Writer and advocate, Eliel Cruz, has launched an LGBT-themed blog for Religion News Service called "Faithfully LGBT." His first post, introducing himself, went up today on the Religion News Service site.
Cruz has been active on several fronts of LGBT advocacy. He has been an advocate for LGBT inclusion in the Seventh Day Adventist Church, where he is an active member. He has organized LGBT-supportive organizations at Seventh Day Adventist universities around the country, encouraging LGBT students to share their story and be supported by their allied classmates.
Additionally, Cruz has been an advocate for bisexual visbility both within and outside of the LGBT community. He has written about bisexual issues for The Advocate Magazine. He's also written about race, Christianity, and bisexuality for Mic.com, The Huffington Post, Everyday Feminism, and several more outlets.
Cruz is not the first LGBT writer to work for Religion News Service. However, his focus on LGBT issues, religion, and how they intersect in our culture, will give a unique perspective as someone who is working actively within the LGBT and Christian cultures. As Cruz writes:
I never thought I would be writing about the intersections of religion, sexuality, and gender. After gaining one too many scars from the Church’s treatment of LGBT people, I had reconciled my faith and sexuality and was ready to leave the war zone that is the “Christian vs. LGBT” debate. As someone who is part of both communities, that war zone can produce a lot of friendly fire. But God had a different plan for me.
…
When RNS asked me to become their first LGBT blogger, I’ll admit I was surprised. Mainstream Christian platforms have typically discussed only the most controversial LGBT happenings in the Church and usually from a heterosexual perspective. They wanted a queer perspective to discuss LGBT topics on a regular basis. RNS was asking me to guide readers into the grey.
And from his Twitter feed:
Yeah, I'm that "angry queer" in the xian conversation because i'm tired of my LGBT friends being hurt/ignored/silenced.
— ELIEL CRUZ (@elielcruz) November 3, 2014
Thanks @ArcusLGBT for funding this new LGBT position at @RNShttp://t.co/SoWATceVUp
— ELIEL CRUZ (@elielcruz) November 3, 2014
My First post for @RNS. An intro to me and my new blog "Faithfully LGBT" http://t.co/AJb4je9NTO
— ELIEL CRUZ (@elielcruz) November 3, 2014
@KevinEckstrom@RNS@elielcruz - So glad RNS is including this perspective. I've seen first-hand how positive Eliel's advocacy is. Thanks!
— Daneen Akers (@daneenakers) November 3, 2014
Congratulations Eliel and RNS!