We at LOVEboldly are heartbroken and we are not silent. Let us be...
Job and God and Transitioning into Wildness
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 - Trans Day of Visibility Jonathan L. A. Morgan LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote “Look at Behemoth, which I made just as I made you; it eats grass like an ox… It is the first of the great acts of God; only its Maker can approach it with the sword… Even if the river is turbulent, it is not frightened; it is confident though Jordan rushes against its mouth... “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook or press down its tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in its...
Hosanna
Sunday, March 29, 2026 The Rev. Amy Aspey Allied Person of Faith Quote “The people were hoping he would be a mighty warrior chief, like their ancestor Much Loved One (David), to set them free from the People of Iron (Romans.) But he did not ride a warhorse on that day, as one might expect. Instead, he rode a small, humble donkey colt. He came weeping over the Village of Peace (Jerusalem), but even this could not silence the hopes of the crowd. The people encircle him, front and back....
Growing in the Cracks
The Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Executive Director, LOVEboldly Quote “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” -John 15:5 (NRSV) Devotion Every day I walk past a tree in my neighborhood that shouldn’t exist. It’s rooted in a crack in the sidewalk, no more than three inches wide, surrounded by concrete on all sides. By every reasonable measure, it should have withered years ago. And...
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep...Ring...Ring
The Rev. Dr. Marian Stewart LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” ~Mark 1:35 (NIV) Devotion Sleep o glorious sleep. How I want just one hour more. On this ‘spring forward’ morning of Daylight Savings, I am reminded of all the virtuous exhortations to rise early to pray. Be like Jesus. Rise before dawn, go outside and find a quiet spot to be alone. Pray. As much as I...
Action Alert - HB531 Chaplains in Schools Bill
TLDR - Ohio House Bill 531 (HB531) , the Chaplains in Schools Bill, is up for opponent testimony before the House Education Committee on Tuesday, March 10, at 2:15pm. We need people to testify against the bill in-person. For instructions on how to testify see the bottom of this message. HB531 - What is it? HB531 would permit school districts to adopt and implement policy by which volunteer religious chaplains could offer “spiritual programming, support, and counseling” to students in grades...
Louder Love
The Rev. Lucy Kelly Allied Person of Faith Quote “When what we offer folks is a restricted diet of love and do not provide an equal portion of justice, we are only talking about a partial gospel — not a whole one.” -Emilie Townes, “In a Blaze of Glory” (1995) Devotion Read John 3:17. During an intergenerational reflection event for the play, The Laramie Project , a college student asked a question, “If hate is usually shouted, and love is often a gentle whisper…how do we make love louder?”...
Church Without Walls
Maggie LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” -Matthew 18:20 (NRSV) Devotion I used to think church had to look a certain way. Pews and steeples, organs and offering plates, people dressed in their Sunday best nodding along to sermons that never quite made room for people like me. For a long time, I believed that if I couldn’t find Jesus in those spaces or if those spaces couldn’t find room for me, then maybe I was the problem....
Can Rituals Be Meaningful?
Alejandro Rodriguez LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Devotion Ash Wednesday is full of ritual. Taking the palms from last year’s Palm Sunday to create the ashes we mark our foreheads with. It’s a visible sign. It makes a bold statement about who we are as people of faith. The ashes are a sign of repentance and the stance we will take over Lent. As my faith has evolved, I’ve struggled more and more with rituals of the church. I’m having a really tough time connecting. I know a huge part of my struggle...
Parental Right to Harm - HB693
From our partners at Equality Ohio. Parental Right to Harm Bill (HB 693) Earlier this week, State Reps. Josh Williams and Gary Click introduced House Bill 693 , the so-called “Affirming Families First Act”, which is a new and terrible effort to embed harmful anti-LGBTQ+ ideology into Ohio family law. This bill is broad and complicated, and it uses confusing new terminology throughout. While we’re used to the word “affirm” in the context of gender-affirming care and supporting LGBTQ+...
Shut Up and Listen
Jon Carl Lewis LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for...
LOVEboldly Denounces HB693 as a Dangerous Attack on LGBTQIA+ Youth
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 12, 2026 Contact: Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp, Executive Director, LOVEboldly – admin@loveboldly.org LOVEboldly Denounces HB693 as a Dangerous Attack on LGBTQIA+ Youth Westerville, OH – On February 10, a misguided and Queerphobic group of state legislators introduced a bill which would legalize the abuse of LGBTQIA+ children and overturn the significant work of Ohio communities that have banned the pseudoscientific practice of conversion “therapy.” ...
No Labels, But Tables
The Rev. Dr. Sigrid Rother Allied Person of Faith and Pastor Quote “He went on his way rejoicing.” -Acts 8:39 (NRSV) Devotion Labels are everywhere. Labels tell us what something is, or what is inside, or what ingredients are used. Without a label, a clear bottle may be filled with clear water, bleach, or pure alcohol. Labels are important. They help categorize objects but become dangerous when used on people. During the 3 rd Reich, the Nazi party used more than 30 symbols and colors to...
Love (Exclusions Do Not Apply)
Maritza "Shay" Nelson LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First, we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both. 1 John 4:19-21 (The Message Translation)...
Catholic Schools Week
The Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Executive Director, LOVEboldly Quote “Untilled ground, however rich, will bring forth thistles and thorns; so also, the mind of [humans].” St. Teresa of Avila Devotion Catholic Schools Week begins today. This week, an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States and is often celebrated in Catholic elementary schools and high schools with “spirit” events—“Crazy Hat Day” was always my favorite. Not only did I grow up Roman...
When Liberation Begins in the Hard Places
Sunday, January 18, 2025 Lis K. Regula, PhD LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote “So, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what God, God of the Hebrews, has said: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Send forth My people, so they may serve Me! For if you refuse to send forth My people, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow. They will cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the ground. They will consume the surviving...
Action Alert - City Club Actions in Cleveland - January 16, 2026
A big “Thank You!” to LOVEboldly’s friend and supporter, Lisa Vahey, for curating this list of actions. Context: The City Club of Cleveland is hosting Aaron Baer, the president of the Columbus-based Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) on January 16, 2026. CCV has been previously designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. For more information checkout out a timeline of events from The Buckeye Flame . Lavender in Solidarity: LGBT Center Cleveland is inviting staff and the...
How Do We Find Joy in our Work in a World Like This?
Sunday, January 11, 2026 The Rev. Dan Clark (he/him) Allied Person of Faith Quote “Completely illusory!” says Qoheleth. “Completely illusory! Everything is just an illusion!” I, Qoheleth, was ruler of Israel in Jerusalem. I saw it as my duty—aided by Wisdom—to determine all that is accomplished under the sun. What a heavy task God has laid upon us! So now I’ve seen all the works that have been done under the sun and let me tell you: Everything is but a mist of air, like chasing the wind. I...
A Contemplative New Year
Monday, January 5, 2026 Happy Monday and Happy New Year, my friends! When I was in college my friend, Lara (now the Rev. Lara Case Halsey) and I decided that we were going to found a retreat center. It would probably be out in the woods somewhere so we could offer an environment for peaceful reflection as well as respite from the world. Ever the pragmatist, Lara was already thinking of the business plan while idealist me was dreaming of founding a monastery and what the worship space would...
Using Your Privilege
Sunday, January 4, 2026 NV Gay (they/she) LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith LOVEboldly Board Member Quote How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” ~Isaiah 52:7 (NRSVUE) Devotion Reflecting upon Isaiah 52:7, I am often drawn back to my youth—sitting in an evangelical church, hearing how we are to be “soldiers of Christ.” This verse was often used to rally evangelists, a banner...
A Blank Calendar
January 1, 2026 - New Year's Day Greg LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith Quote “See, I am making all things new.” ~Revelation 21:5 (NRSV) Devotion There’s something both terrifying and exhilarating about a blank calendar. All those empty squares stretching out before us, waiting to be filled with appointments, celebrations, heartbreaks, and ordinary Tuesdays. On New Year’s Day, we stand at a threshold, caught between what was and what might be. For many of us in the LGBTQIA+ community, the concept of...
Help Us Bring Back LOVEboldly's ED to Full-Time Ministry
A Message from the LOVEboldly Board Dear Friends, You’ve heard a lot from Ben about the struggles LOVEboldly has had with fundraising, but it’s important you hear from us too. Simply put, there’s a dynamic here which we know Ben would never discuss publicly, yet it needs to be said. In the current climate of our country we have found it incredibly difficult to find funds to not only uplift the resources that you have all come to know and love, but to continue to support our Executive...
We’ll Drink a Cup of Kindness Yet
Wednesday, December 31, 2025 - New Year's Eve The Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp (he/they) Executive Director, LOVEboldly Queer Christian Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot in the days of auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear! For auld lang syne! We'll drink a cup of kindness yet; for the sake of auld lang syne. Auld Lang Syne —the traditional toast to the old year and welcome to the new year across much of the English- speaking...
Can I Open It?
Monday, December 29, 2025 Happy Monday and Happy Holidays, my friends! There’s a certain magic connected with the winter holidays and often the best place to find it is in the eyes of a child who still believes in Santa Claus. For me that’s my nephew, Jack. On Christmas Eve we continued a tradition started by my brother-in-law’s dad of feasting on Chinese food and then opening presents among the six of us. After presents and dinner, we drove around Urbana looking at Christmas lights,...
Finding Sanctuary in Chaos
Sunday, December 28, 2025 José Rosario (he/him) Founder, The Phoenix Empowered Queer Christian As you read this, I want to invite you to roll your shoulders… Unclench your jaw… Take a deep breath… Plant your feet firmly on the ground and notice your body in your current space. In this moment, you are safe. For many of us, I think there is an inherent safety in being in chaos. That does not imply that we like chaos. Instead, it reminds us that we are adaptable beings. When so many things...
Mary Held Everything in Her Heart
December 25, 2025 - Christmas Gwendolyn Glover DeRosa (she/her) Director of Student Ministries, King Avenue UMC (Columbus, OH) Queer Christian “It’s okay to go quiet, to pause long enough to hear your own interior world with the regard it deserves. Don’t let the noise of the world drown out the sound of you. Sometimes silence is presence.” Cole Arthur Riley Merry Christmas, friends! I know that many in the LGBTQIA+ community carry a lot of emotions during this time of the year. Some of...
Presents and Presence
Monday, December 22, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! Have you read or watched O. Henry’s classic story “The Gift of the Magi?” A married couple, husband and wife, each decide to buy a special gift for the other for Christmas. The husband sells his pocket watch to buy decorative combs for his wife’s hair. The wife sells her hair in order to buy a proper watch chain for her husband’s watch. The moral of the story is that they each cared so much for the other as to sell their most prized...
God is With Us
Sunday, December 21, 2025 - Fourth Sunday of Advent The Rev. Morgan Walker Annable (she/her) Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church (Wadsworth, OH) Allied Christian Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. But just when he had...
Praying and Suffering
Monday, December 15, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! I apologize that this present season has caused me to be unable to write and publish Monday Moments as regularly as in the past, but I’m happy to be able to write something for you today. At Blue Ocean Faith Columbus, the church I pastor, we’re reading Living Buddha, Living Christ by the Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hahn. As the title implies, Nhat Hahn writes about the similarities and differences between Buddhism and Christianity which...
Letters to God
Sunday, December 14, 2025 - Third Sunday of Advent The Rev. Julia Joyce-Miesse (she/her) Rector, St. Luke Episcopal Church Queer Christian Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6) I was recently in a local coffee shop and overheard a conversation of someone coming out to a friend. The friend sat quietly, listened to the quivering voice bearing their soul, and responded, “I love...
A Love Letter to the Future
Sunday, December 7, 2025 - Second Sunday of Advent The Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp (he/they) Executive Director, LOVEboldly Queer Christian Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:8) Assuming you haven’t skipped ahead—not calling you out, I’d do the same thing—you’re reading this devotion for the first time on December 7, 2025, almost one year after I wrote it on December 4, 2024. I imagine at least some of the bad things I was fearing have come true, but hopefully not all of them. Wherever and...
Giving Tuesday - A Message from Rev. Dr. Ben
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 Dear Friends, It’s Giving Tuesday, and I’m writing to you first thing this morning because this matters to me more than I can fully express. I’ve recorded a video for you. In it, I talk about what LOVEboldly means to me—not just as Executive Director, but as a Queer person of faith who grew up in the church, who knows what it’s like to wonder if God could really love someone like me. And this is my dream job. This work—creating spaces where LGBTQIA+ Christians don’t...
Christmas - Why Wait?
Sunday, November 30, 2025 - First Sunday of Advent The Rev. Anna Guillozet (she/her) Senior Pastor, Linworth United Methodist Church Allied Christian We read in Ecclesiastes chapter three that “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” What does that mean for us, however, when Christmas decorations seem to go up before all the trick-or-treat candy has even been consumed? I can hear Cindy Lou Who singing, “Where are you Christmas? Why can't I find you? Why...
Small Moments of Grace
Sunday, November 23, 2025 The Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp (he/they) Executive Director, LOVEboldly Queer Christian When [the shepherds] saw [Jesus], they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. (Matthew 2:17-19) Today is our last Sunday before Advent. Many of us are getting ready for Thanksgiving on Thursday, finalizing our plans for hosting or...
Testimony in Opposition to Ohio House Bill (HB) 172
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Chair Schmidt, Vice Chair Deeter, Ranking Member Somani, and members of the Ohio House Health Committee: My name is the Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp, and I serve as Executive Director of LOVEboldly, an Ohio faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to creating spaces where LGBTQIA+ people can flourish in Christianity and beyond. I also serve as Pastor of Blue Ocean Faith Columbus, a progressive Christian congregation in Columbus. I submit this testimony in strong...
Testimony in Opposition to Ohio Senate Bill (SB) 34
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Chair Brenner, Vice Chair Blessing, Ranking Member Ingram, and members of the Senate Education Committee: My name is the Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp. I serve as Executive Director of LOVEboldly, an Ohio faith-based organization working to create spaces where LGBTQIA+ people can flourish in Christianity and beyond, and as Pastor of Blue Ocean Faith Columbus, a progressive Christian congregation. I submit this testimony in opposition to Substitute Senate Bill 34. As a...
The October Wall
Monday, November 17, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! I live next to a historic brick school. When it was first built, over 100 years ago, it was the town’s high school. Through subsequent changes and renovations, it has served different groups of students and now hosts students in grades K-5. This morning, I watched one of the students bolt down the sidewalk, up the stairs to the building’s front lawn, across the lawn, and up the stairs into the building. Arms flailing, book bag and jacket...
Unity and Inclusion
Sunday, November 16, 2025 NV Gay (they/she) Founder, Mx. Gay’s Creative Direction Queer Christian Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts forms one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) When we reflect upon the call for inclusion, we must remember that Christ has called us to love and affirm all...
Press Release - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA) Joins Church Partner Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 11, 2025 LOVEboldly is happy to announce that Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA) has officially joined the LOVEboldly Church Partner Program. LOVEboldly's Executive Director, the Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp, said, "The partnership between Holy Trinity and LOVEboldly has been in the works since Summer 2024 and our collaboration together has already featured supporting Holy Trinity's writing of their affirming statement and Holy Trinity's pastor, the Rev. Steve...
LOVEboldly's Statement on the US Supreme Court's Rejection of a Challenge to Marriage Equality
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 10, 2025 - Westerville, OH Today, the United States Supreme Court rejected a challenge to its landmark 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges , which established marriage equality as the law of the land. While this decision provides a measure of reassurance that same-gender couples' right to marry remains protected at the federal level, LOVEboldly is not celebrating. We cannot celebrate when LGBTQIA+ people, particularly Transgender and nonbinary individuals,...
The Translations We Choose
Monday, November 10, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! Like most pastors, I plan out the themes for my sermons at least several weeks in advance. Yesterday, I preached the second in a four-Sunday series on the Ten Commandments. For Advent, I’m planning to preach on the first two chapters of the Gospel according to Luke over the course of the four Sundays. In each case, I explored which translation or translations of the Bible would be the best to use given how familiar these passages are to most...
What Me, Worry? Dealing with Anxiety in the LGBTQIA+ World
Sunday, November 9, 2025 Jody Davis RN LISW (she/her) Lay Person, Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Columbus, OH) Queer Christian Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV) So, um, as you probably already know somehow, I am not a pastor. I don’t have an MDiv. Have never...
Testimony in Opposition to HB486 - "The Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act"
Chair Fowler-Arthur, Vice Chair Odioso, Ranking Member Brennan, and Members of the Committee: My name is the Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp. I serve as Executive Director of LOVEboldly and Pastor of Blue Ocean Faith Columbus. LOVEboldly is an Ohio, faith-based nonprofit working to create spaces where LGBTQIA+ people can flourish in Christianity and Blue Ocean Faith Columbus is a progressive Christian congregation. I’m submitting this testimony in my roles as a Christian pastor and minister of the...
Looking Back and Moving Forward
Monday, November 3, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! I spent a few hours on Saturday reading some of the past Monday Moments as I continue working on a project of turning over 200 reflections into a book. As I read through pieces I wrote several years ago, I recognize which ideas have changed and even how my writing style has grown and developed. There are clear contenders for inclusion in the book and others which aren’t bad, but perhaps not up to the level of republishing (this one is...
Just Love
Sunday, November 2, 2025 - All Souls Day The Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines (he/him) Co-Executive Director, ProgressiveChristianity.org Allied...
We are the Answer to our Ancestors’ Prayers
Saturday, November 1, 2025 - All Saints Day The Rev. Dr. Christopher Carter (he/him) Associate Professor of Theology, Ecology, and Race,...
Underemployment in a Time Such as This
Monday, October 27, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! If you’ve been following along with developments in the life of our LOVEboldly community, you know that financial constraints, many the secondary and tertiary fruits of the present moment in our history, have required me to reduce my hours and have affected our overall capacity to keep all operations the same as before. One sign of this was the lack of Monday Moment last week when I simply didn’t have the time to write it. It’s a sad and...
Customer Service Christian
Sunday, October 26, 2025 Eli Shiltz (he/him) Member, Blue Ocean Faith Columbus Queer Christian I want to share with you something I...
Taking Care of Me
Sunday, October 19, 2025 - National LGBTQ+ Center Day Cass Helm (she/her) Board Member, LOVEboldly Director of Administrative Operations,...
Testimony in Support of Ohio HB415 - The CROWN Act.
Testimony submitted to the Ohio House Education Committee by the Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp. Strong Support for House Bill 415 – The CROWN Act Chair Fowler Arthur, Vice Chair Odioso, Ranking Member Brennan, and Members of the House Education Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony in strong support of House Bill 415, the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act. This legislation represents a crucial step toward dismantling discrimination that has...
In the Details
Monday, October 13, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! My aunt loved details. She enjoyed planning events, working through all the details...
Collective Ripples of Resistance: Radical Healing after Violence
Sunday, October 12, 2025 José Rosario (he/him) Founder, The Phoenix Empowered Queer Christian The Pulse Nightclub shooting was the...
Bishops
Monday, October 6, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! Growing up Roman Catholic, visits from the diocesan [1] bishop were special occasions...
Labels Denied, Labels Embraced
Sunday, October 5, 2025 Alejandro Rodríguez (he/him) Executive Director, The Spirituality Network Queer Christ-follower He said to...
Cradle Christians
Monday, September 29, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! As Siobhan and I continue recording episodes for the second season of “Coming Out...
Unconditional and Independent
Sunday, September 28, 2025 The Rev. Brandan Robertson Author and Public Theologian Queer Christian In the same way, the Spirit helps us...
A Rare Missed Week
Monday, September 22, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! As begin living into the new reality of working a reduced and hourly schedule for...
The Gospel is Queer
Sunday, September 21, 2025 The Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp Executive Director, LOVEboldly Queer Christian The Gospel is Queer When one...
Saying More About Ourselves
Monday, September 15, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! I spent most of last week engaged in anti-violence, specifically anti-political...
All are Created in Our Creator's Image
Sunday, September 14, 2025 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am...
Statement on the Death of Charlie Kirk
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 10, 2025 - Westerville, OH LOVEboldly is horrified by the tragic death of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley...
The Dark Side of Vocation
Monday, September 8, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! Our chaplain at Sewanee, the Very Rev. Tom Macfie, was a fan of Fredrick Buechner and...
When a Prophet Arrives, Let Her Speak
Sunday, September 7, 2025 The Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp (he/they) Executive Director, LOVEboldly Queer Christian As she continued praying...
Action Alerts - September 5, 2025
LOVEboldly’s Action Alerts is a weekly resource curating calls to action, news, opinions, commentary, reflections, and updates on...
Important Update from LOVEboldly
Friday, September 5, 2025 Dear Friends, We are reminded in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 that “ We are afflicted in every way but not crushed,...
For Some Activities, There are No Seasons (The 200th Monday Moment)
Monday, September 1, 2025 Happy Monday, my friends! Perhaps one of the most popular passages in the Bible, to the point that some people...
The Trans Prophets Come to Bless Us
Sunday, August 31, 2025 The Rev. Karl Stevens (he/him) Rector, St. Stephen Episcopal Church (Columbus, OH) \ Allied Christian My trans...
Action Alerts - August 29, 2025
LOVEboldly’s Action Alerts is a weekly resource curating calls to action, news, opinions, commentary, reflections, and updates on...
Episode 67: Should young people expirement with sexuality and gender expression?
Our friend Aaron Munson answers a question about whether young people should explore their sexuality and gender identity.
Episode 66: Can I marry someone of the same gender?
Eve Tushnet responds to a question about whether Christians can participate in same-sex marriages.
Episode 65: James Blackhall's Coming Out Story
In this weeks episode, James Blackhall shares his coming out journey with us!
Episode 63: How do I respond to homophobic language?
In this episode, Aaron Munson responds to the question "How should I respond to homophobia at home and at school?"
Episode 62: Should a Christian celebrate Pride?
In this episode, James Blackwell reflects on why he, as a Christian, supports LGBTQIA+ Pride.
Episode 61: Why do you think it's not a sin to be LGBTQ+ and Christian?
In this episode, Eve Tushnet reflects on how she reconciles her queer identity with her Christian faith.
Episode 60: How has Biblical Masculinity and Femininity affected you as a queer person?
In this episode, Aaron Munson reflects on how Biblical masculintiy and femininity affects him as an LGBTQ+ person.
Ep. 60 - Rinn's Coming Out Story
In today’s episode, Rinn Myers (no pronouns) discusses Rinn's process of coming out.
Ep. 59: As someone who was rejected by the church, how did you find your way back?
In today’s episode, Tyler Chernesky, a gay Christian, shares about their story of being rejected by, leaving, and coming back to the church.
Ep. 58: As a transgender person, what has your experience of gender dysphoria been like?
In today’s episode, Lyndon Parker (they/them), a transgender Christian, shares about their experience of gender dysphoria throughout their life and how their experience of gender has impacted how they identify and how they live & present in their daily life.
Ep. 57: How can the church better support Intersex people?
Today’s episode comes from our panelist Marissa Adams (she/her), an Intersex Christian and advocate. Intersex people and issues are often overlooked and misunderstood in church spaces, which can lead to Intersex people feeling isolated and forgotten. Marissa encourages pastors and leaders in churches to learn more about these topics and the unique challenges and joys that Intersex people, especially Christians, experience.
Ep. 56: What’s in a name?
Today’s episode comes from John Backman (she/her). John, who also goes by Janelle, shares about why she believes names are important & why it’s important to use the names that people prefer. For trans and gender non-conforming people, names are more than just a way to differentiate one person from another: they often reflect a deeper sense of who they are and the way they self-identify. Referring to someone by the name they prefer is a way to show that you care and respect that person’s sense of identity.
Ep. 55: Do you think Side A churches can be a place where Side B LGBTQIA+ people can flourish?
Today’s episode comes from Dr. Ben Huelskamp (he/they). As a gay Christian who is a part of progressive church spaces, Ben shares his thoughts about how those spaces can be welcoming & edifying for LGBTQIA+ Christians who hold a traditional sexual ethic.
Ep. 54: Why do you not identify as bisexual if you are attracted to men and also married to a woman?
In today’s episode, Aaron Munson (he/him) shares about his experiences as a gay man who is married to a woman. Because of his uniques story & experiences, Aaron shares about why he does or does not use certain labels. While labels can be helpful for some LGBTQIA+ folks, sometimes the complexity of people’s individual experiences means that typical labels don’t always fit.
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