How Science Fiction Can Bridge The Gap Between the LGBTQIA Community and the Church
The Communications Breakdown Between the LGBTQIA Community and the Church
There are few places where the mainstream American church’s communication is as broken as in its relationship with the LGBTQIA community (Throughout the essay, I will mainly use the inclusive term LGBTQIA. I may use other terms on occasion, when writers I am referencing have used them). Attempting to hold up the truth, many churches cut themselves off from people of this community. Attempting to balance truth and love, many more churches create a confusing and unstable environment surrounding the subject that many people of the LGBTQIA community would rather not become entangled with. The fault does not lay entirely on the side of the church, however. Both groups come to the table with political agendas, unresolved personal history, and fears of attack and persecution. When church members, or LGBTQIA people, or LGBTQIA church members attempt to initiate conversation under these conditions, it often ends in a stalemate, or devolves into violent and ungracious discourse. One example of this can be seen in these articles on the transgender bathroom debate by Christian fundamentalist leader Dr. James Dobson, who founded Focus on the Family, and copy chief of The Advocate Trudy Ring , who is notable for reporting on the LGBT movement throughout her career.
There is a growing desire among both communities for a more beneficial communication, or as evangelical Christian author Andrew Marin calls it, an “elevated conversation”. Marin himself is the author of the book Love is an Orientation, and founder of The Marin Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to, “building bridges between the LGBTQ community and communities of faith”.
The Marin Foundation conducted the first scientific study of the spiritual life and practices of LGBTQIA people , which found that many in the community are open to returning to church and other faith communities. It is imperative, then, that the church move towards a higher form of communication with those in our communities and circles who identify on the LGBTQIA spectrum.
However, during a politically tense era of American history, we must find creative and non-threatening ways to begin the conversation about Christ with people who are afraid and tired of having to defend themselves, their ideals, and their lifestyles. This kind of communication will take an immense amount of creativity. I am hopeful that this next generation of believing communicators has the imagination and desire to begin to bridge the gulf. My personal suggestion in this essay is only one of many myriad mediums that can be engaged to build a community of faith that LGBTQIA people can enter into.
I believe science fiction can be a platform for constructive conversation between the Christian church and the LGBTQIA community.
The Power and Bias of Science Fiction as a Literary Genre
If we desire to explore the medium of science fiction as a platform for deeper communication with the LGBTQIA community, we must first define what science fiction is. What are its strengths and weaknesses, borders and boundaries? What biases does it have as a genre?
One of the most notable scholars in the field of science fiction is Darko Suvin. His Metamorphoses of Science Fiction has been a standard of literary studies of the genre since its publication in 1979. Suvin suggests that science fiction is the “literature of cognitive estrangement” (Suvin 4), meaning that it takes a “novum”, or novel concept, and introduces it into an established field of scientific study. He suggests that the representative subgenre of science fiction is Utopia, which is a literary exploration of various “novums” in the field of social and political science.As an analyst coming from a position of faith, Frederick Kreuziger suggests that science fiction’s root form is Apocalypse, and that it fulfills a similar function in “secular” culture to the Revelation of John in the Biblical canon. I do not agree that science fiction need be a “secular” form. For further discussion of the concepts of sacred and secular in art and media, I would like to refer you to the work of my classmate, Lindsey Ponder.One similarity between these two models of science fiction is that they both revolve around change. Suvin’s Utopian model postulates about how people might react under an entirely different societal system from our own. Kreuziger’s Apocalyptic model focuses on how people would respond to the destruction of society and culture, and what might be developed in the aftermath of such destruction.
At the heart of science fiction lies human reaction to change in society, science and technology, or culture.
It is important to note that “human” in the above definition can refer to literal humanity, or metaphorical humanity represented by aliens, or robots, or some other type of character. The “human” reaction can take place on an individual level, or a societal level. Therefore, science fiction is biased toward an expression of the hopes, fears, and ideas of people trying to make sense of a changing world. Since its tendency is to bend the status quo, and imagine tomorrows with structures that are vastly different from established structures, the most compelling science fiction is often written and circulated in groups that are suppressed by mainstream culture.
Science Fiction and LGBTQIA Representation
LGBTQIA people have been part of the science fiction fan community since long before they were able to have a visible presence in mainstream U.S. culture. In fact, science fiction fan magazines were, in the 1940s, an important means of communication for LGBT people. Early science fiction magazines based out of Los Angeles became a sort of testing ground for future LGBT magazines, and many early activists and writers got their starts in SF magazines.The LGBTQIA community continues to be a strong presence within science fiction and genre fiction fandoms today. Whether it be through anthologies that publish SF specifically by LGBTQIA authors, or magazine issues dedicated to queer topics and writers , the voices and hopes of LGBTQIA people are frequently expressed through the genre of science fiction. There is even an award for the best gay, lesbian, and queer works of science fiction each year .Though I have focused on literature so far in this essay, the LGBT community is represented across a variety of mediums in science fiction. Recently, the revival of classic British SF serial Doctor Who has featured a host of LGBTQIA writers and characters. American children’s cartoon Steven Universe also works to foster understanding about the LGBT+ community through the main alien characters the Gems, and their unique on-screen relationships.
The American Church and Science Fiction
Overall, the Church in America has been far more hesitant in its production and consumption of science fiction. This hesitation is doubtlessly in part due to the fact that evolutionary theory was, from its popularization by Charles Darwin in 1859, to at least the late 1970s, the main theory of origins that science fiction propagated. However, I believe that the American church also may not have seen the value in science fiction because of the privileged status it has held in American culture since the inception of the United States. The Christian church has always been a powerful institution in the United States. A group that feels safe and secure with the present order will be indifferent to, if not hostile to a genre that dreams of upsetting that order, and installing a new one.One of the few examples of Christians involved in science fiction is British author C.S. Lewis, whose Space Trilogy, published between 1938 and 1945, can be found in the mainstream science fiction aisles of most bookstores, and has been widely read by fans inside and outside of the church. It came out over seventy years ago.However, in the last few decades, the number of American Christians who value science fiction has grown. The cultural and analogical importance of the genre has not been lost on such believers as the hosts of “Christian Geek” podcast Strangers and Aliens, newly formed publishing house The Crossover Alliance, and collaborative media review blog Geeks Under Grace .
Perhaps as the American church continues to recognize that the United States is not the promised future kingdom that she looks forward to, and that a different and better world is coming, she will be more inclined to be involved in experiencing and creating science fiction.
Science Fiction as a Point of Contact
The SF fandom is already bringing people from the church and people from the LGBTQIA community together in places where they would not otherwise connect, such as fan websites, forums, magazines, movie theaters, and conventions. With the current political tensions between the two groups, science fiction fandom can be a great, neutral ground for people to begin developing friendships with one another.This connection also has the potential to hinder communication between the two groups. If people meet each other prepared for a fight, or in fear of rejection and resentment, the fandom will be divided into factions. Therefore, as Christians enter and interact with the science fiction fandom, we must do so with a spirit of humility, and willingness to understand.
Science Fiction as a Means of Understanding
Science fiction does not often give all its answers and ideas straightforwardly. In fact, it makes for poor storytelling when an author or creator explicitly states their opinions and ideals. Subtlety is a key to meaningful SF stories. Therefore, believers must not be surprised when our favorite stories and characters are interpreted in different ways by people in the LGBTQIA community. In fact, becoming familiar with these different interpretations is a fantastic way to begin to understand what other people really believe, and what their hopes for the future are.When writing science fiction, we should strive to create characters who are fully formed human beings, rather than stereotypes, or mere talking heads for the messages we want to get across. I do believe that Christians can and should portray LGBT+ characters in their stories in some cases. Writing well-rounded characters forces writers to get into the mindset of people that are vastly different from them. For further discussion on storytelling for the purpose of understanding, I encourage you to read the work of my classmate Anna Lanier.I am not suggesting that we create science fiction to cater to LGBT+ community. We should be very careful about writing science fiction to “reach” the LGBTQIA community. Without engagement and understanding of the people we are writing for, we tend to make no impact, or worse yet, to offend and alienate those we want to reach.
Perhaps instead of creating SF for people of the LGBTQIA community, those interested in communicating through this genre should create with them.
A practical step might be the creation of an online or print science fiction magazine featuring the voices of Christians, non-Christian LGBTQIA people, and LGBTQIA Christians. The goal in all of this is to create a culture in which people of various backgrounds and orientations can feel safe to express themselves, think, and grow in, and ultimately to reflect what the kingdom of heaven is like.
Science Fiction as an Invitation
The ultimate goal of our art and interactions is to invite people who are alienated from God into a restored relationship with Him and into His kingdom.
As a result of recent political turmoil, we have an even greater opportunity to interact with the LGBTQIA community through science fiction. Many LGBTQIA people feel discouraged, dismayed, and even afraid because of the results of the most recent presidential election. Science fiction enables them to hope for a future in which they need not feel this way anymore, and to express their fears about what the future might become if things remain the same. Our participation in and understanding of this imagining can be a powerful witness, and a divine invitation.If we desire to create a church environment into which LGBT people feel safe entering, whether or not they agree with our theology, we must first develop healthy relationships focused on mutual understanding and unconditional love. While science fiction is obviously not the only way to foster these relationships, and cannot be the only aspect to them, it is a good culture-building resource through which we can cultivate understanding, and invite our LGBTQIA friends and family into a future that is far better than anything we can currently imagine.
Works Cited:
Kreuziger, Frederick A. The Religion of Science Fiction. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State U Popular, 1986. Print.Marin, Andrew P. Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2009. Print.Suvin, Darko. Metamorphoses of Science Fiction: On the Poetics and History of a Literary Genre. New Haven: Yale UP, 1979. Print.