Holy Queer engages this question directly from scripture, tradition, and lived experience. Rev. Karmen Michael Smith argues that the condemnation many queer people have received is not faithful to the full witness of scripture, and that God's love is not conditional on sexuality or gender identity.

Can you be gay and Christian?

Yes. Holy Queer makes the theological and scriptural case for the full belonging of LGBTQ people in Christian faith. The book explores how Black queer Christians have held faith and identity together — not in spite of each other, but because of each other.

Does God hate gay people?

No. Holy Queer argues that the God revealed in scripture is a God of love, liberation, and belonging — not condemnation. The book explores how religious rejection has distorted the gospel and what restoration looks like.

Rev. Karmen Michael Smith

HOLY
QUEER

The Coming Out of Christ

A Black queer gospel.

A work of Black queer theology, memoir, spiritual reflection, and prophetic witness that explores faith, belonging, identity, scripture, liberation, and the possibility that God may be larger than the stories many of us inherited.

Buy the Book Explore the Questions

Named one of Religion News Service's Top Religion & Spirituality Books of 2023

Holy Queer: The Coming Out of Christ — book cover by Rev. Karmen Michael Smith

Top Religion Book · Religion News Service · 2023

Barnes & Noble · Apple Books · Audible

Recognition & Public Witness

Holy Queer has been featured by Religion News Service, praised by Cornel West and Gary Dorrien, named among notable religion and spirituality books of 2023, preached into public witness at The Riverside Church Pride Sunday, and carried into university, podcast, and public-theology conversations across the country.

Press & Media → Recognition → Receipts Timeline → Events → Podcasts → Reviews → FAQ →

A Black Queer Theological Witness

A Black Queer Theological Witness from Inside the Black Church

Holy Queer: The Coming Out of Christ is not simply a book about inclusion. It is a Black queer theological witness from inside the house that formed Rev. Karmen Michael Smith: the Black church, its music, its contradictions, its prophetic fire, and its long history of asking queer people to serve while denying them the dignity of being fully seen.

Rooted in liberation theology, Black prophetic Christianity, queer spiritual survival, and the lived experience of being a minority within a minority, Holy Queer names what many Black LGBTQ+ Christians have carried in silence. It insists that queer people are not an exception to divine love. They are evidence of it.

Explore Black Queer Theology View Press & Receipts

"This powerful and insightful book exemplifies a deep Black prophetic Christian witness..."

— Cornel West

"Holy Queer is beautiful, haunting, disruptive, prophetic, and healing..."

— Gary Dorrien

A Book That Refused to Ask Permission

Holy Queer is a work of Black queer theology, memoir, spiritual reflection, and prophetic witness that explores faith, belonging, identity, scripture, liberation, and the possibility that God may be larger than the stories many of us inherited.

It is for those who have been told their love is incompatible with faith. For those who left the church because the church left them first. For those still holding both — love and faith — without permission, without apology, without certainty. And for those asking: what does belonging actually feel like?

Critical Acclaim

What the voices said.

"This powerful and insightful book exemplifies a deep Black prophetic Christian witness that will touch souls, change minds, and transform the lives of all of us..."

— Cornel West

"Holy Queer is beautiful, haunting, disruptive, prophetic, and healing... fashioned in the brave-as-hell style of bell hooks..."

— Gary Dorrien

Named one of Religion News Service's Top Religion & Spirituality Books of 2023.

About the Author

Rev. Karmen Michael Smith

Rev. Karmen Michael Smith is an author, public theologian, and founder of Emerging Human Lab whose work explores faith, identity, liberation, belonging, and what it means to become fully human in public life.

He is the creator of the Cine-Sermon, founder of Poor Culture, Inaugural Director of the Center for Community Engagement & Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary, and a Federal DEI Appointee under the Biden-Harris Administration. Inductee, MLK Board of Preachers, Morehouse College.

Also the author of Stranded and The 4 Laws of Disruption.

Visit KarmenMichael.com Invite Karmen to Speak

HOLY
QUEER

A Black Queer Theological Witness from Inside the Black Church

The questions this book was written to answer.

What the voices said.

Get Holy Queer.

Rev. Karmen Michael Smith

Some books answer questions.
Some books create new ones.
Holy Queer continues to do both.

HOLYQUEER

A Black Queer Theological Witness from Inside the Black Church

The questions this book was written to answer.

What the voices said.

Get Holy Queer.

Rev. Karmen Michael Smith

Some books answer questions.Some books create new ones.Holy Queer continues to do both.

HOLY
QUEER

Some books answer questions.
Some books create new ones.
Holy Queer continues to do both.