Can Faith and LGBTQ+ Identity Coexist?

By Alexandra Calzadilla

(Alex Shute/Unsplash)

June 16, 2026

MIAMI - Faith can be as frail as a promise and as strong as an oath. Some use faith to pray for good health for others while some pray to damn others into never-ending flames. In the spirit of pride month, the idea of faith becomes a difficult topic of conversation among students. 

Victoria Cuellar, a recent graduate of Miami Dade College, describes that faith ultimately comes down to a person's belief and interpretation although it can still be used to harm LGBTQ+ individuals. Despite not consider herself either religious nor anti-religious, she views faith as an “attempt to explain our existence and our place in the wider universe.” Her perspective highlights that although faith can take many forms for each person, it is up to an individual to choose how they shape their beliefs. Cuellar emphasized the importance of showing kindness and compassion for others. When asked if there were ways for religious groups to support members of the LGBTQ+ community, she said, “When we reduce people to a single aspect of who they are, we risk overlooking the goodness, compassion, and dignity that exist in them as whole human beings.”

Choosing to love differently does not mean that somebody is “hateful” or “sinful.” How others choose to view it is up to their own interpretation. According to Cuellar treating others with kindness should be key to any religious practice as who we love should not be cause for discrimination or hate.

In honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, every June Pride Month is celebrated to recognize the long-lasting impact the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) community has made. The first official pride parade was held in New York City on June 28, 1970, which was the official one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Since then, this one-day celebration has become a one-month series of parades, concerts, parties, and more. Pride Month is not only a celebration of inclusion but a memorial to members of the LGBTQ+ community who have lost their lives to HIV/AIDS or those who have been victims of hate crimes. The spirit of Pride Month is about acceptance, inclusion, and love. However, many LGBTQ+ individuals that come from religious backgrounds have struggled to feel accepted. One of the reasons is shame. 

For Alexa Frederick, another recent graduate of Miami Dade College, this fear of acceptance has infiltrated her life, especially growing up with a Catholic family. Frederick described not feeling accepted when she came out to some friends and family. She described feeling disgusted towards herself when she came out to her parents and friends and explained she felt fear of others finding out. “My church is connected to a school that I attended for 10 years, and in that school, LGBTQ+ was a taboo and banned topic and was very ‘hush hush.’ It was considered dirty or explicit to mention it or depict it in any way,” she said. In Catholic schools, homosexual relationships are something to hide or to feel ashamed. As a result, it stigmatizes kids from a young age, teaching them that being attracted to someone of the same sex is abnormal. It can make them feel ashamed and afraid that they will not be accepted because they are not following the “traditional” path of their religion.

However, Juan Fernandez, psychology student at Florida International University (FIU), believes that religion and sexual orientation can coincide. Fernandez recognized the common stereotype that LGBTQ+ individuals who followed Jewish beliefs were not able to partake in Jewish traditions. As a member of the Jewish faith, he said, “Many LGBTQ+ Jews celebrate Jewish holidays, attend synagogue, and practice their faith just like other Jewish people. They can be both proud of their Jewish identity and their LGBTQ+ identity.” He emphasized that individuals should be able to freely contribute to their religious beliefs if they choose to regardless of their personal identity.

Ultimately, faith should not be used to discriminate or hate someone from the LGBTQ+ community. As Pride Month reminds society of the importance of dignity and equality, the experiences of Cuellar, Frederick, and Fernandez demonstrate that faith and LGBTQ+ values do not have to exist in opposition. Whether faith serves as a source of comfort, community, or personal reflection, its greatest purpose may be to inspire compassion and acceptance.

(Mercedes Mihling/Unsplash)