2

Institute Sophia Press

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Library of Congress cataloging-in-Publication data

Córdova Quero, Hugo (1969 - ); De La Puente, Damián Nicolás (1990 - )
Neither Male Nor Female : Pastoral Epistles to the Queer Communities of Latin America / Hugo
Córdova Quero and Damián Nicolás de la Puente (eds.) — First ed. Saint Louis, MI:
Institute Sophia Press.
Include references
73 p.; 18,2 x 25,7 cm.

1. Religion. 2. Spirituality. 3. LGBTIQ+ Community. 4. Queer Theologies. I. Title.

© 2023, Hugo Córdova Quero and Nicolás Damián de la Puente

All rights reserved. The total or partial reproduction of this book in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including information storage and retrieval systems,
without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited, except for the use
of brief quotations in a review by a critic.

Design of cover and interior: Cristian Mor.

Translation: Hugo Córdova Quero.

ISBN: 978-1-961316-19-5 (paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-961316-20-1 (electronic)

Quotations from the Sacred Scriptures are sourced from The Holy Bible, New Revised
Standard Version, published by Oxford University Press, New York, 1989.

Printed in the United States of America

 Neither Male
Nor Female
Pastoral Epistles to the Queer
Communities of Latin America

Edited by
Hugo Córdova Quero
and Damián Nicolás de la Puente

Institute Sophia Press

 Content

5 Prologue
Fidel Mauricio Ramírez Aristizábal

7 Introduction
Hugo Córdova Quero and Damián Nicolás
de la Puente

11 The Epistle of Virginia to the Inclusive Churches

of Latin America
María Virginia Córdova Quero

21 The Epistle of Santiago to the Diverse Communities

of Latin America
David Santiago Ibáñez Ballesteros

27 The Epistle of Amanda to a Queer Community

in Brazil
Amanda Ferreira Santos

31 The Epistle of Andrés to the Trans Brothers of Latin

America
Andrés Alejandro Herrera Gré

35 The Epistle of João to Jorge of the LGBTIQ+

Brazilian Evangelical Community
Igor Silva de Campos

41 The Epistle of Mercy to the Queer Communities

of El Salvador
Mercedes Aguilar Contreras

49 The Epistle of José to the Community of Inclusive

Christians of Paraguay
José Silvera

53 The Epistle of Hugo Enrique to the Ministry

of Sexual Diversity of the Anglican Episcopal Church
in El Salvador
Hugo Enrique Alas Sánchez
 4

61 The Epistle of Miguel to All the Churches of God

in Paraguay
Miguel Benitez Molina

65 The Epistle of a Queer Community of Mendoza

to the Apostle Mary Magdalene
Marcelo Alejandro Hidalgo Ríos

69 The Epistle of Harold to the Community

of the Faithful in the Diaspora of Becoming
Harold Andrés Castañeda-Peña

71 About the Authors

73 Notes
 Prologue
For Carlos Mester —a Latin American biblical scholar— we can derive from the
thought of Augustine of Hippo the hypothesis that God wrote two books: the first
book is creation itself, nature, and life; the second is the bible. In this perspective,
the text I am pleased to present is inscribed as a sacred account as it gathers
epistles written by believing women and men who read their lives in the key of
faith and encourage others to do the same. Prophetically, they do not invite us to
go beyond the limiting discourses imposed by some religions that refuse to
recognize the marvelous gift of sexuality in its multiple expressions. In the case of
this material, that context is Christianity.

As I read each of the epistles that make up this excellent text, I could only thank
God for the lives of those who write and those who can read them. I would have
loved to have had this collection of letters when, as a young gay Christian, I felt
that no one else could understand my anguish at an apparent imminent
contradiction: being gay and accepting the call of the Christian vocation to
holiness. Definitely, to have read every testimony, invitation, and reflection I hold
in my hands today would have been a balm to the wounds caused by the hatred
promoted by men who appropriated the right to open and close the gates of
heaven at their whim. That act of self-assumed divine right left those of us who do
not conform to models hegemonized by the power structures they represent on
the periphery, and in doing so, they betray Jesus’ libertarian and liberating
message.

I am convinced that each of these texts —and the entire text— is the word of God,
a word incarnated in real, sexed, and erotic bodies. It is the word of God that
smells of humanity, that is impregnated with emotions, a living word, and an
invitation to live. If we had been excluded from the canonical biblical text, we
were responsible for writing a text in which our lives are protagonists.

Theologically, this collection of letters contributes to recognizing each person’s life

as a preferential place of revelation. In particular, it acknowledges the bodies
excluded by a system of structural sin that singles out, persecutes, and violates
those who do not correspond to its logic. They are those bodies that dare to break
with the norm, as is the case of men and women of gender diversity.

As a pastoralist, this work and future works that may arise with this logic, I
assume them as a contribution to the communities of LGBTIQ+ believers.
Throughout the length and breadth of our America, in particular, and the global
south, in general, this work seeks to be a voice that encourages them in their
journey and helps them find answers to their existential questions from the
experiences of others who have ventured to assume the Gospel in their lives.
Nothing is more healing than the word of those who share our same longings,
concerns, and hopes!
 6

Each epistle has a prophetic tinge, as it denounces the structures of oppression

and announces a free faith in which gender and sexual diversity are recognized as
central and is an expression of diversity as an attribute of divinity.

For those who begin this reading, I encourage them to put their names and that
of their communities as addressees of each epistle. In your lives and the context
of your community lies the source of inspiration for this beautiful epistolary
exercise. May they be encouraged —and as a community encouraged— to keep
alive the flame of words of comfort and motivation that from their own lives as
LGBTIQ+ believers can encourage the journey of others. Indeed, this is what the
people who wrote these epistles have had in mind when expressing themselves.

Let no one dare doubt that our lives are God’s word! Let no one dare not know
that in the temple, in the office, in the classrooms, in the streets, in the fields, in
the bathrooms of a shopping mall, in the dark public parks of small and big
cities, in the sheets of our beds and the beds of others, our bodies are the
expression of a God who smells of life. It is a God who smells of sweat, sacralizes
the passion with which our bodies enjoy sex, and amidst the moans of pleasure
produced by the encounter of bodies, he knows himself to be adored and glorified.
Nothing strengthens and deepens our faith more than discovering in every
dimension of life that God is present in everything and everyone.

Each epistle has a particular background and emphasis, contributing to the

diversity’s richness. It reflects a return to that Christian movement of the Early
Church in the first century C.E., where the important thing was not the ecclesial
hierarchy but the proclamation of the good news of salvation, healing, restoration,
and communion that Jesus had taught.

I invite you to open this book’s pages, pray to the Holy Spirit to enlighten you as
you read each epistle and receive in love what has been lovingly shared
throughout these pages. The path of this reading will lead you to new places and
experiences, liberating and transgressive, full of faith and much hope.

Dr. Fidel Mauricio Ramírez Aristizábal

El Bosque University
 Introduction
Gender, sexuality, religion, and faith are inevitably intertwined in the daily lives of
individuals and communities in the context of Latin America. The recognition of
this intertwining is, in fact, an emerging area of analysis for both the social
sciences and theology. Religious discourses are intrinsically related to the social
and cultural and shape perceptions about gender, sexuality, bodies, the cis-
heterosexual division of labor, and gender role expectations.

Navigating the complex construct of each of these elements requires an exercise

in conceptual calibration. How these elements have been loaded with meaning
refers to negotiations of power and contextualities that are not always common to
each interlocutor. Although several academic works have already been published
in Latin America that extensively and deeply work on this intertwining, we have
reached the point where we must go beyond the academic or intellectual plane to
advance and enrich people and their daily lives.

However, translating from the academic to the «grassroots» is not always easy,
free of decisions and dilemmas. At the same time, the reverse step, i.e., that the
academic or intellectual sectors are enriched by the daily life and praxis of the
grassroots, is an even more unusual and complex dynamic.

When we look at how queer theory emerged, we cannot fail to recognize that it
was «the grassroots» embodied in the queer movements that emerged in New York
in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which provided the essential material for
various authors to propose this theory.

Given this historical and contextual reality, we wonder if this is not how
Christianity should proceed concerning queer theologies, namely, the relationship
between the intellectual and grassroots sectors. That was —to a certain extent—
the spirit that motivated the emergence of this book, especially considering that
only some of the participants come from the professional academic world. Many of
the authors of this volume are people who live the faith and belong to gender and
sexual diversity or identify with the need to seek justice and equity outside the
dictates of cis-heteropatriarchal ideology. Their interest in learning, discovering
new insights, and deepening their experience led them to finally capture their
thoughts and feelings, their prayers, and their connection to the divine in the
pages of this book.

As editors of this volume, we understood that our mission and task was to
enhance the writing of those who contributed each epistle through style editing.
Nevertheless, we deeply respect the tone and flow of the discourse proposed by
each person. As we clarify below, our work consisted of taking care of the format
of the epistles for a better reading while making available a particular style
criterion common to the whole book.
 8

Purpose of the Epistles

This book is a compilation of eleven epistles written by students who completed

the course «Global Queer Theologies,» taught at the Institute Sophia in 2021.
Their purpose is to share what they have learned and to advise and instruct the
various queer communities in Latin America. Primarily, these epistles want to
help and empower the different realities of LGBTIQ+ people who profess the
Christian faith in the continent.

These pastoral epistles are transformed into a mosaic of diverse voices and
reflections based on the authors’ experiences. The depth of thought and content
of each epistle highlights an intense connection not only with the Divinity but also
with those people who —due to their gender and sexual orientation— have
suffered and suffered various forms of discrimination and spiritual ostracism in
many Christian institutions in Latin America.

Far from condemning the mechanisms of discrimination and oppression co-opted

by the fundamentalist sectors of Christianity, each epistle aims to bring hope,
comfort, encouragement, and faith to each person who reads this book. Thus,
their tone is neither apologetic nor combative; instead, they lovingly seek to
provide spiritual and pastoral support.

Structure of the Epistles

The structure of the epistles is not uniform. Some have more experiential content,
and others more theoretical, but the line that runs through them is eminently
pastoral. Nevertheless, they share a similar structure: a) an initial greeting,
preceded by the introduction of the writer of the letter and the indication of the
addressee; b) the text or body of the letter itself; and c) the farewell to the persons
to whom the letter is addressed.

Since the epistles are modeled on the Christian Bible, they are divided into
chapters and verses. In the assignment of chapters, we sought to group thematic
units within each letter, and in the partitioning into verses, we sought to select
particular elements. Therefore, the numbering does not always coincide with an
entire sentence, but there may be more than one verse in the same sentence.
Finally, we have assigned subtitles to each section to facilitate the reading flow.

It is essential to clarify that this assignment of chapters, verses, and subtitles did
not integrate the original work of each author but has been added to unify the
style of the book. Because of this, this compendium of pastoral epistles may well
be considered a Queer Popular Bible.

Authorship of the Epistles

Each participant in this book was a student in the «Global Queer Theologies»
course. As a final assignment, the class was asked to write a pastoral epistle to a
queer community in Latin America. While most of the participants wrote their
 9

epistle in a personal capacity, others embodied a different profile. We also

celebrate this diversity of authorship.

In this course, participants learned about different queer theologies in dialogue

with their contexts. In their final work, they wanted to bring the result of this
dynamic to their daily reality, providing a synthesis and embodying what they had
learned. Although each participant has different religious and institutional
affiliations, the epistles published here do not necessarily imply the voice of those
religious or institutional sectors.

At the same time, we wish to emphasize that queer does not imply homologization
with the acronym LGBTIQ+ — which designates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans,
Intersex, Queer, and other people. Every person who does not embody cis-
heteropatriarchal ideology and who struggles to dismantle the effects of that
ideology on people’s lives, bodies, desires, and affects is part of «queer.» Therefore,
everyone participating in this book is not necessarily part of the LGBTIQ+
collective. Still, their faith and spiritual commitment have led them to deepen
their study of queer theologies and share what they have learned in their work.

Therefore, the epistles in this book are not «gay epistles» but authentic
contemporary queer pastoral letters in the broad sense of commitment to
undermining the foundations of cis-heteropatriarchal ideology.

Date and Place of Writing

These epistles were written in 2021 in different latitudes of Latin America. In the
course, we had students from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, and
Paraguay. Authors come from different urban and social contexts regarding their
formation and spiritual background. The diversity of contexts marks a profound
concert of voices and views, adding to a vast spiritual richness.

Having a work written multi-situationally provokes dialogues and transfers that

enhance the messages deployed in the epistles and invite further discussions that
advance the view of the issues addressed. In this exercise, the affirmation of
many theologians that God continues to speak to humanity in various ways
becomes evident. One of those ways is the work that is in your hands today.

Classification of the Epistles

According to specific common characteristics, scholars group the epistles of the

Christian Bible as follows: (a) apostolic epistles, (b) pastoral epistles, and (c)
universal epistles. The letters in this book seek to follow the mode of the pastoral
epistles.

The two characteristics of the pastoral epistles are, on the one hand, to seek to
deepen the faith and the teaching of the Christian message and, on the other
hand, to promote the unity of those who profess the faith. This unity, however, is
not at the expense of homogenization or the imposition of a particular position
 10

but instead focuses on deepening the diversity of the realities of the recipients of
each epistle.

Content and Structure of the Book

Along with this introduction, the book randomly groups the eleven letters. We did
not try to coordinate the themes since we understand that the presentation of the
epistles in the Christian Bible does not work with thematic groupings either.
Although there is a classification of the epistles —as we have already mentioned—
according to their tenor, they are not presented in the Bible according to this
classification made by contemporary scholars. Considering this situation, we seek
to present the epistles diversely and spontaneously.

We thank Dr. Fidel Mauricio Ramírez Aristizábal for his generosity in writing the
prologue to this book and all the people who, through different actions, made this
work a reality.

We are convinced that the epistles contained in this book will be valuable
contributions to thinking and reflecting on how gender and sexuality are
intimately linked to the Christian faith. At the same time, they show that this
linkage cannot be reduced to a single or universal mode but is expressed in
multiple ways according to its geographical and temporal context.

In keeping with their pastoral tone, we also trust that the words in each epistle
continue to inspire and reassure us that God remains to speak and that how he
does so are not always the traditional ones but those we need.

Hugo Córdova Quero

and Damián Nicolás de la Puente
 The Epistle of Virginia to the Inclusive
Churches of Latin America
Greetings
1
1 To my sisters and brothers of the
Inclusive Churches of Latin
America and all your churches and
communities: 2 Peace to all of you, and
glory be to God forever. 3 I, Virginia, a
presbyter in the Church of Christ,
4 write to you with great joy to share
with you the Good News that queer
theologies bring us. 5 To the glory of
our God is so wonderful; indeed, the
tremendous experience of faith
experiences 6 amid gender and
sexually diverse people.
God’s Love Does Not Discriminate
7 For a long time, I have heard and
read about gender and sexually
diverse people. 8 It has pained me that
they have suffered for not being able to
be inserted into faith communities.
9 Often, this has been because they
are seen as part of «such a sinful
world.» 10 You will tell me that perhaps
I am exaggerating in these things,
11 but I have engraved in my memory
all the tribulations they have gone
through. 12 I affirm that no one is free
from error, 13 and that is precisely why
no one has the right to judge or
discriminate against gender and
sexually diverse people with offensive
comments and condemnations. 14 Our
God has always looked at us —and
continues to look at us— with eyes of
love, empathy, and understanding.
15 That is why Jesus taught us to treat
all people as we want to be treated (Mt
7.12).
16 Therefore, sisters and brothers, I
remind you that if you ever encounter
a person on the journey of faith who
has experienced discrimination,
17 you must always be kind to them.
18 This is especially important with
gender and sexually diverse or queer
people who have suf fered many
tribulations. 19 Remember the wise
words of Jesus, who did not condemn
the Samaritan woman. 20 When Jesus
—at the well— asked her for water
because he was thirsty, he also invited
her to call her husband. 21 She
answered that she had no husband, to
which Jesus replied that this was the
truth (Jn 4.1-42). 22 The Master did
not reproach her with religious or
social laws but valued her honesty.
23 As you will see, my dear brothers
and sisters, everything in this life is
complex; 24 and God in Jesus manages
to see beyond what societies judge or
criticize. 25 God —as the Apostle John
says— is love, and everything that
comes from God is love (1 Jn 4.7-8).
A New Commandment: Love
2
1 I am writing to remind you
always to love and serve all
people. 2 There is a saying that I
have heard since I was a child: «Do
good deeds without expectation.»
3 Therefore, sisters and brothers, we
must pray for one another and ask
that our Lord’s will be manifested in
all people’s lives.
 12
4 We know that nothing happens —not
even a hair of our head will perish (Lk
21.18)— except by the will of God.
5 Although some of you have only
recently embraced the faith, 6 others of
us have grown up in the Christian
Church. 7 Nevertheless, like me, you
have received the same teachings from
Jesus. 8 Throughout our lives, his
words have motivated us to follow this
wonderful path of faith and salvation.
9 However, above all, Jesus gave us the
new commandment to love one
another (Jn 13.34). 10 This is why we
should always stop to think about
people who need a word of
encouragement 11 or to reach out in
solidarity. 12 That is showing God’s
love acting through us.
Harm Committed Against Gender
and Sexually Diverse People
13 I confess, however, that many cis-
heterosexual people have brought
much pain to gender and sexually
diverse people. 14 In many churches,
we have forgotten that our calling is to
proclaim freedom and love, not
condemnation. 15 Many people who
have struggled throughout their lives
to achieve their freedom under
oppressive political systems have
suffered pain and tribulation.
16 Likewise, gender and sexually
diverse people have suffered hardship
and condemnation and yearned for
liberation. 17 My sisters and brothers,
throughout human history, gender
and sexually diverse people have been
killed, burned, tortured, locked up, or
chained. 18 They were often deprived of
food or water. 19 They have fought
hard for their freedom. 20 Their blood
has flowed in the streets and under
bridges. 21 Remembering this sad story
has made us realize that all people are
equal, 22 especially when we follow the
message of faith in Jesus. 23 My
brothers and sisters deserve respect
24 because our God is always present
in all relationships, even in our
passion for one person over another.
25 Indeed, each person is the image of
that God of love.
Affirmation of Gender and Sexuality
3
1 Sisters and brothers, the
categories of gender identities
are multiple and fluid.
2 Scholars tell us that our bodies are
constructed just as our identities are.
3 Therefore, the understanding of an
«essence» is disconnected from this
process of materialization of bodies. 4 I
also want you to know that «queer»
—which translates as «odd»— was
applied pejoratively to people in the
Anglo-Saxon context. 5 However, in
New York, activists took it up as a
claim in the 1990s.
6 However, the road has not been easy
for people of gender diversity. 7 There
is still much for humanity to learn and
consider. 8 That is why we must seek
more excellent knowledge 9 as we
make changes around us to transform
society. 10 This involves helping people
in need and giving them shelter, food,
or shoes. 11 We must also fight for
their rights, freedom, respect, and
equality. 12 Let us remember, my
sisters and brothers, that Jesus tells
us that whatever we do for one person,
we do to him (Mt 25.40).
13 You, my sisters and brothers, know
that the most dangerous propaganda
does not come from people considered
as «minorities,» 14 but from the
«dominant majorities.» 15 Therefore, we
must deconstruct the prejudices
against people of gender diversity,
16 but also those built against
 13
impoverished people, women, and all
those whose lives are left out of
«common sense» or what is «natural»
17 by the decision of those dominant
majorities.
The Contribution of Queer
Theologians and Theologies
18 Jesus’ ministry took him to the
cross, where he expressed his love for
all humanity. 19 In the harshest hour
of injustice and pain, he discriminated
against no one. 20 Both the message
and the attitude of Jesus were of total
acceptance of all people; 21 he never
said: «this continent yes or no.»
22 We —who have embraced Jesus’
message— can do no less. 23 We must
serve and love all people. 24 If the
world questions or judges them, we
must love and care for them. 25 God
does not care if people are gay,
lesbian, or cis-heterosexual. 26 God
does not condemn, and neither does
the Hebrew Bible or the Christian
Bible. 27 The latter’s message is that
God came into this world through
Jesus to do good and serve; 28 never to
dominate, condemn, or be served.
29 Based on these teachings, new
perspectives on faith and gender and
sexually diverse people emerged in the
1 9 5 0 s . 30 S i n c e t h e n , m a n y
theologians have accompanied these
ideas, as well as gender and sexually
diverse people, through the
development of queer theologies.
31 Opposing all discrimination, these
theologies accompany and give value
to gender and sexually diverse people
worldwide.
32 In my pilgrimage, my interest in
learning about gender and sexually
diverse people and their faith
experiences has been great. 33 I find
that many of them have been very
courageous in making their gender
identity or sexual orientation public.
34 However, coming into contact with
t h e i r e x p e r i e n c e s 35 m a d e m e
understand the remarkable journey of
sacrifice they had to face to get to that
point in their lives. 36 Therefore, as an
ally, in this letter, I would like to tell
you briefly about some of the
experiences of gender and sexually
diverse people and their faith in Latin
America, Asia, and Africa.
The Religious Context of Latin
America
4
1 You should know that the
Latin American context has
been very harmful to gender
and sexually diverse people. 2 I would
like to tell you so many things because
I see several people still ashamed of
their bodies around me. 3 Many people
who read this letter will perhaps say,
«We do not talk about that.» 4 It is true
it has been taboo to mention gender
and sexually diverse people positively,
5 nor do we talk about their love or
romantic relationships. 6 I am aware
that gender and sexually diverse
people also belong to the Christian
Churches. 7 Nonetheless, their
existence is the best-kept secret. 8 In
their churches or communities, they
are asked to behave very well, as if
nothing is «out of place.» 9 They
continually try to care for themselves
so that no one can say anything about
them. 10 They are very companionable
and caring people. Still, at the price of
not being able to accept their sexual
condition publicly.
11 S i s t e r s a n d b r o t h e r s , m a n y
Christian leaders believe that by
silencing people whose sexuality is
well defined, «everything is fine.»
12 Currently, many Christian churches
 14
remain silent or keep their distance
from gender and sexually diverse
people. 13 They do so because they
believe it is better for the faith or
because «the Bible tells me so.» 14 How
far these religious expectations are
from Jesus’ words about the truth
being what sets us truly free! (Jn
8.32).
Changing Times in Latin American
Christianity
15 However, dear sisters and brothers,
that context of oppression has begun
to change. 16 We can see a clear shift
in how queer theologies have evolved
within Christianity, especially for our
continent. 17 It could be said that Latin
American Liberation Theology has
contributed to a before and an after.
18 With a robust dialogue with it, queer
theologies seek to face a resounding
change in the religious and theological
context of the continent.
19 We could speak of salvation not only
from a sexual point of view 20 but also
from a perspective that cut across
body and desire. 21 We know, brothers
and sisters, that sexuality is older
than Christianity. 22 In Jesus’ time
—2,000 years ago— sexuality, body,
desire, and pleasure were
interconnected with religious life in
multiple ways. 23 Because of that, it is
undeniable that this has been a topic
of long discussions in the Christian
C h u r c h . 24 C h r i s t i a n i t y h a s
preemptively led many people in the
Christian Church to be ashamed of
their bodies. 25 However, it also cannot
be denied that many of these
discussions are useless; they lead
nowhere.
26 Because of this, queer theologies
constitute a process at the beginning
of the new century for changing
perspective 27 and moving toward
people’s liberation. 28 They are much
needed to support and promote the
spirituality of queer believers, in
whose daily lives the divine is
manifested fully and palpably. 29 Look,
my sisters and brothers, queer
theologies are emerging in Christianity
and other religions. 30 This greatly
supports gender and sexually diverse
people and their beliefs. 31 They bring
an element of justice and value
32 while showing loving support and
recognition to gender and sexually
diverse people. 33 In Latin America, we
have witnessed this process for forty
years! 34 It is true that we have
condemned gender and sexually
diverse people to hide their religious
experiences in cities and rural areas
throughout the continent. 35 However,
the good thing about this moment is
that we can finally talk to them;
36 they no longer have to remain silent
and can tell their testimonies!
Queering Faith Experiences
37 We can talk about sexuality and
religion openly based on the
experience of each believer in their
relationship with the divine in daily
life. 38 The intimacy of persons
produces another situation: the
possibility of seeing God at work in all
aspects of life. 39 This is a vibrant
contribution. 40 Indeed, it is the life
stories of gender and sexually diverse
people, 41 who —by keeping their
spirituality alive along with their
sexuality— can evangelize us. 42 That
may be a theological notion that
represents the cut with the
connections of a colonial past
—historical and religious— that has
plagued our continent.
43 On the other hand, an essential
 15
feature of queer theologies is to
address issues related to God and
g e n d e r, e s p e c i a l l y n o t i o n s o f
masculinity. 44 The multiple religious
experiences of queer believers —in a
predominantly Roman Catholic
context— challenge notions of God,
Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and the saints.
45 Their religious experiences allow for
new spaces of negotiation and
spiritual creativity 46 in which God
comes closer to human reality amid
much oppression and hopelessness.
47 Therefore, dear sisters and brothers,
we must recognize that a queer
theology that values the spirituality of
persons of gender diversity in any
Christian tradition 48 is an instrument
of liberation in the power of the Holy
Spirit. 49 Even if the forces of
traditional theologies on the continent
continue to struggle to sanction and
punish any activity that «deviates»
from the cis-heteropatriarchal canons,
50 it is now impossible to hide that God
is promoting a new way of being
Church. 51 If in the past the Christian
Church was an ally of colonialism —as
in the case of the colonization of the
Americas— 52 queer theologies today
represent for the very complex reality
of the Latin American continent a
possibility of achieving justice and
liberation. 53 Even for the Christian
Church!
Sexuality in Asia
5
1 Presently, brothers and sisters,
the notion of «homosexuality»
has changed. 2 Our paradigm in
society now offers us new resources or
foundations in sexual ethics.
3 Therefore, the Christian Church can
—and must— be willing to establish a
dialogue between the biblical text and
human experience. 4 The authoritative
power of a church is a central issue in
the experience of many gender and
sexually diverse people; 5 often with
adverse effects. 6 Yet, it is not only an
issue about sexuality but also modes
of control and power.
7 The situation in Asia makes it very
clear —as in other parts of the world—
that same-sex relationships were
known long before contact with the
West. 8 While the struggle against
colonialism continues in many
societies, 9 that situation is —and has
been— used as an excuse to push
LGBTIQ+phobia. 10 Under the label of
«vice of the West,» the historical
presence of diversity was dismissed.
11 With that dynamic, the dignity of
gender and sexually diverse people
was subjugated. 12 Today, we are
witnessing a situation in which people
are no longer completely cut off from
society. 13 While ther e may be
governments in Asia that seek to
proclaim laws against them, 14 in every
culture and language, gender and
sexually diverse people find their ways
of fighting for their rights.
Christian Churches and Gender and
Sexually Diverse People
15 The Asian continent has produced
contextual theologies that have
modified and impacted the face of
Christianity in that region. 16 Many of
the workers in the social sectors were
always under a lot of pressure.
17 Because of that, theologians and
religious people came together to
promote justice and freedom 18 while
elaborating their theological reflection.
19 Thus, Minjung Theology emerged in
South Korea on behalf of poor people
who were oppressed. 20 At the same
time, the Dalit caste —untouchable
people— also produced their theology
 16
in India. 21 In Japan, the downtrodden
people —called Burakumin—
elaborated a theological proposal that
included their realities. 22 While it is
clear that there are many differences
in culture, language, and situations,
23 Christianity managed to echo all
these situations. 24 However, this is
where gender and sexual diversity
come into play against the cis-
heterosexual hegemony. 25 That is to
say, while the Christian churches
could echo many social and economic
situations, 26 could not do so regarding
gender and sexual diversity.
27 Thus, queer theologies in Asia are
interested in actualizing the message
of Jesus, 28 although the Christian
churches are not always in tune.
29 There is one exception: Indonesia.
30 While Indonesia is a country where
most of its population professes Islam,
31 it has also been a place where queer
theory and queer theologies have
begun to be discussed in dialogue with
the Western contribution. 32 On the
one hand, the Christian churches
dr ew up in 2016 the «Pastoral
Statement on LGBT Persons,» 33 the
first to be signed by an ecumenical
body on that continent. 34 On the
other hand, we also witness that the
Jakarta Theological Seminary has
been organizing the Queer Christian
Conference since 2014. 35 That
conference brings together theologians
from all over Asia to work on issues
related to queer theologies.
36 While in the West, the reality is that
there are many representations of the
gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or
p o l y a m o r o u s J e s u s , 37 t h e s e
representations are almost non-
existent among gender and sexually
diverse people in Asia, which
constitutes a challenge to be worked
on in the future.
An Example of Queer Theology in
Asia
38 However, it is with great joy that I
share with you that God is at work in
Latin America and Asia. 39 My sisters
and brothers, at the beginning of the
twenty-first century, an emerging
queer theology called Tongzhi Theology
has begun in China, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and
Indonesia. 40 This theology is found
among people who speak the Chinese
language and those of Chinese
immigrant descent in Southeast Asia.
41 With this theology came a vital
contribution to advancing the
recognition of the faith of gender-
diverse believers in Asia.
42 You may be surprised that the word
tongzhi does not come from Christian
theology in Chinese cultures. 43 On the
contrary, it is a term that originally
referred to all members of the Chinese
Communist Party. 44 It is a translation
of the Russian term tovarich, meaning
« c o m r a d e . » 45 S t u d i e s o f t h e s e
theologies tell us that this word was
appropriated by gender and sexually
diverse people to define themselves.
46 That fact helped many Tongzhi
people create an awareness of the
dignity of their sexuality.
47 Tongzhi theology aims to pay
attention to the histories of oppression
of gender and sexually diverse people
in the Asian context. 48 As I read and
study about this theology, I realize
that Christianity needs everyone to be
included. 49 Tongzhi people cannot
and should not be left out or excluded;
50 because that would be to deny the
principle of faith that God accepts and
loves all people. 51 Queer theologies
 17
focus primarily on gender and sexually
diverse people, who, in the case of
Chinese cultures, call themselves
Tongzhi. 52 They intend to show that
no one must face exclusion in faith.
53 Such logic leads to the reaffirmation
that all people must be respected and
should not be attacked or repudiated
by anyone. 54 However, its starting
point is faith in a Jesus who said that
he would not cast out anyone who
sought him (Jn 6:37). 55 It is not
surprising that in Asia, Tongzhi
believers have developed their theology
in this regard.
56 Tongzhi theology is one of many
examples since other proposals exist
on the continent. 57 What is certain is
that all these Asian queer theologies
have changed the faces of Christianity
58 to include and respect gender and
sexually diverse people who profess
the Christian faith.
Western Influence on Sexuality in
Africa
6
1 On the other hand, dear
sisters and brothers, I would
like to talk to you about the
situation in Africa. 2 It is challenging
for African theologies to break the
social, cultural, and religious taboos
on sexuality. 3 Africa is one of the
continents where LGBTIQ+phobia
i m p o r t e d f r o m t h e We s t f i n a l l y
penetrated very deeply into their
cultures. 4 Another critical aspect
involves inclusive communities, even
within traditional denominations,
facing the issue and debate of
«homosexuality.» 5 Although political
issues seek to show a position from a
monolithic block opposed to
«homosexuality,» the reality is very
different. 6 Gender and sexual
diversity have begun to be debated
with the concepts of African identity
and African Christianity.
7 For example, as you may know,
South Africa is one of the most
progressive countries regarding gender
diversity rights. 8 However, social
prejudice still exists in societies such
as these. 9 If this is true in societies, it
is also true in Christianity. 10 We can
recognize that there is a diversity of
positions on the continent concerning
the readings of sacred texts. 11 This
brings with it the risk of censorship,
12 as the experiences and lives of
gender and sexually diverse people in
faith communities are demonized.
13 Listening to testimonies from sisters
and brothers in faith, we understand
that the Bible has served to oppress
and control 14 at the expense of the
suffering in the daily lives of gender
and sexually diverse people.
15 Moreover, we can see the pressure
a n d s a n c t i o n s s o m e We s t e r n
governments and religious
organizations exert on African
countries. 16 Although they claim to
follow the Christian faith, they do not
contribute to facilitating any situation.
17 On the contrary, they produce that
many gender and sexually diverse
people in different countries face
difficult and dangerous situations.
18 Many times, their lives are in
danger!
Queer Theologies in Africa
19 We can understand that African
queer theologies must cross the
continent and its different cultures
20 to carry out their task of recognition
and visibilization of gender and sexual
diversity. 21 Their starting point is to
recognize that the sexual question is
shaped by the social and cultural.
22 This provides a basis for influencing
 18
religious readings of the issue, which
then influence societies and cultures.
23 The circle is endless. 24 African
queer theologies must break this circle
to proclaim liberation.
25 On the one hand, African queer
theologies recognize the role of African
traditional religions. 26 These religions
have ancestrally influenced the
pr ocess of defining gender and
sexuality. 27 Often —as in the case of
South Africa— they have influenced
the pursuit of rights and the enacted
legislation and regulations. 28 Paying
attention to their ancestral wisdom
can help to overturn religious dictates
that shape the everyday experience of
gender and sexually diverse people,
which is very important for these
theologies.
29 On the other hand, African queer
theologies grapple with the heavy
legacy of colonialism. 30 Colonial
powers deprived the continent for
centuries of its progress and even
enslaved its population. 31 However, a
significant consequence was the
process of separation of the public and
private spheres. 32 Colonial policies
and practices were very different in
public life than in different cultures
before. 33 However, the heaviest was a
clear distinction based on the cis-
heteropatriarchal ideology: 34 men
were perceived as «public actors» and
women as «private performers.» 35 That
led to experiencing sexuality in a very
controlled way. 36 Therefore, African
queer theologies must retrace this
path and deconstruct these colonial
mandates. 37 They must do so based
on interpretations in their context,
both of sacred texts and of faith. 38 To
do so, they must converse with what
has remained as a pre-colonial legacy.
The Case of the Uganda Martyrs
39 I will also tell you about a sad
episode involving the consequences of
colonialism in Africa. 40 I am referring
to the incident of the Uganda Martyrs
between 1885 and 1887. 41 These were
a group of Anglican and Roman
Catholic converts in the kingdom of
Buganda, now Uganda. 42 They were
killed by fire or beheading in a terrible
massacre ordered by the Kabaka
[king] of Buganda Mwanga II, who was
no more than eighteen years old at the
time.
43 It is imperative to recognize the
colonial reading of the event, 44 since
same-sex relations before the
colonizers were not criminalized or
forbidden in Ugandan culture.
45 These practices were abolished by a
simple colonial act 46 and replaced by
European customs 47 supported by a
homophobic reading on the part of
Christianity. 48 Thus, there was a
tremendous mismatch between
homophobic laws or attitudes on the
part of Western Christianity and
rooted customs among Ugandan
people. 49 These practices included
that the young men and women from
the ruling families —who had been
sent to the royal court— would have
sex with the Kabaka. 50 For that
culture, that was neither negative nor
forbidden. 51 It was Christianity that
complicated the situation 52 and led to
the anger of the Kabaka —given the
young martyrs’ refusal to have sex
with him— and ended in the
massacre.
53 My dear sisters and brothers, what I
have told you is painful. 54 Still, we
must recognize the role of Christianity
through LGBTIQ+phobic teachings.
 19
55 We m u s t r e c o g n i z e t h a t t h e
construction of gender, sexuality,
pleasure, and the body in African
cultures 56 cannot be homologated
with Western perceptions. 57 That was
precisely what happened with the
Ugandan Martyrs. 58 I think their story
should be queered to understand the
totality of that situation.
59 All this I have shared with you
would help many queer theologians in
Africa. 60 We must create solidarity
with them; 61 they are in a challenging
position, as well as other colleagues in
other parts of the world. 62 Let us not
cease to pray for them 63 since, in
many contexts, their lives are in
danger. 64 Their work allies to
promoting justice for gender and
sexually diverse people.
65 Nevertheless, above all, it is a
prophetic task recognized and highly
valued by progressive sectors of
Christianity. 66 Unfortunately, the
price of this prophetic voice can often
lead to martyrdom. 67 That is why —as
the Holy Scriptures say— we must
pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5.17) on
their behalf.
Concluding Remarks
7
1 My dear sisters and brothers, I
do not want to fail to remind
you that sexuality has always
been present to some extent in
Christian theologies. 2 Even if that
presence implied rejection or
condemnation, such negativity already
evidences a theological stance toward
sexuality. 3 Therefore, I encourage you
not to repay evil for evil to those who
have harmed you because of your
gender identity or sexual orientation.
4 On the contrary, sisters and
brothers, let us do good and not
expect to receive a reward, 5 but rather
the satisfaction we have served to
help. 6 God rewards us with many
precious things; 7 just opening our
eyes is enough and is a beautiful gift.
8 That does not mean we abandon our
prophetic voice of announcement and
denunciation. 9 On the contrary, this
is a mandate that emanates naturally
from the message of the Gospel.
10 On the other hand, dear brothers
and sisters, let us not be negligent.
11 Let us be wise in making the most of
every moment of the day. 12 What you
and I are living is a beautiful moment.
13 Seek to train yourselves to serve
better in your churches and
communities. 14 As inclusive churches,
we must be a space where each gender
and sexually diverse or queer people
can live their lives best and be very
happy.
15 My dear sisters and brothers, let us
be patient and very focused on acting
in love towards our neighbors in every
community. 16 Not always will it be
possible to offer material things.
17 Yet, you can do many beautiful
things: 18 for example, helping with a
message, writing a letter, or reading
the Scriptures to give hope to others.
19 Make the most of this time!
20 R e m e m b e r t h a t m a n y q u e e r
theologians in Latin America have
ushered in a new moment in
Christianity. 21 Queer theologies have
emerged from the Latin American
Liberation Theology in our continent.
22 It is beautiful how —in the context
of many struggles and crises— people
look at their cultures, languages, and
experiences of believing while being
gender and sexually diverse. 23 Their
voice and theological and pastoral
work even enrich cis-heterosexual
people.
24 While they have blazed a trail, let us
 20
hope all this is not forgotten. 25 They
must see that this does not happen.
26 It is a privilege to see themes of
religion and queer theologies,
27 especially in our continent’s
cultures and popular religiosity. 28 All
queer theologies have exquisite things
to learn from 29 and to offer to group
or community encounters.
30 T h r o u g h o u t t h e y e a r s , t h e y
contributed beautiful experiences.
31 Each person can take advantage of
learning and thinking about what
32 the different experiences of gender
and sexually diverse people
33 emerging from their faith have
contributed. They made available
richness and hope for the future so
that there is more freedom and respect
today. 34 My advice is to let us be
intelligent and not waste this historical
time in everything we do.
Final Greetings
35 My dear brothers and sisters of the
Inclusive Churches of Latin America, I
bid you farewell with much love.
36 I have humbly told you what I have
learned, 37 and I invite you to be
trained as well. 38 My prayers are
always in your favor, praying God to
grant you many blessings. 39 I greet
you with fraternal Christian love.
40 May the peace of our Lord Jesus
dwell in your hearts forever.
 The Epistle of Santiago to the Diverse
Communities of Latin America
Greetings
1
1 I, Santiago, a companion in
faith, 2 write to the gender and
sexually diverse people in Latin
America who are rising and continuing
to stand. 3 I take refuge in the light of
our God, to whom it is said in the Holy
Scriptures: «Your word is a lamp to my
feet and a light to my path» (Ps
119.105). 4 Grace, peace, and serenity
to all of you.
Dilemmas of Everyday Life
5 In the different moments of life,
humanity travels along different paths.
6 I am referring to those where faith,
science, and reason struggle in the
ongoing proposal to solve the most
existentialist questions of who we are,
where we come from, and what the
future awaits us. 7 All of us —no
matter where we come from—
represent a universe that is as
complex as it is marvelous. 8 In that
universe, we continue to respond
through knowledge and the views of
the experiences lived from diversity.
9 I want to tell you that there is a light
of hope in these times of uncertainty
— wars, poverty, and discrimination,
among other situations. 10 That hope
is in God and Jesus. 11 As I write these
lines, you may wonder how we can
believe in someone supreme in a world
without such uncertainties.
12 However, in the testimony of the
Holy Scriptures, we see in the various
events of Jesus’ life a sense of respect
and acceptance of all people.
13 It is unfortunate that the heavy
institutionalism of our nations does
not always respect the rights of gender
and sexually diverse people. 14 Many of
these people claim to believe in Jesus,
but there are certain inconsistencies
between what they say and what they
do. 15 It is also impossible to ignore
that as LGBTIQ+ people throughout
history, we have been denied
recognition of who we are. 16 That act
has been carried out through the
concealment of hate crimes and
different types of radicalism.
17 Gender and sexually diverse people
who profess a faith today have stopped
believing in religions as forms of
institutions to rescue the value of an
incarnated spirituality.
18 Furthermore, we reject above all
those anti-rights and anti-diversity
leaders who carry out their preaching
by distorting the message of Jesus.
19 Today, we seek an authentic faith
that gives meaning to our lives and
respects our whole being, especially
our gender and sexual diversity.
Self-discovery in Faith
2
1 I want to tell you about my
faith experience, 2 especially
how understanding my
relationship with God and Jesus was
linked to my sexuality, desire, and
expression. 3 The first thing I must say
is that I was born into a Roman
Catholic family like many other people
in Latin America. 4 In my family, going
to mass and being part of the
ritualism were the basis of faith within
the Roman Catholic Church. 5 I often
think that I am privileged to have been
born into a matriarchy, 6 where the
 22
male figure was not necessary.
7 Because my father was absent, I was
raised by my mother, grandmother,
and aunts. 8 They did a magnificent
job and, therefore, from a very young
age, they instilled Christian values in
me. 9 However, inside me was a
question about who I liked, a situation
I began to understand when I was
fourteen. 10 I realized at that time that
I liked boys. I thought, «How is that
possible if it goes against everything I
believe?» 11 When I look back, I
remember that it was a very complex
process, 12 primarily because I did not
know how God, my family, and the
parish were I did all my social work
would react. 13 After many years of
hearing condemnations about having a
same-sex relationship being a «sin,»
14 coupled with being discriminated
against at my school for supposedly
being «gay» —without even knowing it
myself—, I began to learn about the
LGBTIQ+ world.
15 However, it was when I entered
college that I finally found out more
about myself. 16 I also realized then
that God and Jesus made me this way
and that I could understand myself
through prayer. 17 Many times in
prayer, I would say to God, «What is
my mission in life? Why did you want
me to be like this?» 18 It was a long
process of discernment in which I
understood that people who do not
want or discriminate against us have
not known God, who is love (1 Jn 4.8).
19 At the same time, I realized that
part of the problem comes from
extremist religious and institutional
doctrines, 20 which do not practice love
but judgmentalism. 21 Therefore, as
the reformer Martin Luther did, I
revealed myself against those
doctrines, 22 accepting myself as I was,
without labels or conditioning. 23 For
the first time in my life, I felt complete
freedom and the love of God present in
my being.
God Heals Our Wounds and Takes
Away Our Fear
24 After so many years of spiritual and
life pilgrimage, I concluded that it is
possible to be someone with a strong
faith and be part of a community of
people who are gender and sexually
diverse. 25 Every day, I affirm my belief
in the existence of an all-powerful
God. 26 Above all, my feeling for Jesus
as a friend and confidant is profound
in my life. 27 God’s acceptance of me
as I am touches me 28 as I feel that
God is that beloved being for whom I
would give anything to be their beloved
disciple. 29 Particularly, I identify with
Jesus because he was also judged.
30 Nevertheless, his love and prophetic
courage changed the world. 31 His
teachings reflect his willingness to love
and want to do things without the
need for violence, 32 only showing with
attitudes and small deeds that love is
the way. 33 The Gospels narrate to us
a living, resurrected Jesus, not the
Jesus constructed by the powers of
this world that use him as something
selective and discriminating.
34 My intention in writing about these
things is to remind you that God loves
us just as we are. 35 It is in the
example of Jesus that —despite the
discriminations— we can change the
world. 36 First of all, we must change
our world. 37 We can do this by
believing in ourselves and following
the example of Jesus, our teacher.
38 He is the one who teaches us that
self-love is also essential and, above
all, that every human being has
something to contribute to change.
 23
39 When Jesus said, «You shall love
your neighbor as yourself» (Mt 22.39),
40 he encouraged us to love ourselves
first to love others. 41 It is that love of
God operating in us first and then in
the world that heals our wounds
produced by cis-heterosexist
discrimination.
42 Secondly, this also involves a great
deal of humility in saying to God from
the heart: 43 «See, you created me this
way, and so I ask you to give me the
guidance to continue my life mission
of extending your love to other people.»
44 Extending God’s love to other
brothers and sisters as Jesus did for
us is a sublime and restorative
m i s s i o n . 45 G o d d o e s n o t p u t
conditions on us, and God’s love is
enough to make us feel accepted,
respected, and part of the communion
with the divinity. 46 In the end, the
words of the Apostle John come true:
«Perfect love casts out fear» (1 Jn
4.18). 47 It is precisely this love that
has given us restoration and peace
beyond all understanding (Phil 4.7).
Theologizing From Our Diverse
Experiences
3
1 I want to tell you that there are
other ways of looking at faith.
2 In particular, I am referring to
those who affirm that religion should
serve other people. 3 These people
have developed tools of global
transformation: queer theologies. 4 You
may ask, «What is this I have never
heard of? Is it just another way to
sweeten our ears to deceive and
manipulate us?» 5 Happily, it is not.
6 These theologies start from the fact
of taking up again that ancient
Christianity, 7 that one in which
—those of us who were not heard in
the established society and were
marginalized— could be part of the
body of Christ. 8 Apart from following
that example, queer theologies seek to
learn the values of love, respect, and
inclusion. 9 However, in many sectors
of Latin American societies today,
there is still resistance from cis-
heteropatriarchal, machista,a
misogynist, and LGBTIQ+phobic
systems.
10 Although humans do not need
labels to show who we are, they exist
and cut us across. 11 I tell you that
through queer theologies, we can build
a siblinghood based on faith and
gender diversity. 12 We seek to
incarnate the vision of Jesus from his
transforming action, 13 and in a
tangible way to break with all these
stereotypes that do not allow us to see
and reach the hearts of people to
transform them. 14 Prophetically,
queer theologies denounce the
mechanisms that in societies and
religions have labeled gender and
sexual diversity as a «crime» 15 or have
persecuted it in a punishing and
inquisitorial way. 16 From a liberating
faith, they seek to undermine the
foundations of the cis-
heteropatriarchy that has imbued
theological systems to dominate, 17 as
many leaders claim.
Refuting Stereotypes
18 Perhaps the following question will
cross your mind: «If this exists, how
come I have never heard of it?»
19 Maybe it is essential to highlight the
meaning of the term «queer» and its
background. 20 Briefly, I want to show
you how this relates to visions, theses,
and scenarios worldwide where you
can appreciate more about these
theologies.
 24
21 The first thing to say is that Western
concepts that define same-sex
relationships or affection —for
example, the term «homosexuality»—
22 are not the same as those used in
other parts of the world. 23 This means
that the concept «homosexuality» is a
scientific concept and not a social
concept. 24 It was promulgated in the
nineteenth century by the medical
sciences as a way of identifying —from
the psychiatry of the time— what was
considered «an illness.» 25 However, at
the end of the twentieth century, the
World Health Organization (WHO)
removed this concept from the list of
psychiatric diseases. 26 For this
reason, it persists in the social
consciousness, and this concept
continues to be used as a factor of
discrimination, 27 even within faith
communities.
28 However, in other worldviews —for
example, in Asia— there is no
difference since gender, desire, and
sexuality are not classified in separate
«categories.» 29 In these cases, the
social flow causes them to be valued
by the social role and distribution of
labor as a source of recognition.
30 Because of this diversity that has
existed —and continues to exist in
human history—we cannot say that
the sacred texts possess only one way
of looking at gender or sexuality.
31 This means that Jesus acted in
many ways, perhaps even different
from what we today assume he did.
32 Queer theologies rescue the latter
and bring it as a contribution to
rethinking ourselves today in terms of
faith and sexuality. 33 Queer becomes
a resource to combat and destabilize
the presuppositions of cis-
heteropatriarchal hegemony.
Our Mission in Latin America
4
1 Dear sisters and brothers, you
may ask yourselves after my
words: 2 «How can we decolonize
and make real in Latin America an
understanding of faith that is
respectful of gender and sexual
diversity?»
3 The first thing I would like to remind
you is that in our history as a
continent, there was a time when
things were different. 4 Pre-Columbian
history from the point of view of
gender, desire, and sexuality shows us
a very different panorama from what
the Spanish empire bequeathed us
with the conquest. 5 For centuries,
many native peoples have conceived
personal relationships fluidly. 6 For
many of their societies, sexual
relations and desire were outside the
political sphere or social imposition.
7 In cases such as the Maya and Inca
peoples, sexuality functioned within
the sphere of intimacy between people
and all of nature. 8 This means it was
a privilege and a gift from the divinities
to be different. 9 Not only was it
understood that a diverse person came
from mother nature, but liking
someone of the same sex was a divine
gift. 10 So much so that many people of
gender diversity were considered
priests or priestesses. 11 All this
changed not by divine mandate but by
colonial imposition.
12 In the same vein, it is essential to
note that queer theologies seek to
probe the origins of faith. 13 In doing
so, we realize that the Christian faith,
for example, has also been colonized
by a hegemonic cis-heterosexist gaze.
14 This is why religious institutions
that embody this theo(ideo)logy
—through power and control— distort
reality and make us believe that their
 25
postulates are the only truth.
15 I encourage you to discern whether
this is so in the light of Jesus’
message. 16 Tracing the history —both
of humanity and religions— it is
possible to observe that throughout
the human species, gender and sexual
diversity has not been a drawback but
a richness. 17 Even Jesus himself
never —according to the sacred
writings of the Bible— discriminated
against anyone. 18 On the contrary, he
only asked us to be his disciples.
19 The prophets were very clear about
this, and the Prophet Ezekiel tells us
that we must transform a heart of
stone into a heart of flesh (Ezek
11.19). 20 In other words, our mission
is not to reproduce condemnation and
vengeance but to show that God’s love
is the only thing that will overcome the
cis-heteropatriarchal ideology 21 and
stop its harmful effects on gender and
sexually diverse people.
Final Greetings
22 My beloved sisters and brothers, I
beg you to transcend the labels
imposed on us. 23 I pray that you may
recognize yourselves simply as you are
and work for your dreams. 24 Jesus
promised us an abundant life (Jn
10.10), which involves not only taking
responsibility for our desires or
sexuality 25 but also valuing our
families, dreams, and laughter. 26 It
involves honoring and sharing with
our friends, accompanying each other
when we cry, rejoicing when we sing,
and imagining many ways to be
happy. 27 I urge you to remember that
Jesus taught us —and showed us—
that we are worthy of abundant life.
28 I invite you to reach out to others
through social media. 29 If someone is
in a moment of crisis or cannot find a
way out of difficult situations because
they are of gender and sexual
diversity, tell them that there is a way
out, and it is in Jesus. 30 We have in
us —as diverse people— the power to
fill people’s lives with wonderful colors
and forms through God’s love.
31 Finally, I beg you, my sisters and
brothers, to embrace the testimony of
Jesus, who wants to see us happy
because we are the reflection of his
beautiful works. 32 Because of this,
there is no longer any power over us
that can take away the dignity of being
children of God in all our diversity. 33 I
take my leave with all the love in the
world 34 and, above all, with the
conviction of the Risen Jesus who
said: «I am the way and the truth and
the life» (Jn 14.6).
 The Epistle of Amanda to a Queer
Community in Brazil
Greetings
1 2
1 I, Amanda, by the grace of God,
sister in common faith, to a
queer community in Brazil:
2 May God bless your lives and
ministries.
Act of Contrition
3 Dear sisters and brothers, first of
all, I would like to ask for forgiveness.
4 I would like to do so on behalf of the
Christian Church, 5 but this would
require the Christian Church to truly
repent of its LGBTIQ+phobia.
6 Because of this, I can only ask for
forgiveness on behalf of myself and
my local church. 7 I pray for your
mercy for all the times we have made
you feel unworthy of God’s love.
8 As a person who follows the
Christian faith, I am sorry that some
people have used God’s name in vain;
9 causing you anxiety crises every
time you were denied the dignity of
being children of God. 10 It has been
unjust and unloving to label you
many times as «aberrations» 11 or that
by loving people of the same sex you
were condemned to hell. 12 It hurts
my soul that you have been forced to
deny your sexuality in a comparison
that has no place with cis-
heterosexual sexuality. 13 I recognize
that in the Christian faith, we lacked
understanding and comprehension.
14 While I recognize that we strive to
make amends for all our mistakes on
many issues, 15 LGBTIQ+phobia is
still an issue we must continue to
work on.
Understanding Our Errors
1 I think it is fair to say that
every institution has practices
concerning bodies, gestures,
what to say, and how to behave.
2 However, both how these practices
are used and on whom and for what
purposes they are performed, 3 can
define their positive or negative
impact on people’s lives. 4 Not for
nothing different thinkers denounced
that religion has been used for
oppression.
5 When we go back to the history of
Christianity, 6 we recognize that
Christian morality brought new
discourses to societies. 7 Along with
its new view of morality, it imposed
new techniques to control sexual
practices 8 and, by extension, to
control people. 9 In our context, the
exclusionary cis-heterosexual
primacy that pervades Latin America
is fundamentally based on Christian
morality. 10 Moreover, it was inserted
through a violent process of
colonization of the continent.
11 Thus, Latin America presents cis-
heter osexuality as a Eur opean
Christian construction, 12 which
idealizes a single type of person that
should be the parameter for all
bodies, desires, relationships, and
sexualities. 13 The result is that those
who do not conform to this
construction of sexuality are
identified as «non-subjects.» 14 This
implies that they become bodies on
the margins of society and human
dignity.
 28
Power and Ecclesiology
15 However, segregation is not always
frontal but is often underhanded.
16 F o r e x a m p l e , t h e r e i s a
phenomenon called «cordial
homophobia,» 17 which aims at
rapprochement instead of
discriminating and segregating people
labeled as «different.» 18 This would
be the case of the reception within
the evangelical perspective of
LGBTIQ+ people. 19 Supported by
specific religious initiatives, this so-
called welcome inserts LGBTIQ+
people into cultic practices while
20 seeking their commitment to an
idea of «moral renewal» that aims at
their «liberation from homosexuality.»
21 Brothers, let us not deceive
ourselves. 22 One could describe this
discourse of presumed reception as a
captious form of «pastoral
homophobia.» 23 In this pseudo-
pastoral practice, strategies of
domination are concealed to remodel
people’s subjectivity. 24 In other
words, LGBTIQ+ persons are received
only to be transformed, 25 implying
that they are neither accepted nor
respected. 26 For that to be achieved,
they must be «corrected.»
Pastoring and Control
27 The previous perception arises as a
consequence of a particular
understanding of pastoring in
Christianity. 28 Originating as the
function of taking spiritual care of
people, 29 it soon gave way —in
institutionalized Christianity— to a
whole art of directing, leading,
guiding, controlling, and
m a n i p u l a t i n g p e o p l e . 30 S o m e
scholars —such as Michel Foucault—
claim that this art monitors people
collectively and individually
throughout their lives and at every
step of their existence.
31 However, one social consequence of
these toxic pastoral models has been
to push people over the edge.
32 Science informs us that the highest
levels of suicides are because of the
social stigma suffered by the
LGBTIQ+ population in a society
where Christianity prevails. 33 That is
the direct result of a discourse that
preaches the clandestinity of
«homosexuality» 34 and crosses the
entire social and subjective field.
35 Finally, LGBTIQ+ people are
exposed to these religiously based
social conceptualizations, 36 which
hinders equal rights for this
population. 37 Thus, the Christian
Church continues to exert its power
over the social imaginary concerning
human sexuality, 38 being favored
with its biopower structures and
becoming a strong influence in the
social biopolitical context.
39 In the writings of the Christian
Bible, whoever exercises the
pastorate must take care. 40 They
should care for the flock, i.e., the
congregation, and the sheep, i.e., the
people. 41 The pastoral function
entails the task that the sheep do not
suffer. 42 The pastor looks for those
who go astray and cares for those
wounded. 43 The pastor watches over
their flock; they are at its service,
they are its intermediary. 44 If there is
any power, it is a power of care, not
command.
45 However, our reality in Latin
America shows a separation within
the Christian Church between who is
supposed to care for and who should
be cared for or not. 46 Unfortunately,
only those persons who possess
characteristics and sexuality
 29
considered «correct» for Christian
morality are cared for. 47 However,
they must submit to moral control of
their behavior to receive legality and
approval for this care.
Queering the Images of God
3
1 Dear brothers and sisters, I
also want you to know that
there have always been —and
will continue to be— people who do
not submit to this dynamic. 2 They
are people who prophetically embody
the resistance to those
theo(ideo)logies that promote the
dehumanization and the subjugation
of the dignity of those who believe
differently. 3 Many of these people
even seek to deconstruct the images
imposed on God. 4 For queer
theologies, the tension between
masculine and feminine
representations should not exist
since God is queer. 5 That is, God is
genderless, and we could even say
that God is «de-gendered.» 6 This turn
is not only linguistic, 7 but also seeks
the performativity of faith to
dismantle the gender hierarchy that
has co-opted Christianity.
8 Many religions speak of some
feminine characteristics of God.
9 They even often present in the
masculine of the divinity also the
existence of characteristics linked to
the feminine. 10 An example of this is
the capacity to carry a new life in the
womb and nourish, 11 something that
is also affirmed in the Hebrew Bible
(Dt 32.11-12, 18; Is 42.14, 66.13).
12 Nevertheless, the traits considered
feminine in God are related to care
and tenderness, 13 making this
approach to God align with the
feminine characteristics established
by the cis-heterosexual division of
labor. 14 That does not consider that
women also exalt different
characteristics in different cultures,
such as being warriors or leaders.
From a Male God to a Queer God
15 We must recognize that throughout
the history of humanity, theologians
of various religions have endeavored
to demonstrate 16 that fitting God into
a gender is a human initiative. 17 We
would even have to add that it is also
a political performance, 18 since God
has no gender, and establishing God
as male for some power sectors is a
way of «bringing the faithful closer» to
the idea of a male God. 19 That image
of a «male» God supports and
legitimizes an aggressive and
pyramidal power per formance.
20 However, it can be traced in the
history of religions that there are
representations of the Mother
Goddess as old or much older than
those of the Father God.
21 Unfortunately, this archeology also
reveals that these representations
have been swept away in the name of
a single cis-heteropatriarchal,
masculine and oppressive God.
22 Therefore, sisters and brothers, we
must recapture the fluidity of images
of God. 23 Religious communities
have a significant role in impacting
p e o p l e ’ s w e l l - b e i n g . 24 B e i n g
embedded in a group, the sense of
belonging that the group promotes
can strengthen their socialization
process. 25 Thus, by feeling that one
belongs to something, each person
begins to share those things that
support and protect them. 26 Because
of this, it is in our hands —and we
are called upon— to announce a God
who is fluid and detached from those
images that have locked God in
 30
cultural closets. 27 Recalling the
theologian Marcella Althaus-Reid, I
invite you to preach a queer God,
28 which will contribute to God finally
coming out of those closets and fully
living his divinity.
Final Greetings
29 With this letter, I send you all my
affection and support for all you do.
May God’s grace accompany you, and
may the Holy Spirit unite us to
proclaim liberation to all people in
the name of Jesus.
 The Epistle of Andrés to the Trans Brothers
of Latin America
Greetings
1
1 Dear trans brothers in Latin
America, 2 I, Andrés, by the grace
of God your servant in faith, 3 am
writing to you from the City of
Santiago de Chile, the place where I
was born, which is not necessarily the
place I r ecognize as my home.
4 However, here I have been since
2019, trying to reassemble a life as a
trans man and a person of faith in this
city.
Faith Tribulations
5 My desire in writing to you is to
share with you the good news that I
have received through the teachings of
our dear br other, Bishop Hugo
Córdova Quero. 6 Throughout my life, I
have studied different theologies,
especially during my years in
seminary. 7 However, I was never
taught about queer theologies
8 because my seminary —like the vast
majority in Latin America— 9 does not
believe that LGBTIQ+ people are
accepted by God.
10 In my pilgrimage in faith, I never
sought nor needed a theology to tell
me that the person I am —the male I
am and have always been— was
accepted by God. 11 Nevertheless, I am
aware that many people have suffered
and been traumatized by theologies
12 t h a t r e g a r d u s a s « s i n n e r s , »
«unnatural,» or «perverted,» among
other epithets. 13 However, by God’s
grace I was able to see other
p e r s p e c t i v e s . 14 J u s t a s L a t i n
American Liberation Theology opened
my eyes to what it means to be poor in
spirit, 15 so too the study of queer
theologies opened my eyes to what I
genuinely consider to be our liberation
as LGBTIQ+ people.
Initial Considerations
2
1 When I speak of the LGBTIQ+
community, I refer to anyone
who is lesbian, gay, bisexual,
intersex, pansexual, trans, queer, non-
binary, among others. 2 Perhaps the
term we increasingly use in Latin
America is more appropriate: gender
and sexual diversity. 3 Also, I am
addressing trans people, particularly
transmasculine. 4 Why? Because I am
a trans man, I would like to speak to
those with whom my experiences may
resonate in their own lives. 5 Although
I hope it will be helpful not only to
other trans men, 6 but also to anyone
of gender diversity.
7 It is precise because the dominant
theologies within the Christian world
do not speak from a queer perspective
that queer theologies are born. 8 I
want to share and witness with you
what I have received about these
theologies 9 and how they connected
deeply with my experiences as a trans-
Christian man. 10 I must confess that I
was pleasantly surprised to see that
Latin American queer theology is being
done — and they have been doing this
prophetic commitment for many years.
11 Moreover, they are not copying
North American theology, which is
what we have «inherited.» 12 On the
contrary, the oppressed voices of
women, indigenous peoples, and Afro-
 32
Latinxs, among others, are being
prioritized.
The Texts of Our Faith Do Not
Condemn Us
13 One of the things I want to reiterate,
reinforce and emphasize is that being
queer, trans, or any sexual orientation
or gender identity that is not cis-
heterosexual. 14 is entirely valid and
accepted by God. 15 If someone uses
the Bible or other sacred text to tell
you that you are a «sinner» —or any
other such label— do not believe them.
16 That is not true; that is not God’s
Word. 17 In the times when the biblical
texts were written, there was no
concept of «homosexuality» —let alone
being a transgender person— 18 so
love and desire for a person of the
same sex could not have been
considered a sin 19 because it was not
something that was in the peculiarities
of the culture of the time.
20 Our brother in the faith, Robert E.
Shore-Goss, teaches us that the
problem in Jesus’ time did not lie in
people of the same sex having sexual
relations. 21 What caused conflict at
that time was domination and male
chauvinism. 22 That is, to dominate
another man or a woman. 23 On the
other hand, Brother Shore-Goss
challenges us as queer people when he
states that it is insufficient to analyze
or refute the passages deployed
against «homosexuality» —known as
«cobbler texts»— or against gender
diversity. 24 This teacher in the faith
urges us to go further and look for
ways to interact with sacred texts to
create our queer interpretations of
these texts.
The Testimony of Our Sisters and
Brothers in Asia
25 I want to share what I have learned
from the faith experience of our sisters
and brothers in Asia. 26 In them, I
discovered another queer theology I
did not know, making me reflect a lot
from an Asian perspective. 27 I am
talking about Tongzhi theology, which
made me think about my role as a
trans man and my privileges as a
person seen by others as cis and a
heterosexual person. 28 As well as my
relationship to the masculine and
masculinity. 29 To understand how I
came to reflect on all that thanks to
Tongzhi theology, I tell you a bit about
what struck me: 30 Hong Kong
theologian Chin Pang Ng explains that
Tongzhi theology made a
deconstruction of the colonial category
«gay,» 31 moving away from the
common stereotype that gay men are
white, North American, middle-class,
and middle-aged.
32 Another relevant point of Tongzhi
theology —a great revelation to my
faith— is that 33 God does not possess
absolute power. 34 This seems crucial
and essential to me, as God gives us
total freedom and helps and guides us
in our decisions. 35 Tongzhi theology
also prophetically emphasizes the
notion that human sexuality is fluid,
36 which invites us as gender and
sexually diverse people to recognize
the importance of the experiences of
bisexual, transgender, and pansexual
people, 37 since gay and lesbian
experiences are usually given more
prominent notoriety.
 33
Personal Experiences
3
1 Learning about Tongzhi
theology-among other queer
theologies-made me think about
deconstructing the colonial category of
what it means to be «trans.» 2 In
particular, a trans man. 3 I think it is
crucial for us —transmasculine
people— to think about how we can
dismantle the stereotypes that people
have of us.
4 In my experience, this means that we
talk about the importance of visibility
and the privilege we have —unlike
trans women— of being invisible in
many cases to cis people.
5 Many trans men —as is my case—
are not seen as trans by cis people.
6 This is a privilege, as it is up to us to
decide whether we want people to
know we are trans.
7 Many trans women do not have this
privilege. 8 Also, trans women
—particularly Latina or African-
American trans women— are the most
discriminated against worldwide.
Fluidity of Sexuality
9 For its part, the issue of fluidity of
sexuality looks relevant to me. 10 Many
cis-heterosexual people assume that
trans people cannot have fluid
sexuality. 11 They even believe that we
transition because we do not want to
be part of same-sex relationships.
12 I must remind you, dear trans
brothers, that our sexuality can
change over time, 13 or we can feel
more confident to explore our
sexuality once we have transitioned,
either socially or medically. 14 That
has not been my experience, but it has
been the experience of many trans
men I know.
15 It is also essential, brothers, that we
talk about fluidity within masculinity
and femininity. 16 Many of us try to
copy the stereotypes of masculinity
imposed on us by the cis-
h e t e r o p a t r i a r c h a l s y s t e m . 17 I n
particular, because we want to be seen
and recognized as men.
18 However, we must be careful not to
fall into these stereotypes of
masculinity because of our fears and
unhealed wounds. 19 We all have a
masculine and feminine side to us,
20 and there is no one side better or
worse than the other. 21 Both make us
the people we are, 22 and we can
explore and express them healthily.
23 That will not make us more or less
trans. Nor does it make us less of a
man.
24 Analyzing and r eviewing our
relationship with the feminine is
critical, 25 as we may reject that part of
us because of our experiences as
people assigned female gender at
b i r t h . 26 T h a t n o t o n l y a f f e c t s
ourselves, but it also affects our
relationships with the women in our
lives 27 or with those who express their
femininity in ways that we find
threatening.
Bodies Under Construction
28 Finally, I would like to spend some
time on a phrase on my mind since
this learning process about queer
theologies began. 29 Judith Butler
explains in her book Bodies That
Matter how bodies are socially
constructed and materialized. 30 She
speaks of the body as a place. 31 My
dear brothers, this deeply connected
with me for two reasons. 32 First,
because all my life I have lived in a
constant process of acceptance of my
body 33 and, in turn, literally of a
construction of a body in which I feel I
belong and feel and live it as my own.
 34
34 Secondly, this way of seeing the
body as a place is connected to my
longing to belong to a physical place: a
country, a city, a culture. 35 Although I
was born —and currently live— in
Chile, I have spent more time outside
this country than in it. 36 That leads
me not to feel completely Chilean most
of the time.
37 Furthermore, thinking of the body
as a place makes sense because I do
not feel I belong entirely to a country.
38 My body has become my home, my
safe place. 39 Even though I live
constantly trying to accept and love
my body, 40 since it is different from
what the cis-heteropatriarchal system
says a man’s body should be, 41 this
body is my constancy, my home,
42 precisely because I have worked and
struggled to make it so.
43 Brothers, I confess that it has not
only been a work and a struggle to
make my medical transition, 44 but I
must also acknowledge that I have had
privileges that have made this
possible. 45 This last point is important
because in doing queer theologies, the
cultural and social context of those
who do this theology must be
considered, 46 just as we study the
context of the Bible when we want to
understand some text. 47 The same
must happen when we do queer
theologies, 48 we must study and
understand the context of each
person.
Concluding Remarks
4
1 I hope, dear brothers and
sisters, that this letter will
encourage you to learn about
the various queer theologies that have
developed —and are developing—
worldwide. 2 There is much to learn
and know, 3 there are many views of
Jesus, God and the Scriptures that
empower the trans and recognize our
value.
4 There are even those who speak of
the dual experience of Jesus, being
fully human and divine, 5 as the
experience trans people have as we
embark on our transition process,
6 which in my experience never ends.
7 We are constantly in transition
because we always have the
opportunity and choice to continue to
evolve as people.
8 I hope you feel, my beloved brothers
and sisters, that a God loves you and
has never judged you. 9 In your hands
is the freedom to decide how you want
to live your life and what kind of man
you want to be. 10 I love you, I embrace
you 11 and hope that together we can
strip ourselves of everything that
prevents us from loving ourselves and
our bodies 12 so that we can be fully
accessible 13 and help others enjoy
their freedom. 14 Let us remember the
words of the Apostle Paul, who tells us
that we walk in the glorious freedom of
the sons and daughters of God. 15 I
send you a warm embrace, with the
love of always in faith.
 The Epistle of João to Jorge of the LGBTIQ+
Brazilian Evangelical Community
Greetings
1
1 I, João, a disciple of Jesus, who
is our hope and companion, 2 to
Jorge, true brother in the
common faith: 3 May God grant you
peace and joy.
4 As I write this letter, I hope that you
are feeling better. 5 I feel that in
writing to you, I am also writing to the
entire LGBTIQ+ Brazilian Evangelical
community. 6 I, for my part, am well
the better possible; 7 for, to be honest,
who feelss well, right? 8 That is the
question: Who feels well in today’s
times of Coronavirus, Bolsonovirus,
and unemployment? 9 However, we
resist with the strength deriving from
faith.
10 How is Sister Nene? When you talk
to her, tell her I will visit as soon as I
can. 11 Does she still know how to
make that cheese bread? Dear brother
Henrique always talks about that
cheese bread. 12 We have to go there
someday. 13 You should come here too.
14 Sunsets are like the end of a good
romance, and there are so many
Galician lemons in the yard. 15 My
mother has her chickens; Luiza would
like to run after them. 16 How is she?
Has she grown? Tell your sister I’m
sending her and Luiza a kiss.
Pastoral Concerns
17 I am sending this letter because
things were left unsaid the last time
we spoke, mostly because I needed to
figure out what to say. 18 It is
heartbreaking what they did to you,
and I wish I had words to ease your
suffering, but I do not think there are
any. 19 I once heard that in life, we
sometimes need to feel things we do
not like. 20 However, this seems wrong.
21 No one should have to go through
what you are going through. 22 I have
widely reflected on how life gets more
complex as we age. 23 I remember
growing up in a country where we had
hope of getting somewhere, 24 our
economy was doing well, social rights
were guaranteed, and even hunger
was no longer a problem. 25 It seemed
that we were finally solidly facing our
historical problems. 26 It is sad to see
what we have become.
Decline of the Christian Church in
Brazil
2
1 Amid the situations we live in,
I think the saddest thing is to
see what the Christian Church
in Brazil has become. 2 It is as if it
were naked, and then all the
ignorance, intolerance, fear, and
hatred —which seemed contained—
came out of the closet. 3 I remember
when I, too, had some hope in the
Christian Church, 4 when we dreamed
of doing good to the world. 5 However,
2018 took that hope away from me.
6 Seeing numerous pastors —many of
whom I admired— give themselves
unscrupulously to a candidate who
preached so much hatred was painful.
7 Nevertheless, I was willing to let it go;
I honestly was. 8 However, after
550,000 people died due to the
mismanagement of someone claiming
to follow the Christian faith, 9 many
are still converting to that
«bolsonarista sect.» 10 I confess that it
 36
is difficult to maintain hope in the face
of that prospect.
Affliction Due to False Prophets
11 W h a t t h e y d i d t o y o u i s
unacceptable! 12 Taking advantage of a
moment of weakness of yours to
impose that nonsense that you have to
do a treatment to be accepted is not
the Gospel message. 13 False prophets
preaching a cis-heteropatriarchal
gospel that you have to be «more of a
m a n »14 w h i l e t e a c h i n g t h a t
brainwashing that is based on wrong
readings the Bible! 15 It made me feel
very sad and exasperated! 16 The
Christian Church should be a place of
welcome, not rejection and
persecution. 17 It should never be like
that!
The Trap of Fundamentalism
18 I recognize that in most Evangelical
Churches, we are educated with a very
restricted view of the Bible. 19 That
also drastically reduces how we see
the world and ourselves.
20 Fundamentalism does this in a very
per nicious way. 21 In reality, it
captures consciences and presents
reality within a closed system that
does not teach us to ask questions.
22 However, reality constantly changes
and transforms; nothing remains still
in space-time. 23 Accepting this fact
prepares us to be in time and life.
24 Things are born, live and die. 25 To
think like this may even be tragic.
26 However, it is what it is; death is
part of life. 27 Life is much bigger than
us; life is the whole; it is you, me, the
trees, the animals, the earth. 28 We
cannot live without any of it. 29 Life is
the most sacred thing, and it simply
is. 30 Knowing why the sky is blue or
wanting it not to be will not change
how it is because it is. 31 In the same
way, things are what they are; they
can be transformed, 32 but this
potential for transformation is part of
what they are.
The Becoming of Discovering
Ourselves
3
1 Dear brother, I tell you that
lately, I have become fond of the
thought of Martin Heidegger.
2 Above all, I am attracted by what he
called «being there,» 3 being with its
manifold possibilities of being in the
world, 4 carrying within itself the
power of transformation. 5 This fits
perfectly with the character of God.
6 For example, when God introduces
himself to Moses, he calls himself «I
am.» 7 I confess that when I read this,
the question comes to me, «What am
I?» 8 The question leads me to the
innumerable possibilities of being
9 and that ax cannot be understood
from titles or categories but simply by
what is. 10 I do not know if you
remember, but our brother Walter
Brugemann talks about God moving
and not ceasing to move. 11 That is,
God takes sides in history and
dramatically resists being captured by
a theology that systematizes him.
12 Otherwise, he would be like the
gods of Egypt who, in the face of the
suffering of the people, remained
inert. 13 God moves, God cries, God
sees and, most importantly, God
becomes incarnate! 14 This reminds
me of the words of Rubem Alves:
«I want a theology closer to beauty
than to truth, because it is from
the vision of beauty that lovers
arise, but it is on the conviction of
truth that the inquisitions are
built.»b
 37
(Re)membering Communion
15 Dear brother, I confess, by the way,
that I miss the trips we took during
the exchange program. 16 Do you
remember that weekend when we
decided to go to Berlin? 17 Prisca swore
she could speak German, but no one
understood her, and we even got lost
with the English verb «to be.» 18 I miss
our conversations 19 while listening to
our mutual music: Caetano Veloso or
L e d Z e p p e l i n . 20 I m i s s t h e
philosophical deliriums that we shared
while drinking some wine. 21 It was so
good to live that with you. 22 I
remember you all embarrassed
because you had been with a guy for
the first time and how horrible it had
been. 23 Essential moments! 24 It is sad
that it took you so long to figure
yourself out and let you be yourself.
25 That they want you to return to how
you used to be means they do not love
you, 26 they only love an image of you,
not your heart.
The Fluidity of the Sacred Texts
4
1 The Bible is extraordinary
because it is the story of a
liberated people 2 and a God
who plays an active role. 3 How can
one book influence so many people
over millennia? 4 Its richness is
immense. 5 However, the problem is
that we learn to read the sacred texts
without seeing their contradictions,
6 because whoever organized them
wanted to hide them to give an idea of
coherence. 7 However, they do exist
and do not alter the fact that their
content is formidable. 8 From the
sociological point of view,
contradictions are the most critical
element of any culture 9 because they
offer us the answers that people want
to avoid enunciating.
10 The Bible clearly shows that
—beyond being a compilation of
books— it is a log of how different
visions of God have been constructed.
11 Of course, the order influences us to
think of it as a highly cohesive book
from beginning to end, but cultures do
that. 12 The Bible is nothing more than
a book about the progress of its
characters as they ask questions
about life, the world, God, and
themselves. 13 Those questions and
answers are conditioned by their
imagination.
14 Because of this, I believe taking
sacred texts as a finished work is
foolish. 15 There is no end; the end is
the continuation of life! 16 The Bible is
not an end in itself, but a means;
17 the end is always something greater
beyond all things.
18 The questions have not ceased to be
asked; what the sacred texts have
bequeathed to us are only the clues on
how to answer them. 19 It is a sublime
act of God not to close off the fluidity
of the sacred texts that speak of his
love. 20 On the contrary, God allows us
to approach them as one approaches
one’s lover, 21 anticipating the pleasure
and happiness of that communion.
The Bible as a Space of Plurality
22 My dear Jorge, I do not want you to
be unaware that the Bible is a locus of
diversity. 23 There is plurality in it. 24 It
is true that there is nothing about
relations between women in the Bible.
25 Perhaps because those who wrote
those sacred texts had never
considered women as subjects, 26 and
much less as beings capable of feeling
pleasure by themselves. 27 The same
applies to atoms, black holes, id, ego,
transgenderism, and homosexuality.
28 While these are modern concepts,
 38
they are present in many forms in
cultures worldwide. 29 For example,
Judaism once accepted the existence
of six genders. 30 On the other hand,
until the eleventh century C.E.,
Christianity accepted —or tolerated—
homoaffectivity. 31 Even as early as the
fifth century C.E., there was a specific
cer emony for the union of two
«friends,» similar to marriage. 32 A long
time for something so «abominable,»
don't you think? 33 Almost half of
Christian history.
34 For fundamentalist persons to
accept this is to put in check the
whole world as they understand it. 35 It
is not easy for them because their
awareness of reality —limited by
restrictive mechanisms of power—
cannot expand without fracturing.
36 Due to the harmful effects of
dogmatism and fundamentalism, their
minds lack plasticity and elasticity.
37 They are like «old wineskins,» to use
the words of Jesus (Mk 2.22). 38 It is
not that we are better or worse, 39 but
it is urgent and vital that we broaden
our conception of the world to embrace
the idea of a more pluralistic and just
society. 40 I wish it were easier for
these people to expand their
consciousness to fit you in there just
as you are. 41 Yet, that goes to show
how valuable you are. 42 Maybe one
day it will happen; let us keep hope
alive!
The Love of Jesus Sets No
Conditions
5
1 Out of love, Jesus embraced
and welcomed prostitutes,
publicans, zealots, fishermen,
and so many other people just as they
were. 2 It is like Kevin Proach’s song
says: God loves Presbyterians, gays,
lesbians, and Buddhists. 3 We do not
often proceed that way. 4 We are
constantly changing. 5 Nevertheless,
Jesus unconditionally sees inside us
and loves us anyway. 6 Love is a
potent and incomprehensible force.
7 Poets and prophets have talked
about it, but did they know how to
love? 8 Even more, I wonder if the
Evangelical Churches genuinely know
how to love as Jesus does. 9 Are they
authentically followers of Jesus’
example? 10 Despite all this, I honestly
miss congregating, taking the Lord’s
Supper, 11 crying during worship, and
even going out for a hamburger after
worship. 12 That is so precious, and it
has so profoundly marked my heart.
13 Even though I think I would not fit
back into my old church again, 14 I
still feel connected to those people.
15 E v a n g e l i c a l c h u r c h e s a r e
simultaneously my pain and my
destiny. 16 I know you share the same
sentiment. 17 That community spirit is
sorely missed, especially in such
turbulent and unstable times as we
are going through. 18 Although the
future is uncertain, I continue to
attend virtual worship services and
read about theology.
Discovering Queer Theologies
19 I confess to you, brother, that I
recently participated in the teachings
on queer theologies of dear Bishop
Hugo Córdova Quero — a fantastic
teacher. 20 At first, it was strange as I
had never come into contact with
theology in such a disruptive way.
21 Despite having progressive views,
keeping the «religious self» and the
«leftist academic self» in watertight
compartments is easy. 22 I am aware of
this contradiction. 23 However, the
problem is that when these two worlds
—which I kept separate— met and
 39
collided, they generated crises.
24 There are destructive crises, but
also good ones. 25 This one was bad at
first, but then it was good. 26 It is not
easy to get out of one’s comfort zone.
27 It is incredible to think about
theology from other perspectives.
28 First, it involves understanding
ourselves as Latin Americans. 29 That
is already difficult for us in Brazil, as
we have always seen ourselves as
distant or different from the rest of
Latin America. 30 However, if we look
c l o s e l y , w e a r e v e r y s i m i l a r.
31 Secondly, it challenges us to
question how God relates to a land
that has been exploited, 32 has
suffered so much bloodshed, and has
a considerable past of oppression.
33 Finally, it again presses us to
understand what faith has to do with
the context of people of African
descent, women, impoverished people,
or those of gender and sexual
diversity.
34 These different levels of relating
faith to the multiple realities of life
reveal a continuum. 35 God engages
with us and not only with the Hebrew
people of the Bible. 36 God interacts
with us and with our realities;
37 b e c a u s e h e i s c o n s t a n t l y
incarnating himself in our reality, you
know? 38 I am sorry to tell you —and
to reaffirm to you— that this truth is
so palpable that no discourse or
discriminatory practice can hide it.
39 Only by recognizing it can we have a
message of hope for the people of this
world. 40 God has incarnated here, too;
God has incarnated in us. 41 God
became part of humanity, indeed
became humanity, and calls us to be
family for those who have nothing.
42 Jesus said that he had come to
proclaim liberation (Lk 4:18); 43 that is
why God calls us to offer bread to the
hungry and liberate those oppressed.
44 Dear brother, I know you would say
this does not yet inspire you.
45 Nevertheless, I know how much it
touches you, 46 because you have a
good heart, which I admire most in
you.
God Is Always There for Those Who
Want to Find God
6
1 I want to be honest with you:
2 I understand if you do not
want to attend church anymore.
3 Even if you want to look for another
religion, I understand that too. 4 I am
your friend and brother in faith; you
can always count on my support.
5 I remember the times you and your
mother helped me. 6 However, I must
say that, even if you do not see it, the
Christian faith —contrary to
everything you have been told— still
has a very welcoming place for you.
7 There is nothing evil or impure in
you or me. 8 God is much greater than
those people who have offended you
9 or who judge you thinking they are
superior to God. 10 They forget that
you are equally a child of God. 11 No
one can change that about you any
more than you can change your sexual
orientation, 12 because that would be
to deny yourself as a person. Jesus
would never ask you to do that. 13 A
person is not made up of separate
parts but of unity. 14 This is what I
believe: There is no way to divide and
take a piece. 15 God has created us
whole, and his work is never wrong.
16 To be honest, my friends here
cannot understand my desire to
attend church or hear about God.
17 They think it is a waste of time
coupled with masochism to be
attached to a place that does not want
 40
me. 18 However, if we think about it,
we are not entirely accepted anywhere;
perhaps we are more tolerated in some
places. 19 Still, given that situation,
what do we do? 20 I think that
everywhere we are is a place of
resistance.
21 It is hard for part of the left to
understand that, 22 but maybe that is
what the left lacks: to understand that
the working class has faith 23 and, as
much as it has all the problems, the
Christian faith has enormous weight.
24 Perhaps they should understand
that faith is much more than norms,
25 for there is a very significant social
experience.
26 I t i s a l s o d i f f i c u l t f o r t h e
conservative Christian right to accept
us. 27 They will never understand that
God transcends our institutions and
temples. 28 God is always there
wherever a person wants to find God!
29 God cannot be trapped in our
churches without condemning God to
spiritual slavery.
30 In between these two positions,
there is a third space. 31 You will be
amazed to know that there are many
good people doing theologies that
question the place of Christianity in
society 32 and that take the side of
those who suffer oppression. 33 Among
them are queer theologians. 34 In
Brazil, we have Brother André
Musskopf. 35 His outstanding work
shows that queer believers will inherit
God’s kingdom. 36 I am not saying that
this represents the whole Brazilian
Christian community, 37 but queer
theologies represent essential work for
t h e f a i t h 38 a n d c a n n o t b e
underestimated.
Closing Remarks and Final
Greetings
39 The world needs hope. 40 Brazil and
Latin America need hope. 41 The
LGBTIQ+ community needs hope
inside and outside the Christian
Church. 42 You, my dear brother, need
hope as much as I do.
43 Understanding God’s place in all of
this, 44 and how to bring a clear
message that rekindles hope amid so
much absurdity, 45 is what it means to
profess the Christian faith. 46 Because
of God’s unconditional love, there is a
place for all people and us in that
faith. 47 It took me a while to realize
this. 48 I used to resist studying about
these issues, 49 but I see that it is not
just about me, but many other people.
50 However, inquiring into this faith
outside of the dogmatists 51 led me to
discover that we need to be symbols of
hope. 52 When so many people use the
Bible to discriminate, we will show
that the Bible can be read differently.
53 I want to encourage and invite you
to be part of this movement; 54 to be
prophets announcing that all people
are welcome in God’s arms just as
they are. 55 Only in this way will we
have hope. 56 Remember the words of
Mário Quintana:
«If things are unattainable....
Well! / That’s no reason not to want
them... / How sad the roads are, if
it weren’t for / The distant
presence of the stars.»c
57 With this letter, I send a big kiss to
all the people in your home and
c o m m u n i t y . 58 I a s k t h a t G o d
illuminate your path and bless you
with much peace. 59 You, my great
friend, receive an embrace full of faith,
hope, love, and friendship from me.
 The Epistle of Mercy to the Queer
Communities of El Salvador
Greetings
1
1 I, Mercy, disciple and servant of
the Lord Jesus, to my dear sisters
and brothers-from the clergy,
religious orders, and laity-and to the
activists of the different LGBTIQ+
movements in El Salvador. 2 I address
all of you with whom I firmly believe in
another possible world, without
discrimination, hatred and violence:
3 May the peace and grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ enlighten us in our
struggle to achieve the longed-for reign
of justice for all.
Our Prayers
4 As I write this letter, I remember very
vividly that on June 19, 2021, the
ninth Pink Prayer organized by
Asociación Entre Amigos LGBTI de El
Salvador was commemorated. 5 For
those of us who are part of the
communities in this country, this is a
space that brings together and
convenes to remember the people who
have been killed as a result of hate
crimes against the LGBTIQ+
community. 6 Nevertheless, the
struggles and tribulations continue to
loom over our lives and destinies. 7 A
few days ago, news came out that the
Legislative Assembly of El Salvador
—the majority of which comprises
representatives of the Nuevas Ideas
EMGABETARA party— has proposed a
law that curtails our right to identity.
8 That is an apparent setback to the
struggles we have maintained for
respecting our rights regarding our
identity 9 and access to a life free of
violence against our population.
10 The news led many people —activist
Bianka Rodriguez— to point out the
setbacks reached with this current
administration. 11 It is clear that the
new governmental administration in El
Salvador does not have in its political
agenda to eradicate violence against
our LGBTIQ+ community. 12 They do
not seek to establish policies that help
empower the lives of the people who
make up our community. 13 The
proposals for laws for LGBTIQ+ people
sought to guarantee free access to
education, health, and work based on
the identity assumed by transgender
and transsexual people.
14 Unfortunately, the forces against
our rights seem to be hovering over
the places where decisions are made.
15 Sisters and brothers, these events
occur amid a health and political
crisis, 16 which comes to modify the
daily reality through implementing
policies of the confinement of a state of
exception. 17 In this way, the notions
of rights and freedom are suspended,
18 establishing policies whose function
is to disarticulate resistance and end
the community practices in which we
had advanced.
19 It is for this reason that our task as
sisters and brothers —religious and
secular— and activists is to organize
ourselves 20 and to make ourselves
visible to create spaces where we can
creatively generate another possible
world. 21 Starting from this historical
reality of injustices and structures of
sin, it is fundamental to illuminate
this situation of structural sin from
the Christian faith. 22 This prophetic
 42
denunciation in the name of the God
of life unveils the political project of
colonial domination.
Christian Faith and Political Action
in Tension
2
1 Based on the above, my sisters
and brothers believe it is
fundamental to present the
project of the God of Jesus, 2 which
liberates, humanizes, and de-
ideologizes us from the theology of the
God of Capital. 3 When we trace the
origin of this imaginary god, we
discover that it emerges with
modernity. 4 The modern colonial state
emerged in the sixteenth century.
5 Nevertheless, it is a product of the
Medieval State, conceived without
doubt from the religious imaginary of
the Christian era. 6 On the one hand,
the Modern State breaks with the
paradigm of the institutional power of
the papacy and the ecclesiastical
hierarchy of the Roman Catholic
Chur ch in Eur ope between the
sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.
7 However, the Modern State replaces
the Feudal State, becoming a colonial,
capitalist, and cis-heteropatriarchal
power. 8 That is to say, pastoral power
today is lay power; 9 a concept
inherited from colonial modernity to
the present day.
10 From this institutional reality of
modernity, laws, economy, politics,
knowledge, science, and a religious
imaginary are constructed. 11 The
latter is inherited from the medieval
conception. 12 Perhaps the great
success of modernity was to separate
the state from religion. 13 However,
this is a myth because, in modernity,
the modern state became a civic,
normative, colonial, and Western
religion. 14 In this conception, other
knowledge and worlds do not fit, such
as the peoples of Abya Ayala.
Consequences of Secularization
15 Currently, many LGBTIQ+, feminist,
political, and social movements
proclaim atheism and autonomy that
disassociates them from any religious
imaginary due to secularization.
16 However, from the analysis of
capitalism as religion, there is a
certain divinization of the power of the
State on the part of different popular
movements. 17 Their political horizon
is in the State itself, 18 which is
presented and preached as the only
guarantor of a life free of violence,
without discrimination, without
hatred, with justice and sustainability.
19 In this sense, there is a divinization
of the power of the State to such a
degree that we believe in it, as we once
believed in religion. 20 This reminds
me of the words of Walter Benjamin,
who affirmed that capitalism is also a
religion with its answers to people’s
needs and concerns. 21 That religious
structure of capitalism is not only
similar to «a religious-style image» —as
Max Weber thought — but «an
essentially religious phenomenon.»
The Oppression of the God of
Capital
3
1 As people of faith, we cannot
deny that we are confronted
with two religious imaginaries:
the money god of capitalism and the
God of life preached by Jesus. 2 The
money god of capitalism is often
presented as a religion, even in
Christianity. 3 This is because it was
imposed on us through colonization by
the European empires. 4 The
consequences are multiple. 5 One of
them is constructing a normative
 43
reality through racial subsidies, which
have a genetic function. 6 That is, they
are responsible for the production of
races and assign them social classes
that maintain the privilege of one
group over others. 7 As the
philosopher Achille Mbembe has said,
race is something inscribed in the
genetic development of capitalism.
8 Let us not be confused, dear brothers
and sisters; the Christian faith has
been part of this process. 9 Since
colonization, bodies have been
considered one more function of
exercising power. 10 In other words,
some bodies are considered human,
while others are dehumanized;
11 stripped of their dignity and labeled
as «abnormal» or «deviant.» 12 The
world’s powers have denied some
people the right to be «human»
through the implementation of
necropolitics or the politics of death.
13 How different this is from the God of
life who became fully incarnate in the
body of Jesus to take on our humanity
as his own! 14 The reality of this world
indicates that the intersection of race,
gender, and sexuality becomes a
system of colonial oppression. 15 That
system marginalizes and violates the
lives and bodies of those considered
«non-human» as «disposable objects.»
Jesus Embodies the God of Life
16 I thank God that there are people
who prophetically raise their voices.
17 From the reality of marginalization,
racism, and hate crimes against
LGBTIQ+ communities, a resistance
movement has emerged. 18 It has
begun to systematize languages, tools,
and narratives.
19 Today, a theological imaginary
recovers the salvific dimension of the
gospel preached by Jesus. 20 The aim
is to recover the historical power of the
first communities of faith 21 and to
articulate it to their struggles as a tool
for their liberation. 22 The gospel
preached by Jesus is presented as a
project of liberation 23 that seeks to
transform the realities of oppression,
violence, and injustice to which
different groups have been subjected.
24 Historically, political and religious
powers have especially marginalized
LGBTIQ+ people 25 by considering
them as «abnormal,» «sick,» «crazy,» or
«demonized,» among other labels.
26 People and organizations that do
this forget that Jesus began his
ministry by healing people,
27 rehabilitating them and freeing their
bodies from those burdens that had
been imposed on them. 28 This is the
starting point for the beginning of
what he called «the kingdom of God.»
29 For this reason, Jesus’s liberation
and healing in the bodies summoned
other people to join in this liberating
project. 30 In the human body of
Jesus, the God of Life became fully
human. 31 Thus, Jesus did not make
himself the center of his reflection but
the foundation of a pastoral praxis.
32 The historical Jesus was the one
who opened the way for the kingdom
of God, 33 a kingdom of justice for the
impoverished and marginalized. 34 As
his discipleship community, we are
prophetically invited to incarnate that
kingdom here and now.
Queer Theologies as Bearers of
Jesus’ Message
4
1 It is in the context of this new
imaginary that queer theologies
find their place. 2 These
theologies recover the experience of
marginality, violence, and exclusion
imposed on the LGBTIQ+
 44
communities, 3 be it for reasons of
race, class, sexual orientation, or
gender. 4 Let us recall the words of our
beloved Bishop Hugo Córdova Quero,
5 who affirms that religion runs
through people’s lives 6 and shapes
the social understandings of gender
and sexuality.
7 As I commented earlier, the Christian
religion was imposed on us through
colonization, 8 normalizing, as a
consequence, the cis-heteronormative
system. 9 Thus, this became the
parameter for defining gender roles,
sexual practices, and the cis-
h e t e r o s e x u a l d i v i s i o n o f l a b o r.
10 Therefore, queer theologies seek to
recover the imaginary of the first
communities of faith 11 and to liberate
theology and theological discourses
from the colonial system that traverses
them. 12 Prophetically, these theologies
aim to liberate people from cis-
heteropatriarchal domination over
bodies. 13 To do so, they pursue a
queer hermeneutic that liberates
biblical texts from that imposed
religious order; 14 an order that is
embodied in people's bodies, desires,
pleasures, and relationships. 15 In
doing so, they denounce and challenge
a slave vision of religion and theology
16 and announce a perspective of
liberation.
17 In this sense, queer theologies
present themselves as a critique of the
colonialist, cis-heter onor mative,
patriarchal, and racist norm. 18 This
critique is based on the diversity of
experiences, feelings, pleasures, and
ways of relating to each other that
differ from the cis-heteropatriarchal
system. 19 Therefore, our experiences
emanate a theological sense of living
and expressing our diversity through a
manifestation of the sacred 20 where
the body and the sacred are
permanently becoming. 21 Thus, the
body knows —through its experience—
a theological reality that liberates it.
22 Undoubtedly, queer theologies
enrich the divine imaginary, since they
are presented as a novel theology.
23 Their contribution can deconstruct
and deconfigure images, languages,
and narratives 24 that reproduce
violence and discrimination to
different corporealities from a cis-
heteropatriarchal imaginary about
God.
Towards the Vision of a Queer God
5
1 My dear sisters and brothers,
the cis-heteropatriarchal system
is based on the imaginary of God
as male. 2 It is an anthropomorphic
image sustained on the models of
hierar chical r epr esentation and
domination towards other
corporealities. 3 Therefore, it is
necessary to decolonize the images
constructed about God 4 and decertify
them to build mor e egalitarian
relationships without violence and
discrimination. 5 To this effect, Bishop
Córdova Quero explains:
«The notion of a queer Trinity does
not pass through a definitive,
unique, and closed image, but
rather through the dynamic spirit
of the Trinity as a recuperative
possibility of multiple alternatives
that resist the hetero-patriarchal
system. [...] Ultimately, a queer
Trinity is the result of a theology
that seeks to contribute to the
liberation not only of humanity and
the whole of creation but also of
the very doctrine of God [...].»d
6 In short, queer theologies recover the
imaginary of the God of Jesus,
7 grounding their praxis and affirming
 45
the lives of people who historically had
remained and remain marginalized,
8 whether because of their race or
ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.
9 Queer theologies —more than a
thought— constantly transform life.
10 Their prophetic voice —based on a
queer God of unconditional love—
generates and positions new forms of
life that transgress the cis-
heteropatriarchal system.
11 Consequently, the queer theological
exercise seeks lines of escape that help
us to retrace the paths of capitalism,
colonialism and racism embedded in
the Western theological and religious
tradition. 12 For this reason, queer is
not limited to LGBTIQ+ identity
p o l i t i c s 13 b u t o p e n s u p t h e
possibilities of liberating ourselves
from all systems of oppression.
14 Thus, cis-heterosexual people
seeking to dismantle cis-
heteropatriarchal ideology’s effects are
also queer!
Building an Alternative Home from
Diversity
15 Likewise, my dear sisters and
brothers, we have hard work ahead of
us. 16 We have begun a journey of
deconstruction and decolonization of
the narratives and condemnatory
theologies that do not allow us to live
the gospel freely. 17 For this reason, it
is necessary to preach Jesus as the
liberator from all systems of
oppression. 18 In him, we are called
from the slavery of Egypt to the
Promised Land, 19 to contribute to
establishing the kingdom of God in
this world. 20 This will only be possible
through our praxis of justice, grace,
and love towards all people.
21 Queering the Gospel from the queer
pastoral proposal implies the
construction of new forms and places
22 where we can live our life, sexual
orientation, and gender identity in a
free and non-violent way. 23 This new
spiritual home will be where God will
queer our faith and hope.
Fundamentalism and Cis-
heteropatriarchal Oppression
6
1 In El Salvador, people and
communities of gender diversity
are —from a fundamentalist
religious point of view— labeled as
«deviant.» 2 Their bodies are
pathologized, 3 often imposing
conversion therapies, 4 which are
unaware that the World Health
Organization (WHO) eliminated
«homosexuality» from the classification
of diseases. 5 Despite these medical
advances in the depathologization of
«homosexuality,» 6 different
fundamentalist groups position
themselves in the cis-heteropatriarchal
system as a supposed reference to a
«natural» and «divine» order. 7 That
leads them to establish relations of
violence and discrimination towards
people who transgress cis-
heteronormativity, 8 condemning them
«to hell,» to «lose their salvation,» or to
«not be loved by God.» 9 How far this
understanding is from the message of
God’s inclusive love that Jesus
preached! 10 At the same time, homes
and families are constituted as
reproducers of the cis-
heteropatriarchal system from a
religious imaginary. 11 In the name of
a supposed «divine mandate,» they
become places that reproduce violence
of various kinds: verbal, psychological,
physical and spiritual. 12 Thus, the
notion of the monogamous, bourgeois,
and nuclear «traditional family»
represents a danger for LGBTIQ+
 46
communities 13 as it reproduces the
predominant values that oppress and
marginalize them.
The Faith Community as a Safe
Haven
14 Therefore, we must build safe places
for our LGBTIQ+ sisters and brothers.
15 Such inclusive faith spaces must
draw from the contribution of queer
theologies. 16 Reminiscent of the style
of early faith communities, it must be
a refuge for all spiritually wounded
and hurting people. 17 Its foundation is
the God of Life, incarnated in these
sacred spaces of spirituality. 18 Led by
the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can
narrate ourselves, rebuild ourselves,
and reinvent ourselves from our
diversity.
19 As the Church of Christ, we firmly
believe that the Gospel has something
to say to us. 20 The discipleship
community of Jesus can no longer
remain silent since it is defined as the
presence and manifestation of the
Spirit of God. 21 Consequently, the
ecclesial experience is linked to the
action of God, with its symbols and
signs of liberation. 22 God’s revelation
remains open, 23 and is demonstrated
in history through the faith experience
of each person who follows in the
footsteps of that revelation.
The Ministry of Sexual Diversity of
the Anglican Church of El Salvador
7
1 Dear brothers and sisters, I
want to witness and share God’s
outstanding work. 2 I am part of
the Sexual Diversity Ministry of the
Anglican Church of El Salvador. 3 This
ministry proposes a pastoral praxis
based on recognizing bodies
historically seen from the margins of
the religious imaginary. 4 We are aware
of the condemnation to a life in hiding,
the confinement to be exempt from
salvation, and God’s grace to which
LGBTIQ+ people have been brought. 5
Their faces—disfigured by religion and
politics— today represent the face of
Jesus in salvation history.
6 In this sense, the bodies discarded
by religiosity become places where
liberation and God’s salvific project
occur. 7 Thus, LGBTIQ+ people are
transformed into subjects of liberation.
8 In other words, they carry the cross
of history and the project of death
within themselves, 9 but also the
power of life in their bodies, in feeling
and thinking. 10 LGBTIQ+ people can
transform our faith into a political
project in places of religious
transformation, 11 where we can
rehearse a life in freedom.
12 From the ministry of Sexual
Diversity, we build the imaginary of a
safe house, of an alternative home
that allows us to retrace and
deconstruct the cis-heteropatriarchal
system. 13 From our faith, with our
symbols, signs, languages, songs, and
narratives, we vindicate diversity as a
form of manifestation of the divine.
14 We prophetically confess that
discrimination is abolished, 15 and the
dominating power of cis-
heteropatriarchy is diluted in the face
of the community and the restoring
action of the Holy Spirit.
A Pastoral Ministry from the
Historical Jesus
16 In the beatitudes (Lk 6.20-22),
Jesus emphasizes that the poor
should rejoice. 17 They are the ones
who live bent over under the weight of
burdens imposed by injustice. 18 Jesus
often interprets this situation as
oppression, which puts their lives in
 47
grave danger. 19 Those people and
communities despised by society
—particularly LGBTIQ+ people— are
marginalized, regarded as «sinners,»
and often denied salvation. 20 However,
the logic of God’s kingdom differs from
that of this world ruled by the God of
Capital. 21 For the God of Life, it is
from these impoverished people that
—through Jesus— he initiates his
project of liberation.
22 Jesus begins his ministry by
accompanying people considered
«abnormal» or «non-human.» 23 He
surrounded himself with those with
pathologized bodies —like the people
who have Hansen’s disease (formerly
leprosy)—, 24 those considered «crazy»
—like the Gadarene demoniac—,
25 and with those who transgressed
the norm and the established order,
like the woman about to be stoned.
26 He never looked for perfect people,
27 but those who received in love the
deep love emanating from God.
28 Jesus begins his preaching from
these impoverished people,
appropriating their stigma, 29 that
political insult that had named them
«different.» 30 Jesus turns that injury
and their bodies into a place of
salvation and enunciation of the
kingdom of God.
31 Thus, today, our histories of
marginality, violence, and death
32 become theological sites of salvation
and enunciation of the kingdom.
33 Jesus organizes a community with
bodies built for disposability and
abnormality. 34 They were denied the
right to exist. 35 In this sense, in this
time, our bodies become a site for
political transformation and liberation.
A Prophetic Call
36 J e s u s b e g i n s h i s g o s p e l b y
recognizing disposable bodies,
rehabilitating them, 37 since these
bodies were living the full effects of
systems of oppression. 38 Because of
this, recovering our bodies is an act of
transgression to the established
power. 39 However, it is also a
pr ophetic announcement of the
rehabilitation and recognition of our
bodies as symbols and signs of
salvation. 40 Therefore, our pastoral
praxis must be accompanied by these
bodies as symbols and signs of the
salvation of Jesus that is taking place
in history.
41 We do not serve people in the Sexual
Diversity Ministry of the Anglican
Church of El Salvador out of pride or
success, 42 but because the very image
of God is reflected in these people who
come to the call of Jesus. 43 This is
confirmed by the Master himself when
he affirms: «Truly I tell you, just as
you did it to one of the least of these
brothers and sisters of mine, you did it
to me» (Mt 25.40).
Final Greetings
44 In short, my dear sisters and
brothers, I beg you not to be ashamed
of the insult and vituperation to which
you are subjected. 45 On the contrary,
please consider rejoicing that we have
found different ways and forms of
living our faith. 46 With the help of the
Holy Spirit, we have striven to recover
images of God, inclusive languages,
hopeful narratives, and symbols that
empower our lives.
47 God’s message through Jesus is one
of peace, healing, restoration, and
fullness of life. 48 There is no more
significant reason to rejoice! 49 The
message of the Gospel —which queer
theologies seek to emphasize and
which I leave you with this letter— is
 48
that in God, we have found the true
meaning of our lives. 50 Let us live our
faith in the love and peace of Jesus,
which surpasses all human
understanding. 51 Let us strive to live
with justice and dignity, 52 but above
all, let us not lack the joy and hope
that another world can be possible
through faith in Jesus and his gospel
of unconditional love.
 The Epistle of José to the Community
of Inclusive Christians of Paraguay
Greetings
1
1 Beloved community of
«Cristianxs Inclusivxs del
Paraguay» [Inclusive Christians of
Paraguay], 2 I, José, your servant in
faith, write this letter thinking of each
of you. 3 I want you to know that you
were born from the most beautiful part
of my heart.
The Pilgrimage of Faith Towards
Full Freedom
4 I want to share with you my
testimony. 5 I am thirty-two years old
and come from a church with an
evangelical Christian tradition. 6 Since
I was a child, I have liked attending
church and participating in activities.
7 Above all, I remember that I liked the
camps and spiritual retreats since
they were an opportunity to
disconnect from the outside world. 8 I
did not want to leave, as I felt safe,
loved, and joyful. 9 However, I grew
and matured.
10 In that process, there came the
conflict between my faith and my
sexual orientation. 11 When I realized
that I was attracted to people of the
same sex, I went to counseling,
therapy, and liberation camps. 12 I felt
alone and desperate. 13 With the bit of
information I could obtain, all I heard
was the condemnation of
«homosexuals and effeminate people.»
14 So pernicious was this discourse
that I inwardly accepted it as the
«Word of God.» 15 I could neither
counter-argue nor doubt Because of
my lack of theological training. 16 I was
erroneously taught that it was «written
in the Bible» and no one could object
to it. 17 I felt intense anger at being
unable to change my feelings
according to what I was told in the
church was «God’s will.» 18 In my
uncertainty, the question arose: How
much ef fort and time should I
continue to invest in my life to change
my sexual orientation? 19 Such was
my distress that I began not to listen
to the condemnations against people
of gender diversity. 20 I asked myself,
«Do these condemnations apply to
me?» 21 Deep inside me, a voice
intensely said, «No.» 22 That was the
only answer I could find. 23 However,
the voice of religious discourses made
me think: How could I feel God if I was
an «abominable being»? How could
God love a «degenerate sinner» like
me? 24 Although I could not identify
with these labels, it was the only thing
I heard «as spiritual food.»
25 Thus, there came a time in my life
when I looked inward and was honest
with God. 26 I knew that God would
understand me, for I found no comfort
in mediators, ser mons, or Bible
s t u d i e s . 27 I n t h a t m o m e n t o f
confession and communion, only God
and I were there, 28 and I expressed
everything I felt. 29 God’s peace flooded
my whole being; it was a liberating
balm, and, like the prophet Elijah, I
felt that God was in «sound of sheer
silence.» (1 Kings 19.12). 30 there, I
understood that God loved me just as I
am, without any requirement or
criticism, only with total acceptance.
 50
Building an Inclusive Community
2
1 In accepting my sexual
orientation, my options were to
abandon my faith or seek
answers. 2 I took a chance on the
second option because I did not want
to deny my faith. 3 As a teenager, I was
often taught that life’s circumstances
have a purpose. 4 I believe that to this
day.
5 Especially at that time, the question
arose in my mind: Why live our life
with a sexual orientation different
from the majority in solitude when we
can live it in community as Jesus
taught us? 6 Without knowing it, and
almost without planning it, the first
meetings among friends were born to
share faith and the struggles for
spiritual growth.
7 Over time, these meetings began
forming a community called
«Cristianxs Inclusivxs del Paraguay.»
8 It is an inclusive community
composed of Roman Catholics,
Evangelicals, Mormons, and agnostics.
9 Thus, in 2017, the above community
went public with a clear position: «God
loves all people without any
exception.»
Discovering Unity in the Diversity
of Faith
10 At that time, we were told about a
Roman Catholic priest who
accompanied people of gender
diversity. 11 He was Jesuit Father José
Luis Caravias (RIP). 12 To be honest, it
was the first time we approached a
Roman Catholic priest with something
different to say to us. 13 We decided to
invite him to our meetings and
conferences, and many people joined
u s . 14 O f c o u r s e , m a n y o t h e r s
criticized him. 15 To this day, I admire
the courage and energy he maintained
until his last days. 16 That same priest
invited us to the Roman Catholic CLC
(Christian Life Community) movement.
17 Coming from a church with an
evangelical tradition, I was surprised
by the openness of this community.
18 Amid my adversities, I realized that
Roman Catholic people were very
different from what I had been taught.
19 I had also incorporated prejudices,
not about sexuality but faith. 20 That
time was a blessing because both
groups shared the same dreams and
struggles, 21 the love for God was the
same, 22 their Jesus was the same
Jesus that I sang and prayed to in the
evangelical church.
23 In the CLC group, we could be
heard and understood as a diverse
Christian community. 24 We felt
accompanied, and that filled us with
hope. 25 God used brothers and sisters
from another Christian tradition to
show us that there was a place at
God’s table for all people. 26 By God’s
grace and with the help of the Holy
Spirit, our community saw its birth
and growth to the glory of God.
Constantly Called to Serve
3
1 Faced with this, the question
arises: Have you thought about
the community project of
«Cristianxs Inclusivxs» to help more
people like you? 2 Amid people’s
situations, one of the priorities should
be our healing with ourselves and
God. 3 How often have we rejected
ourselves for being or looking one
way? How many times were you not
true to yourself? Did you ever try to be
someone else, to change your essence?
4 All those situations left traces and
wounds in our souls that must be
healed. 5 It has been challenging amid
cis-heteropatriarchal oppression to
 51
find and value ourselves. 6 We have
been discriminated against, exiled
from our faith communities, and even
rejected by our families. 7 Over time,
we have «created an armor» with which
it hurts less and less to be «different.»
8 I want to tell you to take heart! 9 Let
us not be afraid to heal, to remember
our hardships again so that they no
longer hurt. 10 By facing that pain, we
can move forward and break through
the oppression. 11 You and I are not so
different from others who must also
find their vocation in life.
Equipping Ourselves for Pastoral
Care
12 Recently —reaching my thirties— I
began to perceive myself as an adult
and to generate the following
questions: 13 How do I want to live?
Who do I want to work with? Who do I
want to surround myself with? How do
I want to grow old? 14 I would like to
answer these questions communally;
15 recognizing that all people with their
particular experiences can nurture
each other. 16 I would like to train
myself to offer you better service,
17 each of you deserves pastoral care;
you need a unique person to grow you,
help you, and challenge you to new
universes we do not know. 18 In my
years of pilgrimage in faith, I have
learned that the universal priesthood
of all believers calls us to care for one
another and grow together.
From Affliction to Hope
19 It is well known that people of
gender diversity are challenged in
many ways. 20 Often, it is the issue of
reproduction as a social mandate
—«you cannot have children» or «gays
don't want to be parents, they are
selfish»— while other times, it is the
criticism of our way of life: «you only
want sex.»
21 As I got to know the LGBTIQ+
communities better, I concluded:
Gender and sexually diverse people
yearn so much to have a family that
we spiritually «adopt» people who love
us. 22 In the experience of «Cristianxs
Inclusivxs del Paraguay,» I can testify
that we make a community with
people with similar stories, 23 and this
is what Jesus did more than 2,000
years ago.
God’s Love is Constantly on Display
24 I confess that it was a great
challenge to start a community where
we could share our victories, sorrows,
struggles, or whatever bothers us. 25 I
was terrified when I started this work,
especially when dif ferent people
expressed their support in words and
did not appear in the activities.
26 Nevertheless, the grace of God has
accompanied us in this pilgrimage that
has been going on for several years.
27 I am very proud of you, 28 despite
the differences that we may sometimes
have as believers and the gender
diversity. 29 However, in the trials and
the joys, God’s hand has been there
protecting you, and many of you are
moving forward with your personal
projects. 30 Although at the personal
and community levels, we suffer
rejection from some sectors of society
and condemnation from some people
of faith, God is the one who is always
at our side. 31 God has promised to
love us always and to be with us in
every moment of life. 32 That is our
deepest hope.
 52
Concluding Remarks
4
1 My intention in sharing my
testimony with you through this
letter is to give you comfort and
courage. 2 In the journey of faith, I
have come to understand that the
Christian Church is not only the
pastors, priests, or nuns but also the
people, 3 even those who do not attend
a church.
4 I encourage you to keep the faith and
never tire of doing good to our
neighbors. 5 God sees all this just as
he saw the good works and heard the
prayers of Cornelius, who was not a
Christian (Acts 10.4). 6 Everything we
do in service and love to all people
significantly impacts all humanity.
7 As I write this letter to you, I dream
of an Inclusive Christian Church, but
one that also feels vulnerable. 8 I invite
you to dream of a Christian Church
that is honest, that does not have all
the answers, 9 but that, in the process,
invites us to build a better world for all
people.
Final Greetings
10 It is my wish —which I accompany
with my prayers— that you may
always have work, health, and well-
being. 11 I entrust your lives to the
care of the Holy Spirit so that you may
find your essence in this world, for I
believe that we must help each other
on this path. 12 I dedicate my life to
fulfill this mission with you and with
you, 13 so that God’s abundant grace
may extend to all people in love,
healing, and spiritual progress.
 The Epistle of Hugo Enrique to the Ministry
of Sexual Diversity of the Anglican Episcopal
Church in El Salvador
Greetings
1
1 To the dear brothers and sisters
of the Ministry of Sexual Diversity
of the Anglican Episcopal Church
in El Salvador: 2 Grace and blessings
to all of you. 3 I, Hugo, by God’s will,
your companion in faith, 4 feel very
blessed to address this beautiful
community, 5 which has opened its
arms to receive all people. 6 You have
done so consistently without
prejudices based on skin color,
ethnicity, social strata, sexual
orientation, gender identity, or
religious affiliation.
7 My intention with this letter is to
motivate you to continue working for
the eradication of all types of
discrimination 8 and to provide you
with the theoretical tools to confront
malicious interpretations of the Holy
Scriptures. 9 Specifically, I want to
address the issues that pertain to
gender and sexually diverse
population.
The Relationship between Faith and
Sexuality
10 I want to begin by putting you in
context and telling you briefly about
sexual theologies, 11 namely, those
that consider sexuality, the body,
desire, and pleasure related to the
religious. 12 Unfortunately, these
elements have been viewed negatively
for centuries, 13 contradicting two
fundamental pillars of the Christian
faith: the incarnation and resurrection
of our Lord Jesus. 14 In both events,
the materiality and reality of the body,
represented by that of Jesus, is
present.
15 In the ancient church, sexuality was
not directly addressed. 16 Discussions
begin in relation to concerns about the
marital status of the disciples. 17 A
very curious fact is that Jesus was a
single male at the age of thirty,
something very atypical. 18 That is not
a minor fact since it can be considered
a «counter-cultural» or even «anti-
natural» element. 19 We can infer that
God’s project for our lives is based on
breaking the power structures of those
who want to rule our bodies and
dictate to us what is right or wrong,
moral or immoral. 20 My sisters and
brothers, let us never forget that God
manifests himself at the margins of
power, not at the center of it.
Negative Views of the Body and
Sexuality
21 Henceforth, why the negative
readings of bodies, desire, and
pleasure concerning the religious?
22 That is mainly because Christianity
is influenced by Greek philosophy,
which considers a separation between
body and soul. 23 In addition, there is
a colonialist vision of «universal»
sexuality, coming from European and
American societies 24 product of the
cis-heterosexist system allied to a
cultural project that is colonialist.
25 Unfortunately, Christianity denies
bodies and sexuality as a function of a
disembodied «spirituality,» 26 which, as
 54
I have said, contradicts the pillars of
faith. 27 This «sexual colonialism»
seeks to impose a notion of «natural»
sexuality, 28 changing, normalizing,
standardizing, banishing, or
demonizing any expression that
escapes the cis-heterosexual notion.
29 How many of us have heard
speeches from the pulpits that seek to
criminalize, pathologize, and condemn
our sexual identities, 30 violently
imposing a cis-heteropatriarchal
project on Salvadoran society?
31 F u n d a m e n t a l i s t r e l i g i o u s
institutions demonize our experiences,
relationships, bodies, and desires,
whose arguments generate prejudice,
discrimination, and violence.
32 Sisters and brothers, I had conflicts
with my sexual orientation because
fundamentalist religious views
ultimately influenced my
understanding of sexuality. 33 Because
of that, I internalized the homophobia
of my environment to the detriment of
my mental health. 34 However, God has
been faithful to show me his
unconditional love. 35 He has allowed
me to be part of his community and to
understand that gender and sexual
diversity are part of the rich
biodiversity of creation. 36 This should
be our motivation to share the
experiences we have lived. 37 That
testimony can help others to get out of
places of shame or guilt where we have
been placed by a cis-heteropatriarchal
theo(ideo)logy.
Decolonizing Cis-heteropatriarchal
Notions
2
1 Sisters and brothers, it is
indispensable for us to know
theoretical arguments that allow
us to reinvent the terms of our
sexualities, 2 to construct another way
of thinking about the sexual. 3 This
was precisely the background to the
birth of queer theory. 4 As Annamarie
Jagose puts it, it is about
demonstrating the incongruities
between chromosomal sex, gender,
and sexual desire. 5 In doing so, it
undermines the foundations of cis-
heteropatriarchy. 6 This social and
ideological system understands and
imposes as «normal,» «natural,» or
«decent» only those affective,
emotional, and sexual relationships
between women and men.
7 For a long time in Latin America, we
have been accused of wanting to
impose a «gender ideology.» 8 In the
case of Salvadoran society, this has
not been an exception. 9 The
paradoxical thing is that the
conservative and anti-rights sectors do
not even understand what ideology or
gender is. 10 It is precisely these
sectors —mainly economic, acting with
the help of the Roman Catholic
Church— 11 who impose their views on
gender expectations and nor ms
regarding decency and morality. 12 It is
a Western Christian vision of gender
that invisibilizes indigenous notions
13 and forces people to understand it
through a colonial paradigm, hardly
possible to be fulfilled. 14 Specifically,
during the first industrial revolution,
European capitalism defined the
contemporary Western notion of the
cis-heterosexual monogamous nuclear
family, a product of bourgeois
modernity. 15 The main problem facing
the gender-diverse community is that
this conception is considered «divine»
and «natural,» becoming the desired
model beyond the West.
 55
Colonial Also Permeates LGBTIQ+
Communities
17 As a gender and sexually diverse
community, we are not exempt from
adopting colonialist views of gender
and sexuality. 18 Because of this,
many people want to fit into a
particular, and dare I say hegemonic,
model of being LGBTIQ+. 19 That
model requires an LGBTIQ+ person to
be white, middle class, and
« u n f e a t h e r e d . » 20 U n f o r t u n a t e l y ,
unrealistic mandates about gender are
expected. 21 On the one hand, a male
is supposed to be «tough, strong and
rational;» 22 while, on the other hand,
women are expected to be «delicate,
beautiful and emotional.»
23 This cis-heteronormative colonialist
vision distances itself from the reality
that people live, constructing fictions
and stereotypes that curtail people’s
lives. 24 It even avoids our reality,
25 since most Salvadorans are not
white, our skin is brown; 26 we are
primarily poor people, and 27 many of
us do not fit into the binary
classification of female-male.
28 F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e a c r o n y m
«LGBTIQ+» corresponds to a North-
Euro-American vision, 29 which is why,
in many regions of the world, gender
and sexually diverse people seek to
reconnect with their ancestral
understandings of gender and
sexuality.
The Negative Legacy of Christianity
3
1 Beloved community, earlier I
explained that Christianity has
had a negative understanding of
sexuality. 2 However, How did this way
of thinking about sexuality come
about? 3 I would like to share a brief
historical journey to answer this
question and understand the notions
that persist to this point.
4 In the second century C.E. —at the
beginning of Christianity— there were
two factions, the Orthodox Christians
and the Gnostic Christians. 5 Among
the groups of this second faction were
the Encratites, 6 whose theology
derived from the Neoplatonic and
Gnostic concept of matter as the
principle of evil. 7 Thus, a renunciation
of pleasure and desires was necessary,
8 while promoting the domination of
women. 9 Later, in the fourth century
C.E., St. Augustine of Hippo
systematized in the West the ideas of
sexuality that marked the Christian
faith until the Middle Ages. 10 In
particular, his contribution to «original
sin» had a negative impact on
sexuality. 11 Thus, the body was seen
as something related to sin, 12 mainly
sexual activity and the female body.
13 In the same vein, St. Thomas
Aquinas in the thirteenth century C.E.
posited that any relationship or act
that was not for procreation was
outside God’s purpose, 14 and should
therefore be condemned.
15 However, in the eleventh century
C.E., the theologian Peter Damian
defined the punishment of Sodom and
Gomorrah as being due to «homoerotic
activities.» 16 For the first time in the
history of Christianity, the connection
of same-sex relationships with sin was
made. 17 We know from scholars who
have studied this subject that this
interpretation was given during many
epidemics and environmental fragility.
18 These situations were seen as
«punishments from God.» 19 Therefore,
they became the justification for
hatred of all people who did not fit the
hegemonic definition of Wester n
Christian society.
 56
The Effects of Negative Sexual
Theologies in Our Time
20 Dear sisters and brothers, although
these times may seem far away, these
visions still prevail. 21 Gender and
sexually diverse people have been
singled out as responsible for
unimaginable misfortunes, floods,
earthquakes, hurricanes, plagues, or
famine. 22 Even the appearance of
COVID-19 has been falsely denounced
as a consequence of divine
punishment for deviating from God’s
purpose. 23 These extremist positions
do not consider facts such as
deforestation and the unjust
distribution of the means of
production and wealth, which have
much to do with these events.
24 The most common way of attacking
gender and sexually diverse people is
by invoking the Bible to legitimize
discrimination. 25 In doing so, biblical
texts are stripped of their context to
condemn with particular
interpretations what those texts do not
condemn. 26 Recall that the scholar
Peter Brown mentions that sexuality
has always been the privileged place to
deploy and test the mechanisms
through which the social body will also
structure and control people. 27 The
narratives of condemnation towards
our sexual or gender identities, based
on biblical texts, are due to the need
to control our bodies. 28 Through this
dynamic, it seeks to shape society
from a cis-heterosexual approach,
29 which condemns and eliminates the
broad experiences and practices of
gender and sexual diversity.
30 Therefore, sisters and brothers, we
must create counter-narratives using
exegetical methods that allow us to
contextualize the texts in their
cultural, social, historical, political,
and anthropological niches. 31 I
encourage you to oppose the biblical
literalism of some cis-heterosexual
people who seek to maintain a status
of superiority over others by misusing
sacred texts. 32 I find it necessary to
construct a hermeneutic based on our
experiences of how our bodies, desires,
and pleasures relate to the divine. 33 In
doing so, we will generate an inclusive
reading of the Bible through a
liberating queer hermeneutic.
Demythologizing the «Clobber
Texts»
4
1 I do not want you to ignore the
background of what in theology
is known as the «clobber texts,»
2 i.e., those that are used to condemn
gender and sexually diverse people by
conservative Christian sectors. 3 I
would like to briefly mention these
texts and give you some guidelines for
the historical, cultural, social, and
political contexts in which they were
written. 4 It is essential to mention
that those who read the sacred texts
in a literalist manner do so in
ignorance of three fundamental
elements. 5 These elements are
context, translation, and
interpretation. 6 Not considering these
elements leads to biased readings that
do not do justice to the message of the
sacred texts.
«Clobber Texts» in the Hebrew Bible
7 Brothers and sisters, I would like to
remind you that three «clobber texts»
stand out in the Hebrew Bible. 8 The
first, well known, is that of Genesis 19.
9 That text refers to God’s punishment
of Sodom and Gomorrah for their
failure to comply with the
commandment of hospitality and
protection towards foreigners and to
 57
help poor or needy people. 10 When we
see how the prophets refer to that
punishment, 11 we find that Ezekiel
18.48-50 narrates precisely the fault
committed by these cities. 12 Even
Jesus made this same interpretation
according to Matthew 10.14-15.
13 B e c a u s e o f t h i s , o n l y o n e
misreading, as I said above, related
that punishment to gender and
sexually diverse people.
14 The second «cobbler text» refers to
the verses found in Leviticus 18.22
and 20.13. 15 Both passages try to
maintain a cultural and nationalistic
identity and preserve the colonial
order over the conquered peoples.
16 This is because the people of Israel
needed women to give birth to more
males fit for war. 17 This is about the
survival of the social group and not a
morally negative view of same-sex
relationships.
18 Finally, we have the text of
Deuteronomy 23.17, which constitutes
a prohibition of cultic practices
outside the Hebrew religious context.
19 With them, it was sought to
sanction the sacred sexual union of
priests/priestesses with the people
who went to the temples looking for an
approach to the divine. 20 Yahweh did
not demand that cultic practice from
the people of Israel; therefore, it
should be forbidden. 21 Because of
this, it cannot be affirmed that this
text condemns consensual relations
between two persons of the same sex.
«Clobber Texts» in the Christian
Bible
22 In the Christian Bible, there are
texts attributed to Paul, 23 whose
purpose was to frame the new
believers within the logic of the Roman
Empire. 24 Here, we can also find three
texts.
25 The first is found in Romans 1.27.
26 There, it is crucial to consider that
for Paul, the «social order» reflects the
«cosmic and natural order» established
by God. 27 That order dictated male
superiority over women. 28 In Paul’s
text, the Greek terms arrenes, théleias,
and eis anlelous are used. 29 Our dear
Bishop Hugo Córdova Quero
translates the text thus: 30 «The males
left the natural use with the females in
heat and became in heat within one
another.» 31 The crudeness with which
the Bishop translates Paul’s thought
speaks to us openly about the male
Roman citizens, 32 who could not
«reduce themselves to the place of
women.» 33 From a perspective that
considers the sacred text, that verse
must be read in tune with Galatians
3.28, where binary categories do not
matter.
34 The second text is found in 1
Timothy 1.9-10, 35 where Paul uses
the term arsenokoités, which
translates as the «one who lies with
males.» 36 The problem with this verse
is reducing people to «objects of use»
through prostitution and abuse
through the payment of money.
37 T h e r e f o r e , i t i s n o t a b o u t
condemning a consensual relationship
between two adult persons of the same
sex.
38 Finally, we have the text of 1
Corinthians 6.9-10, where Paul uses
another term from Greco-Roman
culture: 39 malakós, which means
«someone who behaves like a woman.»
40 Paul is not condemning the adult or
consensual relationship of two people
of the same sex as we know it today,
41 but an aspect that negativizes
males: being like women, a product of
a macho society. 42 Those who claim
 58
that Paul condemns the relationship of
two persons of the same sex without
questioning his time act maliciously
and dishonestly, 43 since one cannot
easily step outside the cultural
parameters in which one is immersed.
44 Sisters and brothers, we can say
that the Hebr ew and Christian
scriptures do not speak about
«homosexuality,» 45 mainly because it
is a term that emerged in the twenty-
first century. 46 the biblical authors
were unaware of the concept of sexual
orientation and gender identity we
understand today. 47 In the Ancient
Near East, gender was understood
through hierarchical categories,
48 where males were superior to
females.
Recognizing God’s Words in Our
Lives
5
1 Dear sisters and brothers,
owning this new perspective of
reading the Bible liberates the
texts from the realities of people’s
everyday lives, including our sexual
histories.
2 The Argentine theologian Marcela
Althaus-Reid understands the term
«word of God» to involve the constant
presence of the divine in all creation;
3 especially in those people who are
excluded from a «decent creation,»
which does not correspond to the
spirit of God.
4 My main intention with this letter is
not to encourage you to «come out of
the closet,» 5 because I understand
that our society is highly homo-lesbo-
bi-inter-transphobic and violent. 6 For
some of us, it has been a privilege to
have done so, 7 but also consider
«inviting people» into the privacy and
safety of your lives. 8 That is, let in
those who have a positive valuing
attitude toward gender diversity.
Concluding Remarks
9 As Salvadoran society, we must work
on a decolonial project and free
ourselves from the hegemonic ties that
pretend to rule our lives. 10 Let us seek
to embrace our roots in the original
peoples, discovering the spirituality of
these peoples and their understanding
of human sexuality. 11 If we recover
ancestral beliefs that predate
European colonization, we will educate
people who commit wrongdoings
because of their ignorance 12 and
denounce the injustices committed by
those who do so for the specific
purpose of maintaining power and
exercising control over our bodies.
13 In short, we will be disrupting
We s t e r n g e n d e r b i n a r i s m s a n d
dichotomies that are often alien to us.
14 Sisters and brothers, in this sense,
it is essential for Christian churches to
deconstruct the traditional image of
God, 15 i.e., male, sovereign, king,
warrior, and at the center of power.
16 Drawing on queer theologies, I urge
and pray that we build an image of
God closer to the people. 17 Let us
prophetically seek to present a God
who resembles people who are
peasants, poor, indigenous, or women,
suffering injustice and on the margins
of power.
18 Ethnic queer theologies help us to
(re)know the reality of dif ferent
collectives, 19 since they have taken it
upon themselves to understand the
multiple for ms of expression of
sexuality and diverse relationships
beyond the cis-heterosexual model.
20 Ultimately, I encourage you to
recover the roots of the Christian faith,
which are based on love and respect

for the dignity of all persons, 21
are created in God’s image.
Final Greetings
22 I would like to bid you farewell by
leaving you with two biblical texts that
have profoundly marked my life and
ministry. 23 The first is the one that
says, «Whoever does not love does not
know God, for God is love» (1 Jn 4.8).
59
who 24 The second is from the Apostle Paul,
who says that «anything else in all
creation will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus
our Lord» (Rom 8.39). 25 Both texts
proclaim that God loves every person
tangible and unconditionally. 26 I take
my leave prayerfully while wishing
everyone much peace 27 and all the
blessings of a loving God who accepts,
respects, and loves us just as we are.
 The Epistle of Miguel to All the Churches
of God in Paraguay
Greetings
1
1 I, Michael, Servant of Jesus
Christ not by human will but of
God, to all the churches of God in
Paraguay: 2 the grace and love of our
Lord Jesus, demonstrated on the
cross, be with you all.
The Tribulations in Search of an
Authentic Faith
3 First, I thank God for your lives,
ministries, and gifts. 4 I needed to
write to all of you to express my
testimony 5 and simultaneously a
sorrow I carry in my heart. 6 Sisters
and brothers, I would like to tell you
that I left the church where I was a
member and where I pastored the
Lord’s flock about six years ago. 7 My
departure from that community was
because I no longer wanted to live in
hypocrisy, 8 hiding my true self
regarding my sexual orientation.
9 With great sorrow, I share with you
that I went through critical moments
and conflicts in my faith in that
interim of abandonment. 10 I debated
in my mind whether I was already
rejected from the presence of God.
11 It was there, in the midst of my
tribulation, that by the grace of our
Lord, I was able to meet a group of
sisters and brothers from the
community of «Cristianxs Inclusivxs de
Paraguay.» 12 Through them I was able
to meet several sisters and brothers
who had left their congregations
because they could not live their
sexuality in freedom. 13 They founded
a faith community where they can
serve God without abandoning their
sexual orientation or gender identity.
14 I thank God that it was through the
gener osity of these sisters and
brothers 15 that I could find myself
being loved by God and loving God
again with all my strength. 16 Later,
through our beloved brother José, I
met a servant of God, Bishop Hugo
Córdova Quero. 17 The grace of God in
the action of the Holy Spirit made it
possible for me through him to clarify
my doubts and come to the knowledge
that led me to true freedom in Christ
Jesus. 18 I give testimony that in the
company and spiritual care of these
sisters and brothers, I have been able
to increase my faith and fir mly
consolidate my trust in the love of
God.
God’s Unconditional Love
2
1 Dear sisters and brothers of
Paraguay, I hold you in my heart
in an extraordinary way,
especially the saints of the Pentecostal
churches. 2 Given my experience of
suffering, I am convinced that the
testimony of God’s unconditional love
according to the Holy Scriptures
endures forever. 3 That is why, beloved
brothers and sisters, I beg and urge
you to study the Holy Scriptures;
4 and to do so r especting and
scrutinizing their historical context.
5 This is vital to avoid making the
same mistakes made for years; 6 which
are based on interpretations that are
the product of a tremendous
decontextualization of the biblical
message. 7 I am referring to those
interpretations about «homosexuality»
 62
to justify the supposed exclusion of
sisters and brothers from salvation.
8 This is a grave error because
Christian churches have condemned
and closed the doors of faith
communities to LGBTIQ+ people due
to a lack of knowledge. 9 There is no
justification in either Scripture or faith
for such an action! 10 Quite the
contrary, it violates the commandment
of our Lord Jesus to love one another
(Jn 13.34). 11 Moreover, the Master
himself said. —according to the
testimony of the Gospel of John 6.37—
«anyone who comes to me I will never
drive away.» 12 Beloved sisters and
brothers, if Jesus has left us his
promise not to cast anyone out, 13 who
are we to cast out those whom the
Master himself accepts? 14 We need to
understand that —as a consequence of
his prophetic witness— Jesus gave his
life for all people 15 regardless of race
or ethnicity, skin color, social class,
gender identity, or sexual orientation.
16 It was through that sacrifice of the
Lord that God demonstrated God’s
unconditional love for all people.
God Does Not Show Partiality
17 Let us remember that the Holy
Scriptures affirm: «For God so loved
the world that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him may
not perish but may have eternal
life» (Jn 3.16). 18 Right there, sisters
and brothers in faith, God’s
inclusiveness is demonstrated, for
when God says «world» —or in Greek
«cosmos»— it includes all of God’s
creation, but in a very special way all
people, that is, the whole of humanity.
19 We must understand that God’s love
goes beyond the political, social, or
sexual orientation differences of each
person. 20 It is vital to recognize and
appropriate the words of the Apostle
Paul, who affirms: «There is no longer
Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave
or free; there is no longer male and
female, for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus» (Gal 3.28). 21 God’s radicality in
Jesus to love the whole «cosmos» is not
transitory, as God’s word is faithful
and true (Rev 21.5) and endures
forever. 22 So unconditional is God’s
love that when the Apostle Peter
doubted this, God demonstrated God’s
acceptance of all people. 23 The
experience of being confronted by God
in his inclusion led Peter to exclaim: «I
truly understand that God shows no
partiality» (Acts 10.34). 24 Blessed be
our God of many names who have
called, accepted, and brought us into
God’s presence just as we are, without
exception or dif ference, 25 only
demonstrating the radical
inclusiveness of God’s infinite love!
Exhortation to Remain in the Faith
Against All Discrimination
3
1 For these reasons, my dear
sisters and brothers, I needed to
write to you and urge you in the
love of Jesus 2 to stand firm in the
faith we received from the Master. 3 In
his name, seek prophetically to open
the churches for all people who want
to come to our Lord; 4 continually
preaching that the love of God shows
no partiality. 5 I hope and trust in God
that my request will touch your
hearts. 6 I pray to God that through
the testimony of God’s work in your
lives, 7 the minds of all believers will
be opened so that they will come to
understand that there can be no limits
to God’s love. 8 Moreover, since the
essence of God is love (1 Jn 4.8), those
who dedicate their lives to loving other
people, especially if they are of the
 63
same sex, cannot be condemned.
9 That is so profound and firm that the
Apostle John concludes that whoever
loves has genuinely known God (1 Jn
4.7).
Concluding Advice
10 Dear sisters and brothers, I urge
and implore you to study theology,
especially queer theologies. 11 At the
most challenging time of my
pilgrimage in faith, it was through the
study of what queer sisters and
brothers in different parts of the world
have enunciated and produced in
queer theologies 12 that I was able to
come to the knowledge that led me to
embrace the glorious freedom in Jesus
fully (Rom 8.21). 13 I share with you
that —in God’s infinite care— God
granted me the experience of studying
with Bishop Hugo Córdova Quero.
14 His wise words and teachings led
me —through the study of queer
theologies— to discover the historical
background of different peoples,
15 among whom there have always
been people of the same sex who love
each other. 16 Therefore, I advise you to
discern the messages of teachers and
preachers that show that —over time
— sexist and cis-heterosexist
ideologies have infiltrated their words.
17 Those teachings —and not the
message of God through the Holy
Scriptures or the preaching of Jesus—
18 h a v e e s t a b l i s h e d b a r r i e r s t o
LGBTIQ+ people’s full and equal
access to the faith. 19 No one who
speaks in God’s name can
communicate messages of hatred,
resentment, discrimination, or
condemnation. 20 If they do so —as the
Apostle Paul says— they preach a
Gospel different from our faith’s, and
their message has already condemned
them (Gal 1.8-11). 21 Therefore,
beloved sisters and brothers, I exhort
you to seek to fulfill your true vocation
of the universal priesthood of all
believers through the discipleship of
Jesus, 22 ready to learn from him and
now to sit at his feet. 23 We have this
example of the Apostle Paul, who had
grown up at the feet of the Master
Gamaliel, 24 but who —when he
encountered the Master on his way to
Damascus (Acts 9.3-6)— transformed
his life. 25 In response to Jesus’ call,
he began to sit spiritually at the
Master’s feet to learn from him. 26 Look
for all teaching in Jesus, searching the
Scriptures and discerning in the Holy
Spirit where God’s love is
demonstrated in your lives and
contexts.
Greetings and Farewell
27 I hope that this brief testimony of
mine —expressed in this humble
Epistle— will encourage you to grow
more in our common faith. 28 I pray to
the Holy Spirit so that his guidance
and consolation may lead you each
day to the feet of the Master so that
you may learn more and more from
him.
29 F i n a l l y , I c o m m i t m y s e l f
wholeheartedly to pray for you
constantly, that the words of the
Apostle Paul may become a reality in
your lives: «the Lord is the Spirit, and
where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is
freedom» (2 Cor 3.17). 30 I bid you
farewell with the sweet peace of the
Lord and God —our Father and
Mother— 31 who dwells in you and me,
and who has promised to be with us
and to love us unconditionally every
day until the end of time (Mt 28.20).
 The Epistle of a Queer Community
of Mendoza to the Apostle Mary Magdalene
Greetings
1
1 Our beloved sister, Apostle Mary
Magdalene, our matriarch and
leader in the queer faith:
2 Blessed are the indecent ones
who do not try to lock God in closets.
3 Blessed are the divergent ones,
who are unafraid to confront the
limits of what is imposed.
4 Blessed are the incongruous ones
of viscera, flesh, and Trinitarian
desire.
5 Blessed are the different ones
who dismantle stories of oppression.
6 Blessed are the trashed and
marginalized bodies
because they twist and break
dichotomies of violence in their cries.
7 Blessed are the abject bodies,
who add their dissidence as
processes of liberation.
8 Blessed are those who transgress
the limits of the clean, the pure, and
the adequate
because they constitute the queer
body of Christ.
Transgressive Example of Faith
9 We, beloved daughters of God-trans,
blessed and in fragile and vulnerable
processes of liberation from Mendoza,
Argentina, invoke your presence and
accompaniment. 10 Through Jesus and
our fidelity and passion for the
Kingdom of God, we have received the
Grace and the Good News 11 because
Jesus showed us how to live our
gender and sexual diversity as a gift
and a prophecy. 12 Your proclamation
of the Gospel has inspired us in faith.
13 We are part of a Bible group that
meets weekly in the outskirts of the
city of Mendoza, in the Church of La
Merced, to read, reflect, and live the
liberating gospel of Jesus. 14 We are a
group of trans women from Mendoza,
San Juan, Peru, and Ecuador, from
different religions and ages, but with
an immense thirst to be looked at and
named with love. 15 Just as Jesus has
looked at you. 16 We know that your
testimony will be known from
generation to generation, 17 because it
was heard and identified as our own
stories, subjugated, violated, and
exploited by the cis-heteropatriarchal
system.
18 You continue to be a point of
reference for those of us who, like you,
are part of the queer movement of
Jesus. 19 We demand it again become
a community where difference is
respected and promoted. 20 We feel
identified with your queer presence in
the gospels, your rebelliousness, and
your free way of being yourself to the
last consequences. 21 Trans women
recognize you as our patroness, the
inspirer, and the sustainer of our
struggles, the one who holds the torch
of Jesus’ queer humanity: 22 to make
society a community that is always
different and in permanent
differentiation.
Tribulations of the Apostolate
2
1 T h e c is-h eter op a tria r ch a l
history of Christianity owes you
a profound debt. 2 The religious
and theological authorities should
publicly ask your forgiveness for the
 66
injustice they have done to you.
3 First, they tried to silence your
protagonism in the life of Jesus and in
that of the first community; 4 then
they wanted to rob you of the title of
being the first witness of the
Resurrection, 5 to attribute that title to
Peter, as Luke’s Gospel did (24.34) and
6 Paul does not even name you among
the witnesses of the Resurrection (1
Cor 15.5-8). 7 That constitutes a
theo(ideo)logical and political option
that served to claim the exclusive right
of males to rule and obtain the «holy
orders» 8 and thus sustain the socially
dominant cis-heteropatriarchy, 9 even
if that was to betray Jesus’ option of a
community of equals.
10 To complete and justify the theft of
your authority —as it was impossible
to erase your presence from the
canonical Gospels— you became the
« s i n n e r, » « t h e a d u l t e r e s s , » t h e
«repentant weeper.» 11 Even today, the
saying «weeping like a Magdalene» is
still preserved. 12 You were made the
representative of the «sin of the flesh,»
paradoxically so feminine and
feminizing!
13 God is our witness to how the cross
has marked our bodies and destinies.
14 However, your living witness has
restored our identity as daughters,
sisters, and disciples. 15 That sustains
us and strengthens us to continue
walking and struggling in an adverse
ecclesial context.
The Paschal Persistence of Faith
16 It has not been easy for us —We
confess— to gather in Mendoza to
listen to your Easter proclamation.
17 From time to time —and at crucial
moments— the hierarchical church
has used defamatory language against
people who escape cis-
heteronormative practices 18 to give
the impression that it remains faithful
to its continuing tradition in matters
of sexuality.
19 We dream of a queer hermeneutic
capable of transgressing boundaries,
subverting gender, and overturning
hegemonic identities; 20 a hermeneutic
of comfort and respite to our sisters
desperate for a look of tenderness.
21 We hope to share the Good News
with other minoritized groups on the
other sides of exclusion, 22 whose lives
are threatened by the force of death.
23 We want to tell you that we have
experienced new theophanies and a
new way of reading the biblical text
and, above all, the Word of God written
in us. 24 We dare to identify in the
references to your interventions in the
Gospel, 25 our interventions as if you
were one of us, as if you were also a
trans girl:
«The twelve were with him, as well as
some women who had been cured of
evil spirits and infirmities: Mary,
called Magdalene, from whom seven
demons had gone out, and Joanna,
the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
and Susanna, and many others, who
ministered to them out of their own
resources» (Lc 8.1-3).
26 We feel that these demons and
illnesses have to do with the demons
of cis-heteropatriarchy 27 that have
subjected us for years during our
childhood and adolescence, in our
bodies, bonds, and lascivious and
condemning looks of the society that
criminalizes, condemns, and
pathologizes us constantly. 28 Your
demons are ours, Magdalena, but they
neither define us nor you.
29 We discover that Jesus liberates us
through a liberating way of
encountering the biblical text and our
 67
h i s t o r y . 30 T h r o u g h a q u e e r
her meneutic, we find a way to
undermine the foundations of cis-
heteropatriarchy, 31 where not only do
the criteria of machismo prevail but
also only sexual, affective, emotional,
and romantic practices carried out
exclusively between males with
females, that is, cis-heterosexuals, are
understood as «normal,» «natural,» or
«human.»
32 Another of the places where we do
not doubt your intervention, 33 just as
we have experienced it among
ourselves on the street corners when
we came back beaten, in police
stations when we had to wait together,
as in hospitals or the wards so often
that it hurts to think about it. 34 The
three evangelists name you and
confirm your presence at the foot of
the cross:
«Meanwhile, standing near the cross
of Jesus were his mother, and his
mother’s sister, Mary the wife of
Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When
Jesus saw his mother and the
disciple whom he loved standing
beside her, he said to his mother,
“Woman, here is your son.” Then he
said to the disciple, “Here is your
mother.” And from that hour the
disciple took her into his own home»
(Jn 19.25-27).
35 We have no doubt that your courage
and bravery made you stand at the
f o o t o f t h e c r o s s a s a f i g h t e r,
36 because you are also on our crosses,
because you are the most beloved
disciple, and because no other person
like you could have received,
welcomed and hosted the Mother of
Jesus better than you. 37 We firmly
believe that the editor has
misrepresented your gender; you are
not the male disciple. You are «the
female disciple;» you are one of us!
The Prophetic Witness of
Announcement and Denunciation
3
1 We are accustomed to biased
and sexist wording and
interpretations against our
bodies, 2 just as you have also
suffered from them. 3 We know them
as the «cobbler texts,» 4 those
traditionally used to condemn people
of gender diversity. 5 Most of the time,
these texts are taken out of context to
legitimize a cis-heteropatriarchal
binomial position. 6 As our brother,
Bishop Hugo Córdova Quero, has
shown us, the categories that function
within the logic of binary patterns,
such as good/evil, good/bad, or
correct/wrong, 7 hide a «fals(ified)
locus» upon which the body(ies),
sexuality and gender are intended to
be regulated and constructed.
8 Through queer hermeneutics, we
have found ourselves in your embrace
with the risen Jesus, 9 who also tells
u s , « Wo m a n , w h y a r e y o u
weeping?» (Jn 20.13).
10 We know that your tears of absence
and pain of the beloved pierce the
soul, 11 we also live it with our sisters
whom we have lost, murdered at point
blank range, knifed, beaten, mutilated,
or thrown into the Guaymallen canal.
12 We have also shouted through the
streets of Mendoza for our disappeared
women, 13 for so many transvesticidese
that flood our streets with blood.
14 We urgently need justice to recover
their bodies and honor them. 15 Both
women and LGBTIQ+ people are
trashed victims of the same seven cis-
heteropatriarchal demons from which
we also want to liberate ourselves.
16 That liberation reminds us of your
 68
encounter with the Master: «Jesus said
to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to
him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which
means Teacher)» (Jn 20.16).
17 Many of our families, friends, and
acquaintances in the neighborhood,
when they found out about our trans
i d e n t i t y , 18 b e g a n t o c a l l u s
«tragasables» [«sword swallower»],
«trabuco» [«tranny»], «trava» [short for
«transvestite»], «puto» [«faggot»],
«travesaño» [«transom»] or
«maricón» [«sissy»].f 19 On the other
hand, Jesus called you by your name:
Mary. 20 In naming you, we feel that
you were transfigured with Jesus. 21 It
is the same experience of liberation
and coming out of the closet 22 as
when we were called for the first time
by our self-perceived name. 23 The
certainty of Easter in our lives came
when we received our Identity Card,
had our names changed on our
certificates of elementary and high-
school completion, 24 and even more
so when we heard our name
pronounced as we were baptized in the
Church of La Merced.
25 These Easter experiences remind us
of your testimony: «Mary Magdalene
went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,” and she told
them that he had said these things to
her» (Jn 20.18). 26 Just like you, we
cannot stop running to announce to
the entire world that we have seen the
Lord, 27 that he has seen us, that we
are, that no one can deny us, hide us,
or condemn us to a sepulchral life.
28 We are also Magdalene; we are trans
women; we are daughters of God and
sisters of every person who calls us by
our name and looks at us with dignity
and respect. 29 That is why we are the
first to announce it, 30 that is why we
are the first to enter the kingdom of
God, and that is why today we want to
honor you: Thank you, Mary, Thank
you!
Final Greetings
4
1 Our community thanks and
honors you for challenging us to
return to Galilee and experience
the resurrection of Jesus by
embracing the abject, precarious, and
q u e e r M e s s i a h . 2 We c o m m e n d
Josephine and Melody, apostles of
Jesus and martyrs of our community,
to your care 3 They have been chosen
from among God’s holy trans to be
responsible for reading our love letter
to you.
4 We have sent you the best we have to
make sure that your whole community
knows about our struggles, sufferings,
and hopes that we experience on the
other side. 5 They will speak to you not
only with their minds but with their
hearts, 6 because they have on all their
bodies the marks of the cross of Jesus.
7 They will explain to you in detail
—even in their languages— how the
Ruah works in our lives. 8 Please
receive them in the Lord, as is fitting
for the saints and the holy ones 9 and
help them to intercede for us. 10 All the
trans sisters of Mendoza embrace and
honor you.
Doxology
11 The peace of the queer God of
justice, whose power was manifested
in the gender and sexual diversity of
Jesus, 12 the abject, precarious, and
vulnerable Messiah, be with you.
13 Come, queer Messiah! 14 May the
prophetic indecency of the Trans-
Jesus be with you and with
whomsoever names you always! Amen.
 The Epistle of Harold to the Community
of the Faithful in the Diaspora of Becoming

Greetings 12 Heal thy becoming!

1 I, Harold, do write unto the

community of saints in the diaspora of 13 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!

becoming, who art successors and What is common is thine own,
heirs of Jesus, the Christ. 2 I do greet 14 What is diverse doth pertain to thee.

thee in the grace of God, our root and Make it thine own!
origin of our ministry and destiny. 3 I
do send to each of thee these 15 Immunize thy becoming!
prophetic words of encouragement,
which I have received from the Lord. 16 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!
Be still.
Solace in adversity 17 Accomplish thy mission;
4 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!
Lay claim to thy existence.
Each day doth belong to God.
5 They empty thy body;
18Establish the precedent for thy
They censure thy endurance.
becoming!

6 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!

Embodying our becoming
Each day doth belong to God. 19 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!
7 They take away thy love and
Thy body is a firm foundation.
compassion; 20 Thou art my cause;
They scourge thee;
Thou existest with me.
They curse thee;
They scorn thee. 21 Edify thy becoming!
8The misfortunes that befall thee do 22 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!
not define thee!
Discover thy militancy.
23 Move;
Strength in the pilgrimage
be mov’d;
9 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!
be transplant’d!
Every tear, every weeping
Strength grants thee, 24 Persevere in thy becoming!
Fortress is of thy body.
25 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!
10 Treasure thy becoming!
Look within;
Look without;
11Weepeth no more, but weepeth!
Seeketh further.
There is no suffering; 26 The word doth dwell in thee;
There is life.
Thou art the word
Re-exist.
 70

27 Baptize thy becoming! Communion with the Master

42 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!

Hope in the Constant Change I have shed tears.

28 Weepeth no more, but weepeth! 43 Thou art mine image and likeness,

Dwell within the land, My distinctiveness.

Traverse all o’er.
Time and space. 44 Resist in thy becoming!

29 Migrate in thy becoming! 45 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!

I did bear my cross,
30 Weepeth no more, but weepeth! Everyone’s cross,
Choose to press onward. Thine.
31 'Tis thou and none other.

Proceed 46 I am thy becoming!

32 Desire thy becoming! 47 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!

33Weepeth no more, but weepeth!
Human thou art,
Thou always shalt be;
Thou hast been in perpetuity
Each day doth belong to God.
48 They doth drain thy body;
They doth censure thy resistance;
They doth take away thy love,
thy compassion.

34 Transform thy becoming! 49 Rebuild thy becoming!

35 Weepeth no more, but weepeth! 50 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!

Know thy life. Each day doth belong to God.
36 Reacquire love. 51 They scourge thee;

Live the Divine They curse thee;

They scorn thee.
37 Defend thy becoming!
52 Deliver thy becoming!
38 Weepeth no more, but weepeth!
Allow suffering to unbar the doors, 53Weepeth no more, but weepeth!
To unfasten the locks. The misfortunes that befall thee
do not define thee.
39 Heal thy becoming!
54 In thy becoming, name thyself by
40 Weepeth no more, but weepeth! faith
Thy fracture is thy resistance; Through my holy name!
It is thy tear of life,
Thy solace.

41 Understand thy becoming!

 About the Authors
Mercedes Aguilar Contreras is a member of the Sexual Diversity Ministry of the
Anglican Church of El Salvador, the Community of Decolonial Studies, and the
Ecumenical Research Center in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Hugo Enrique Alas Sánchez holds a Master’s in Quality Management and

Industrial Engineering. He is a member of the Sexual Diversity Ministry of the
Anglican Episcopal Church of El Salvador in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Miguel Benitez Molina is a Presbyter and activist in Hernandarias, Paraguay.

Harold Andrés Castañeda-Peña is Professor of the Interinstitutional Doctorate

in Education, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, in Bogotá,
Colombia.

María Virginia Córdova Quero is an educator and Presbyter in Buenos Aires,

Argentina.

Hugo Córdova Quero is Associate Professor of Critical Theories and Queer

Theologies at Starr King College in Oakland, California, and Director of the
Sophia Institute in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Damián Nicolás de la Puente is a Political Scientist in La Rioja, Argentina, and

a member of the Intercultural, Interreligious, and Interdisciplinary Studies Group
on Decoloniality, Migration, and Sexuality (GIDMS) at Sophia Institute in Saint
Louis, Missouri.

Amanda Ferreira Santos is a Psychologist in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Espírito

Santo, Brazil.

Andrés Alejandro Herrera Gré is a trans man with a degree in Pastoral Theology
and Social Communication, a Chaplain, and a member of the Episcopal Church
USA. He currently lives in Santiago, Chile.

Marcelo Alejandro Hidalgo Ríos holds a Bachelor of Theology and a Philosophy

and Sacred Sciences Professorship. He is a Brother of the Order of Mercy and a
member of the coordination team of Pastoral Guadalupe of the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese in Mendoza, Argentina.
 72

David Santiago Ibáñez Ballesteros is a Lawyer and coordinator of Academic

Formation of the Circle of Studies and Research in Law and Philosophy of Peru
and the diploma courses at the International Center for Legal Formation and
Research in Bogotá, Colombia.

Fidel Mauricio Ramírez Aristizábal is a Pastoralist and Associate Professor at

Universidad El Bosque in Bogotá, Colombia.

Igor Silva de Campos is a Sociologist in Nova Venécia, Espírito Santo, Brazil.

José Silvera is a Lawyer and Coordinator of Cristianxs Inclusivxs del Paraguay,

an ecumenical community of psychospiritual support for LGBTIQ+ people in
Asunción, Paraguay.
 Endnotes
a Translator’s Note: The Spanish word machismo does not have a direct one-word equivalent
in English. It refers to a cultural concept of male chauvinism or male dominance, often
associated with traditional gender roles and attitudes that emphasize the superiority of
men over women. Machismo encompasses attitudes and behaviors that promote and
perpetuate gender inequality, such as sexism, misogyny, and the belief in male privilege.
Hence, I have preserved the Spanish word to respect the author’s precise language.

b Alves, Rubem (1986). A gestação do futuro. Campinas, SP: Papirus, p. 20.

c Quintana, Mário (1951). Espelho mágico. Porto Alegre, RS: Editora Globo.

d Córdova Quero, Hugo (2011). «Sexualizando la Trinidad: aportes desde una teología de
la liberación queer a la compresión del misterio divino». Cuadernos de Teología 30: p. 70.

eTranslator’s Note: The author uses the term transvesticidios to designate the hate crimes and
assassinations against transgender people in Argentina. It is a similar wordplay to
«femicide.» There is no directly correlated term in English, and the phrases «transphobia-
related violence» or «anti-transgender violence» do not capture the exact tone conveyed in
Spanish. Therefore, I have retained the original Spanish word to honor the author’s use of
speci c terms.

f Translator’s Note: In this chapter, the author employs derogatory terms in Spanish to
depict the persistence of transphobia in Argentinean society. To maintain the authenticity
of the author’s narrative while ensuring clarity for readers, I have opted to translate these
terms into English and enclose them in quotation marks. It is crucial to emphasize that
this translation choice does not endorse or legitimize these o ensive terms. Neither the
author nor the editors of this volume or the publishing house support them. Instead,
quotation marks underscore their inappropriateness in polite and respectful discourse, yet
allowing us to understand the distressing and condemnable reality of transphobia, as
pointed out in the Epistle.
fi
ff
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