Theatre as Sanctuary: Queer Identity, Religious Trauma, and the Path to Healing

Growing up as a queer individual in a deeply religious Southern Baptist community, I learned early that faith and identity could feel like irreconcilable forces. I sat in the pews, surrounded by voices that preached love but often excluded people like me. For years, I struggled with the question: Can I be both queer and faithful? This tension—between belief and belonging, between the church I was raised in and the identity I could no longer deny—became the foundation of my journey, my artistic practice, and this thesis. Through this research, I explore the intersections of queer identity, religious trauma, and the transformative power of theatre. By conducting in-depth interviews with LGBTQIA+ individuals raised in faith communities, as well as religious leaders with differing perspectives, I investigate the lasting impact of exclusionary religious teachings and the ways queer people navigate, reject, or reclaim their faith. These narratives serve as the basis for queerchurch, a devised theatrical work structured as a whole church service. The performance invites actors and audiences to engage in a communal process of reflection and healing using therapeutic techniques, forum theatre, and documentary storytelling. This work is not just about my own reconciliation—it is about creating a space where others can find theirs. By merging academic research with artistic practice, I advocate for theatre as a sanctuary: a space where the wounds of religious trauma can be acknowledged, queer joy can be celebrated, and new forms of faith and community can emerge.