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Coming Out Spiritually: The Next Step
In these times of dramatic social change, when the highly charged issue of homosexuality is undeniably causing controversy in many arenas--religion, marriage, politics, education, the military-- Christian de la Huerta , founder and director of Q-Spirit, offers a fresh outlook on gay spirituality and how to assert it.
A spiritual awakening is occurring in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community, as in much of the world. In this encompassing guidebook, de la Huerta looks at Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, Sufism, New Thought, New Age, and Earth-based religions, including Native American. Cogently investigating these traditions' attitudes, teachings, and policies toward homosexuality, the author gives the queer reader a foundation from which to begin building a spiritual connection.
Coming Out Spiritually also synthesizes ten spiritual roles or archetypes people we now call gay or queer have often assumed and continue to enact: as creators of beauty, consciousness scouts, mediators, shamans, and healers, among others. Drawing on these models while acting as a guide to the queer community, the author shows how to look deeper inside; to reach higher than ever before; to step forth more fully into a rightful self.
An impassioned call to action, Coming Out Spiritually alternately touches, challenges, encourages, and supports the queer community to fully reclaim its spiritual heritage.
A spiritual awakening is occurring in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community, as in much of the world. In this encompassing guidebook, de la Huerta looks at Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, Sufism, New Thought, New Age, and Earth-based religions, including Native American. Cogently investigating these traditions' attitudes, teachings, and policies toward homosexuality, the author gives the queer reader a foundation from which to begin building a spiritual connection.
Coming Out Spiritually also synthesizes ten spiritual roles or archetypes people we now call gay or queer have often assumed and continue to enact: as creators of beauty, consciousness scouts, mediators, shamans, and healers, among others. Drawing on these models while acting as a guide to the queer community, the author shows how to look deeper inside; to reach higher than ever before; to step forth more fully into a rightful self.
An impassioned call to action, Coming Out Spiritually alternately touches, challenges, encourages, and supports the queer community to fully reclaim its spiritual heritage.
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 24, 1999
3 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Christian de la Huerta
9 books7 followersChristian de la Huerta has been a writer, spiritual coach, and retreat facilitator for 30 years. He has spoken at countless universities, churches, conferences, and other venues, including the TedX stage. Author of the award-winning and critically-acclaimed “Coming out Spiritually,” he is currently working on a new book series, “Calling All Heroes.” The first book of the series, "Awakening the Soul of Power," has received a Nautilus Award and a Nonfiction Book Award. It was described by music icon Gloria Estefan as “a balm for the soul of anyone searching for truth and answers to life’s difficult questions.”
More about his work may be found at www.SoulfulPower.com.
More about his work may be found at www.SoulfulPower.com.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 6, 2016
If you identify as queer, this would be a good kickstart into inspiring you back into embracing becoming a spiritual being. The terminology is a little outdated and I was disappointed about lack of perspective other than gay identities, but there were good points about self and other love in spots. Read if you find it in an airport, haha.
September 1, 2019
This is a great resource for people who are exploring their sexuality and also looking into and exploring spiritual life. Christian writes about the overlap and similarities between the two lifestyles.
May 15, 2024
A SUGGESTION THAT THE LGBT COMMUNITY NEEDS TO RECLAIM ‘WONDERMENT’
Author Christian de la Huerta wrote in the Preface to this 1999 book, “In the process of human individuation and spiritual evolution, the ego, our separate sense of identity, needs to be fully developed before it can be transcended as a person reaches high states of enlightenment or realization. Similarly, it is important for the gay community to develop a seep sense of identity, and an awareness of who we are, before moving beyond labels…. My purpose in writing this book is to support that development and help deepen that awareness… [The book] hopes to catalyze the reader beyond detached study and into practical experimentation with his or her expression of spirituality. In this sense, it is a call for us to reclaim our rich spiritual heritage. My desire is to inspire a sense of wonderment, purpose, service, and mission in the gay community… In a sense, it doesn’t matter whether homosexuality is a matter of nature or nurture… whether it’s a choice or not. What does matter is that we are, that we always have been, and that we always will be… The question, then, becomes… What is the queer community, and the world at large, going to do with the reality?” (Pg. xviii)
He continues, “[This book] presents a well-synchronized and diverse chorus of GLBT voices from a wide spectrum of spiritual beliefs and traditions. In it you will hear from queer Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Taoists, Hindus, Wiccans, Druids, and New Agers… You will hear from amazing thinkers, explorers of consciousness, and radical transformers. You will hear from queer meditators, yogis, Sufi dancers, ritualists, teachers, bodyworkers, breathwork practitioners, and other healers. You will hear from an impressive array of artists, politicians, students, volunteers, authors, priests, ministers, rabbis, sheiks… and successful business people who are living and practicing their spiritual beliefs. You will feel their idealism, passion, depth of thought, and commitment to making a difference in the world… This book tells of a growing movement of people who are exploring what it means to be gay and spiritual in a wide variety of ways.” (Pg. xix)
He observes, “What is lacking in the queer community---both among individuals and collectively---is a real sense of self. It’s no wonder, given the rejection, ostracism, and abuse many of us have experienced because of the homophobia still rampant in the world. But while we must continue to relentlessly chip away at the strongholds of sexism, racism, and homophobia, complete societal acceptance, if at all possible, is still years away. Addressing the internalized homophobia at the root of many of our emotional problems and dysfunctional behaviors if now crucial. We can no longer afford to look for acceptance only in external sources but must find it in ourselves. We must take care of ourselves and of our own.” (Pg. 5)
He suggests, “Many gay people use chemical substances like Ecstasy because of the feelings of belonging it generates, as well as a general sense of lovingness, unconditional acceptance of self and others, removal of interpersonal and intrapersonal boundaries, and elimination of self-consciousness… With the ego’s innate defensiveness and its denial and avoidance mechanisms out of the way, the use of Ecstasy can facilitate profound personal insights as well as support deep, meaningful communication between people.” (Pg. 85)
He says, “Coming out is a profoundly spiritual act. Coming out means letting go---letting go of fear; letting go of limitation; letting go of anything and everything that has held us back, or anything we have been grabbing on to. It’s about rejecting the lies, and embracing the truth, whatever the consequences. Coming out is an act of courage, and an act of love; it means relinquishing our self-protection, casting off the illusion of ‘security,’ and allowing ourselves to be who we are, regardless of what anyone else says or thinks we should be or do.” (Pg. 158)
He wonders, “perhaps as a group the queer community is not there yet. I suspect that we need to develop a real sense of identity before we can more beyond it. We need to remember who we are. We need to reclaim our sacred roles. If we are already fulfilling them, we need to recognize and own and name them.” (Pg. 160)
This book will be of interest to LGBT persons, and their supporters.
Author Christian de la Huerta wrote in the Preface to this 1999 book, “In the process of human individuation and spiritual evolution, the ego, our separate sense of identity, needs to be fully developed before it can be transcended as a person reaches high states of enlightenment or realization. Similarly, it is important for the gay community to develop a seep sense of identity, and an awareness of who we are, before moving beyond labels…. My purpose in writing this book is to support that development and help deepen that awareness… [The book] hopes to catalyze the reader beyond detached study and into practical experimentation with his or her expression of spirituality. In this sense, it is a call for us to reclaim our rich spiritual heritage. My desire is to inspire a sense of wonderment, purpose, service, and mission in the gay community… In a sense, it doesn’t matter whether homosexuality is a matter of nature or nurture… whether it’s a choice or not. What does matter is that we are, that we always have been, and that we always will be… The question, then, becomes… What is the queer community, and the world at large, going to do with the reality?” (Pg. xviii)
He continues, “[This book] presents a well-synchronized and diverse chorus of GLBT voices from a wide spectrum of spiritual beliefs and traditions. In it you will hear from queer Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Taoists, Hindus, Wiccans, Druids, and New Agers… You will hear from amazing thinkers, explorers of consciousness, and radical transformers. You will hear from queer meditators, yogis, Sufi dancers, ritualists, teachers, bodyworkers, breathwork practitioners, and other healers. You will hear from an impressive array of artists, politicians, students, volunteers, authors, priests, ministers, rabbis, sheiks… and successful business people who are living and practicing their spiritual beliefs. You will feel their idealism, passion, depth of thought, and commitment to making a difference in the world… This book tells of a growing movement of people who are exploring what it means to be gay and spiritual in a wide variety of ways.” (Pg. xix)
He observes, “What is lacking in the queer community---both among individuals and collectively---is a real sense of self. It’s no wonder, given the rejection, ostracism, and abuse many of us have experienced because of the homophobia still rampant in the world. But while we must continue to relentlessly chip away at the strongholds of sexism, racism, and homophobia, complete societal acceptance, if at all possible, is still years away. Addressing the internalized homophobia at the root of many of our emotional problems and dysfunctional behaviors if now crucial. We can no longer afford to look for acceptance only in external sources but must find it in ourselves. We must take care of ourselves and of our own.” (Pg. 5)
He suggests, “Many gay people use chemical substances like Ecstasy because of the feelings of belonging it generates, as well as a general sense of lovingness, unconditional acceptance of self and others, removal of interpersonal and intrapersonal boundaries, and elimination of self-consciousness… With the ego’s innate defensiveness and its denial and avoidance mechanisms out of the way, the use of Ecstasy can facilitate profound personal insights as well as support deep, meaningful communication between people.” (Pg. 85)
He says, “Coming out is a profoundly spiritual act. Coming out means letting go---letting go of fear; letting go of limitation; letting go of anything and everything that has held us back, or anything we have been grabbing on to. It’s about rejecting the lies, and embracing the truth, whatever the consequences. Coming out is an act of courage, and an act of love; it means relinquishing our self-protection, casting off the illusion of ‘security,’ and allowing ourselves to be who we are, regardless of what anyone else says or thinks we should be or do.” (Pg. 158)
He wonders, “perhaps as a group the queer community is not there yet. I suspect that we need to develop a real sense of identity before we can more beyond it. We need to remember who we are. We need to reclaim our sacred roles. If we are already fulfilling them, we need to recognize and own and name them.” (Pg. 160)
This book will be of interest to LGBT persons, and their supporters.
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December 2, 2010The link between sexuality and spirituality really shakes me. Especially when I realize that my Jewish tradition, like many spiritual pursuits, is very heavily gendered. The interpreted "balance" between genders usually takes on an ethical dimension that can be poetic but problematic in its literal applications.
This book demands that homosexuality be integrated in all traditions. Christian de la Huerta demonstrates the marginalization of homosexuals in just about every tradition- the appendix in the back about major religious and new age understandings of homosexuality is the most valuable piece of this whole book. Repetitively throughout the book he tries to establish traditional roles that GLBTQ people have played in socieities- which was intriguing but too generic and overly romanticized. Overall, his main points are pretty obvious but the little details about how other Queer people practice their faith or express their spirit makes me want to hear more from the mouth of each example.
The continued reflection about sexuality and spirituality in this book inspires a new topic I want to understand a bit more.
This book demands that homosexuality be integrated in all traditions. Christian de la Huerta demonstrates the marginalization of homosexuals in just about every tradition- the appendix in the back about major religious and new age understandings of homosexuality is the most valuable piece of this whole book. Repetitively throughout the book he tries to establish traditional roles that GLBTQ people have played in socieities- which was intriguing but too generic and overly romanticized. Overall, his main points are pretty obvious but the little details about how other Queer people practice their faith or express their spirit makes me want to hear more from the mouth of each example.
The continued reflection about sexuality and spirituality in this book inspires a new topic I want to understand a bit more.
July 11, 2008
This is my number one most loaned out book of all time. Often, I find myself counseling gays, lesbians, and bisexuals on a regular basis to try and help them through the complex, difficult, and painful process of coming out of the closet. Just as this book was the first I bought after coming out myself, and just as it helped me incredibly, I have utilized it to help others. It is a great tool for learning and enjoyment, and the book is very well organized.
I recommend this book to anyone in the closet or recently out, as well as any straight or transgendered person interested in learning more. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.
I recommend this book to anyone in the closet or recently out, as well as any straight or transgendered person interested in learning more. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.
January 10, 2015
An intelligent look at the difference between religion and spirituality. De la Huerta claims one of the reasons why organised religion has problems is that it has turned its back on gay, lesbian, trans-gender and other sexually fluid people - explaining that they used to be the consciousness scouts and sacred functionaries of the past. It also provides a wider definition of being spiritual - like going into therapy - than I've read before.
May 18, 2008
This is my first (and has been my most comprehensive) education on the spiritual roles that gay people have occupied in different religious traditions.
February 19, 2009
a great book for gays/lesbians who are on a spiritual path...
June 30, 2011
This is an extremely important book. It is forthright, intelligent, insightful and heartfelt. I was very moved by the author's courage and humility. A must read!
June 16, 2017
A great read for anyone gay and figuring out their life in the bigger picture of who they are, what they are and where they fit in with their spiritual life.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews