Justin Lee
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| Justin Lee | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Born: | September 7, 1977 |
| Nationality: | USA |
| Known for: | founder of Gay Christian Network |
| Education: | Wake Forest University |
| Occupation: | LGBT Christian activist, website director |
| Website | |
| Website: | http://www.gaychristian.net |
Justin Lee (born September 8, 1977) is the founder of The Gay Christian Network (GayChristian.net, or GCN), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides resources and support to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians. According to the GCN website, "We also work with churches and other Christian organizations to help educate the Christian community about sexual orientation issues from a Biblical standpoint." Lee founded GCN in August, 2001 to "build a supportive community to support fellow gay Christians in their Christian walks."[1] In an interview for CNN, Lee explained the purpose of the site:
"We're just trying to get people together who experience attraction to the same sex, however they have handled that, and who love Jesus and say, OK, you are welcome here, and then let's pray together and figure out where God wants us to take it."[2]
Lee has publicly commented on the usefulness of online communities in helping minister to the gay Christian community:
"The Internet has made a huge difference in creating a movement [...]. What at first might have seemed a little fringe group is then able to gain momentum as people meet others and discover they’re not alone."[3]
Lee stresses that the site is not a dating site, and that many gays are willing to wait until they are in a committed relationship before they are sexually active.[4]
Lee was raised in a Southern Baptist home and graduated from Wake Forest University in 2000, where he was an active member of the campus InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as well as the Gay-Straight Alliance. In 2006, Lee was a part of the "Gay-to-Straight Debate" on the Dr. Phil Show, and was featured in the New York Times an article titled "Gay and Seeking a Place Among Evangelicals."[5] He has also been a featured guest at conferences on Christianity and homosexuality, such as the Institute for Progressive Christianity's 2007 Symposium. [6]
[edit] Notes
- ^ "About GCN", GayChristian.net. Accessed February 11, 2008.
- ^ Transcript of 18 December 2006 episode of Anderson Cooper 360
- ^ Jeff McMillan, Gays, lesbians join the chastity movement, Associated Press, 31 May 2007
- ^ Joe Crea, Gays left out of abstinence messages: Some choose to wait for "committed relationship", Washington Blade 16 July 2004
- ^ Neela Banerjee, "Gay and Evangelical, Seeking Paths of Acceptance", The New York Times, December 12, 2006. Accessed February 11, 2008.
- ^ Chuck Colbert, Progressive Christians see hope for gay marriage, InNewsweekly.com, 1 March 2007
[edit] See also
- Religion and homosexuality
- History of Christianity and homosexuality
- Queer Theology
- List of LGBT religious organizations
