First published: 16 November 2017

As Britain commemorates 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of male homosexuality in England and Wales, Faith & Fashion explores how and why queer visibility within religious communities remains rarely uncomplicated.

Despite the personal faith and participation of many LGBTQ individuals, most religious cultures and institutions have long suppressed and rejected queer behaviours and individuals. At the same time, religious sensibilities are having an increased impact on the previously secular presumptions of much LGBTQ activism.

Joining LCF’s Professor Reina Lewis to explore how the styled body figures in the relationship between religion, ethnicity, spirituality, and sexualities are: Asad Dhunna, founder of the Big Gay Iftar, hosting all faiths and none for a Ramadan meal during London Pride; the Reverend Sally Hitchiner, co-ordinator of Brunel University’s multifaith chaplaincy and Director of Diverse Church, for LGBT Christians throughout the UK and Ireland; and Dr Sarah-Jane Page, senior lecturer at Aston University, Birmingham, expert on the religious and sexual identities of young people from a range of religious traditions across the UK, and co-author of Religious and Sexual Identities: A Multi-faith Exploration of Young Adults (with Andrew Kay-Tuck Yip).