June is declared to be Pride month for the LGBTQ+ community. As such, gender, sex, and marriage are frequent talking points in our culture right now. What is a basic Christian understanding of these issues? What does the Bible teach?

For several years, LGBTQ advocates have tried to get the Equality Act passed through Congress. This would amend numerous pieces of legislation to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. It also prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act as a legal defense if someone were to allege discrimination. Conversely, defenders of religious liberty rights have sought to strengthen the rights of individuals to act according to their conscience.

On February 25, 2021, the House of Representatives passed the Equality Act, which seeks to add sexual orientation and gender identity protections to existing civil rights legislation. This has raised concerns about conflicts between these newly recognized rights of LGBTQ Americans with the religious liberty rights of Christian (and some Muslim and Jewish) businesses, schools, nonprofits, and even places of worship.

LGBTQ+ issues are often at the forefront of Christian engagement with culture. Using preferred pronouns for transgender people is no exception and has become the subject of controversy. Some Christians refuse to call a person by a pronoun that does not align with their birth-assigned gender while others insist that using preferred pronouns is the loving thing to do. What does the Bible say about this? Should Christians ever use a preferred pronoun that does not align with the person’s birth gender?

During the campaign, Joe Biden made a commitment that his presidential cabinet and appointments would “look like America.” Presuming that his nominees are confirmed, he is on track to have the most diverse presidential cabinet in U.S. history. Diversity is one of those words that we hear often in our culture today. As diversity continues to grow, how should Christians think about diversity? Is it inherently a good thing? And how does unity fit into the picture?

The question of transgender participation in the athletic category of their preferred gender is of significant debate. Many suggest that the allowance or disallowance is discriminatory and unfair to transgender athletes (those who do not identify with their birth-assigned gender) or cisgender athletes (those who do identify with their birth-assigned gender). These concerns can be addressed through the use of both Scripture and scientific evidence.

Over the past few months, statements made by Pope Francis have lead to confusion and division in the Catholic church regarding same-sex civil unions and the seriousness of the Bible’s prohibition on homosexuality. How can Christians love others, promote unity in the church, and hold fast to truth in the wake of the Pope’s statements?

A majority of U.S. Christians now say that homosexuality should be accepted. What does the Bible say about this? Can a Christian truly practice homosexuality and be in line with the Bible?