The ninth instalment in a year-long series of posts by RFF Founder & Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes, on the origins, mandate and work of the organization.
RFF’s “Multi-Faith Resources” Pillar addresses religious-based LGBTQ2S+ discrimination by offering accessible multi-faith resources that will help individuals, organizations, institutions, and communities learn to end religious-based LGBTQ2S+ discrimination.
In October-November 2020, RFF conducted a successful two-month project titled Faith in Crisis that involved building an online portal containing progressive multi-faith resources about being LGBTQ2S+ and religious. These resources offer information about LGBTQ2S+ friendly religious organizations and resources that can help an individual reconcile their faith with their LGBTQ2S+ identity. The project then connected 100 LGBTQ2S+ and faith organizations to our resource portal and 500 people to each other during our launch week programming.
The project included 18 digital events over the course of 6 days that introduced RFF’s resource portal that has over 200+ resources to help challenge religious-based LGBTQ2S+ discrimination. We are adding new resources to the portal every month. Here RFF has created a centralized place where trustworthy, progressive resources exist and we continue to connect individuals who may be struggling with COVID-19, their spirituality, and LGBTQ2S+ identity with positive multi-faith resources and friendly online environments. Our Resources multi-faith resources help drive community health and awareness, access to information, inclusiveness, learning and progressive social change.
COVID-19 has made LGBTQ2S+ people even more vulnerable because this population is disproportionately impacted by unemployment and social isolation. We strive to continue to connect individuals who may be struggling with COVID-19, their spirituality, and LGBTQ2S+ identity with positive resources and friendly online environments. The social and physical isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the marginalization of LGBTQ2S+ people. For those who are experiencing faith-based discrimination, the increase in vulnerability is even greater still. Coming out in Canada during COVID-19 is especially difficult, and religious LGBTQ2S+ individuals can benefit significantly from online multi-faith resources to help them through this process as a person of faith. RFF has taken up this mandate and has taken a multi-pronged, intersectional approach to address this problem. Many religious LGBTQ2S+ Canadians are locked down with abusers and/or with people who do not accept their gender expression or sexual orientation.
Decreasing the effects of religious-based LGBTQ2S+ discrimination will improve the lives of LGBTQ2S+ people so they can be who they are, love who they want, and find safe and accepting places to practice their faith. The implications of a kinder and more accepting environment for LGBTQ2S+ people of faith are significant and far-reaching. Youth who identify with, and are connected to, the LGBTQ2S+ community have significantly less internalized homophobia than youth who are not connected to their community. Family acceptance of LGBTQ2S+ adolescents is also associated with good mental and physical health in LGBTQ2S+ youth. Risk of suicide decreases by 93% with strong family support (The 519, 2020). To support health and inclusion within the LGBTQ2S+ community, RFF will continue to connect LGBTQ2S+ people of faith and their allies to positive and progressive resources and to each other through new virtual community engagement opportunities that involve expanding our digital infrastructure.
To access and learn more about our resource portal please visit: https://rainbowfaithandfreedom.org/resource-portal