In a groundbreaking effort to bridge long-standing divides between religious groups and LGBTQ+ communities, the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC), in collaboration with Rainbow Faith and Freedom, Global Interfaith Network (GIN), Christ Church Vineyard Town and the University of the West Indies’ Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Unit, hosted a Symposium on Faith and Sexuality on June 19 at the UWI Regional Headquarters in Mona. Under the theme Faith and Sexuality in the Jamaican Context – How Might the Two Walk Together?, the symposium which took an interfaith perspective, brought together faith leaders from a range of faith traditions; theologians, LGBTQ+ advocates, and community members in a historic space of dialogue, reflection, and healing. Presenters were drawn from international and local theology scholars, local church leaders and LGBT persons. The event explored inclusive theological approaches, scriptural interpretation and practical approaches to inclusive pastoral care. Participants also heard real-life testimonies of Jamaicans reconciling their spiritual and sexual identities.
Findings from a 2023 UNDP LGBT Survey show that while 71% of Jamaican LGBTQ+ persons identify with a faith or belief system, 73% have never disclosed their sexual or gender identity to a religious leader, and 25% report discrimination at places of worship. Furthermore, 72% of respondents reported having never seen any programme or awareness campaign addressing discrimination based on religion and belief. The symposium directly responded to these alarming realities. “This conversation is long overdue,” said Ivan Cruickshank, Executive Director of CVC. “Religion plays a significant role in the lives of most Jamaicans and importantly it shapes public attitudes on a range of issues. But for far too long, it has also been used as a tool of exclusion. This symposium was about challenging that narrative and positioning faith as a vehicle for inclusion, justice, and love.”
Through panel discussions, plenaries, and dialogue circles, participants tackled themes such as reframing harmful religious narratives, inclusive pastoral care, and the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ Jamaicans within faith communities. “What we saw was transformative,” Cruickshank continued. “People of faith and members of the LGBTQ+ community sitting side by side, not in opposition, but in a quest for understanding and a shared humanity. The courage to have these difficult conversations is what will ultimately lead to more compassionate, inclusive spaces across Jamaica.”
Participants described the event as “eye-opening,” “long overdue,” and “life-affirming.” Founder and Executive Director of Rainbow Faith and Freedom Reverend Brent Hawks welcomed the symposium as a major step forward for both the Jamaican LGBTQ+ and religious communities. “It’s amazing to see such a diversity of people coming together and talking about faith and sexuality issues and I think it’s another step in that journey towards us confronting religious-based discrimination and I’m very excited to be here to witness it.”
Meanwhile, Reverend Marvia Lawes, senior pastor of the Sligoville Circuit of Baptist Churches who was one of the day’s panel moderators highlighted a need to challenge traditional readings of scripture as a path to deeper understanding. She pointed to a session where a non-traditional interpretation of a popular text was explored. “I love the part where Father Sean Major Campbell took a text and treated with it in such a way that opened the eyes of individuals to say that you can go beyond the usual traditional ways of reading the Bible, especially when the traditional ways have been harmful, that there are legitimate, valid ways to read otherwise,” she said. For many of the LGBT participants, it was the first time they had seen their faith and identity embraced in the same room.
The Faith and Sexuality Symposium was part of CVC’s broader Jamaica Faith Project, which aims to reduce religious-based discrimination by engaging faith leaders, families, and communities to build more inclusive environments for all. CVC hopes this symposium will mark the beginning of a national conversation and a shift in how religious institutions engage marginalized groups, especially LGBTQ+ people of faith.
