With Open Arms: Gay Affirming Ministries
in Bay Area Faith Communities

The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund is committed to supporting projects that affirm the dignity and equality of diverse populations in the Bay Area. As part of our work to eliminate discrimination against lesbians, gay men and their families we have focused resources to support the freedom to marry, end violence against gay youth, provide legal protections in employment, housing and public services, and to promote full participation in communities of faith.

We recognize that many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people both involve themselves in religion and are helping to shape the larger American cultural landscape regarding issues relating to homosexuality, religion, and the full enfranchisement of LGBT people. To better understand the experiences of LGBT people in chosen religious communities in the Bay Area, the Haas Jr. Fund commissioned the enclosed research With Open Arms, Gay Affirming Ministries in Bay Area Faith Communities.

In the report, author Bernard Schlager, consultant to the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at Pacific School of Religion, examines how local religious communities have developed supportive ministries for LGBT people. He also outlines strategies to further promote gay affirming congregations and increase dialogue about LGBT issues within larger denominational groups.

Religious life is a potent influence in American culture. By addressing homophobia in this arena, we have an opportunity to help LGBT people gain full acceptance within our society. The research in this study reveals that LGBT people in the Bay Area have deep connections to religious communities here and report a high level of acceptance in them.

We are pleased to share this research and hope it serves to inspire others to help create welcoming, affirming congregations.

With Open Arms Report:

• Executive Summary [PDF]
• Chapter 1: Introduction [PDF]
• Chapter 2: Scope and Methodology of Study [PDF]
• Chapter 3: Participating Individuals and Congregations [PDF]
• Chapter 4: What Makes A Congregation Welcoming And Affirming? [PDF]
• Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations [PDF]
• Appendix A: Profiles of Participating Bay Area Congregations [PDF]
• Appendix B: List of California Welcoming Churches [PDF]
• Appendix C: List of Bay Area Welcoming Churches [PDF]
• Appendix D: List of LGBT Religious Caucuses By Denomination [PDF]
• Appendix E: List of LGBT-Affirming Synagogues In California [PDF]

The above literature is available for download in Adobe's Portable Document Format [PDF]. Click here to download Adobe's PDF Reader.