17 queer clergy taking the Gospel back from Christian nationalism – Advocate.com

As Christian nationalism seeks to fuse church and state, we're here to celebrate queer clergy who are proving that faith and freedom don’t have to be opposites. They embody a radically inclusive Christianity, one that loves beyond borders, votes beyond pulpits, and worships without fear.

Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush

When a gay Baptist minister becomes one of the nation’s loudest voices against Christian nationalism, it’s worth listening. In one penned essay, Brandeis Raushenbush opined that the current administration is weaponizing religion and urged people not to "allow Trump and his Christian nationalist backers to claim the mantle of 'religious liberty' or define the role of belief in public life." He’s living proof that the faithful can be fierce defenders of democracy.

Rev. Brandan Robertson

Part theologian, part influencer, Robertson uses social media to spread a radical message: God’s love isn’t a limited-edition export of the American right. The 2025 Out100 honoree dismantles Christian nationalism one post at a time, all while reminding his followers that queerness and holiness coexist beautifully.

Rev. Dr. Carter Heyward

In her book, The Seven Deadly Sins of White Christian Nationalism, this pioneering lesbian Episcopal priest doesn’t mince words. She calls it what it is and calls on Christians to embrace love rather than hate. Heyward has spent decades teaching that loving one’s neighbor doesn’t stop at the nation’s border or the church door.

Bishop Yvette A. Flunder

From the Black church to the Bay Area, Bishop Flunder preaches liberation. As founder of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, she joined several other faith leaders in 2024 to issue a call to reject Christian nationalism. Her gospel centers the margins and reclaims the church as a house of radical love.

Bishop Deon K. Johnson

When the Episcopal bishop of Missouri says faith belongs to everyone, it echoes like scripture. A gay, Black immigrant, Johnson has spoken openly against symbols of Christian nationalism in his diocese, calling it "a distortion of the Gospel that fosters division, exclusion, and systemic oppression." Preach it!

Bishop Bonnie A. Perry

Serving Michigan’s Episcopal Diocese, Perry issued guidance warning clergy about Christian nationalism’s creeping presence in sanctuaries. Her message is clear: Jesus was not and will never be a Christian nationalist.

Bishop Gene Robinson

Nearly two decades after making history as the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, Robinson is still challenging the faithful to confront bigotry. "God has a dream for us, I believe, as a people," he said during a 2022 sermon. "And I'm pretty sure it doesn't include white Christian nationalism."

Rev. Winnie Varghese

Recently appointed Dean of New York City's Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, the Episcopal cleric is an out-and-proud queer woman of Indian descent. She doesn't shy away from calling out Christian nationalism as "weaponizing of the name of a religion."

Rev. Broderick Greer

This gay Episcopal theologian calls out “white Christian identity” as the idol it is. His writings and sermons expose how faith turned imperial serves neither God nor justice, and does it with the eloquence of a modern prophet. In one piece, he began it quite simply by saying white communities and groups must "conjure the courage to show up and dismantle their various scaffoldings of dominance" to make "a more just world to begin to be realized." Can we get an amen?!

Rev. Alba Onofrio

Earlier this year, Rev. Onofrio joined trans and queer faith leaders & activists in a bid to empower LGBTQ+ Christians to use faith for social justice, including in the ongoing fight for trans rights. Onofrio calls out “white Christian supremacy” in sermons that sound like exorcisms for empire. Their mission: sabotage systems of spiritual abuse before they sabotage democracy.

Rev. Benjamin Perry

Rev. Benjamin Perry fuses activism with liturgy, calling for compassion amid rising Christian nationalism.

Rev. Jes Kast

A queer United Church of Christ pastor, Kast warns that white Christian nationalism endangers both faith and freedom. After a recent trip to Germany where she met with pastors on how to counteract the threat of the growing movement, she reflected on how "Jesus loves all of us very much" on Instagram, with a famed photo of Marsha P. Johnson captioned with "Explaining to people I love Jesus in a Marsha P. Johnson way and not a MAGA Christian Nationalist Way."

Rev. Joseph W. Tolton

As a gay bishop in The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, Tolton connects the dots between conservative Christians and attacks on the marginalized. His sermons and writings link liberation in America to liberation abroad, reminding us that empire has never been God’s plan.

Rev. Robert Lowry

Appearing in PBS's Prideland, this gay Presbyterian minister preaches love rather than hate.

Rev. Micah Bucey

At Judson Memorial Church in Greenwich Village, Rev. Bucey’s sermons blend scripture, satire, and social justice. A queer minister in a legendary activist congregation, they've turned art and protest vigils into liturgy against Christian nationalism’s joyless gospel.

Rev. Kaji S. Douša

Senior Pastor of New York City's Park Avenue Christian Church, Douša has long fought the fusion of state power and religion. She fought against Trump's first administration and won, and signed a joint statement of faith leaders condemning Christian nationalism's role in the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt.

Rev. Mel White

He ghostwrote books for the Christian Right before coming out and devoting himself to advocacy through his LGBTQ+ group, Soulforce. Rev. White's story may be the stuff made for Hollywood, but he's also known as the father of filmmaker, The White Lotus's Mike White.

Honorable Mention: Bishop Mariann Budde

Many of the above queer clerics denounced Christian nationalism through sermons, words, or speaking at protests. For queer ally Rev. Budde, she did something even greater: talked with compassion against Christian nationalism in front of the conservative movement's presumed champion, President Donald Trump. In a sermon at the Washington National Cathedral's inauguration worship service, Budde reminded Trump to show compassion to the marginalized, regardless of political affiliation.

"Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger," Budde expressed, "for we all once were strangers in this land." Trump and other conservative pundits disparaged her in the hours, days, and weeks following. But Budde remained calm and resolute, continuing to shepherd her flock in teaching tolerance and respect.

Christian nationalism preaches fear disguised as faith. These clergy preach the opposite: that the gospel is an open door, not a border wall. If the movement to save democracy needs a choir, these 20 queer clerics are already singing in the key of liberation.