God Loves Women, and I Do Too: The Spiritual Communities of Southern Black Queer Women and Nonbinary Folks

Abstract: Southern Black queer women and nonbinary (BQWNB) folks often have complex relationships with church, religion, and spirituality that often exceed and extend beyond linear narratives of experiencing heterosexism in church and then leaving. I conducted an oral history project with thirteen southern BQWNB folks, where participants shared how they shifted, transformed, and challenged the religions they were raised in to include and spiritually sustain themselves. In the process, many participants formed and sought out affirming communities where they shared their spiritual and religious practices. In these communities, participants grappled with complex relationships with family, friends, church, religion, and spirituality in incredibly diverse ways. These strategies that participants cultivated can provide us with visionary examples of how BQWNB folks forge new paths to liberatory spiritual practices.