In a past life, I was an evangelical Christian. I was baptised in a lake. I went to camp meetings. I responded to altar calls. I have “prayed over” people, and been “prayed over”. I went to a “sexual healing” seminar (even though I was a virgin). In short, all the weird shit you’ve heard about? I’ve been there, done that.

And yeah, most of it is crap. But there’s a lot they got right, and from a logistical and community organising perspective, there’s a lot to be learned from that particular two-thousand year old movement. I mean, it’s lasted two thousand years and it’s mostly total rubbish. They’re doing something right. (Yes, that does depend a lot on one’s definition of “right”).

We’re all sinners: Part of Christianity that actually works really well is having everyone admit that they sin, even though they know the right way to behave. We need to remember this too. We may all be campaigning against homophobia, transphobia, mysogygny, etc, and we may know that it is wrong, but that doesn’t mean we’re free of it ourselves. Not enough people admit their own biases. The thing about admitting we’re still in the wrong, means that we know how hard it is to rid ourselves of these prejudices and will be better at helping others. Admitting our own failings also makes us less preachy.

Stick to the fundamentals: Most large Christian groups stay as groups because they have agreed on the basics of their faith and have agreed to disagree about the rest. LGTBQ have politics and in-fighting like any group, but we have to be able to focus on our common goals.

Spread the Good News: I think we forget sometimes that what we are fighting for is good for everyone. Equality isn’t going to hurt anyone, even those who are against it or think it’s a bad idea. In a truly equal world, our choices in life are not limited.Women are not locked out of careers and men are not locked out of the nursery. The queer cause is simply to break up outdated societal restrictions and to make everyone more free. It is better for everyone that we all have the same rights and responsibilities. It creates a  more cohesive society where all people are able to participate fully. It’s not bad news to be whispered apologetically. Our cause is good news, to be shouted from rooftops and shared.

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