Belonging, Rejection & Compassionate Curiosity

Content warning: This conversation explores the intersection of faith and LGBTQI+ identity, including the harm caused by rejection from faith communities. We mention suicidality and discuss the deep pain that can result. If you need support, please check the links to support services in the show notes.

Don’t F*ck the Flock isn’t just about calling out sexual abuse in faith communities — it’s a call to do no harm. To all people, and in particular, to those who are already marginalised, rejected, and harmed within society.

Belonging, Rejection & Compassionate Curiosity

A challenge for faith communities to listen, not turn away.

Recently, at the Australian Counselling Conference, a presentation from Beyond Blue highlighted that the latest research shows LGBTQI+ communities in Australia are experiencing loneliness at a disproportionate rate. This made me sad, but not surprised.

You may not agree with someone’s identity, life experience, or relationships based on your theology, but that does not give you permission to isolate people from community.

Silence, exclusion, and conditional acceptance are not neutral. They cause deep wounds. They create loneliness.

If your faith calls you to love, then let that love be visible, not just toward those who think like you, believe like you, or live like you, but especially toward those who don’t, especially toward those who are marginalised, and who often have little to no access to supportive services.

In this episode, I’m honoured to share a raw and courageous conversation with Sam, who shares his experience of navigating rejection, conditional belonging, and the hierarchy of so-called “sins” in faith spaces.

It’s a conversation about compassionate curiosity, and a challenge to those who say “all are welcome” but include an asterisk.

Because too many LGBTQI+ people have been told they must choose:

Faith — or identity.

Community — or authenticity.

Belonging — or truth.

And the cost of inclusion is too often silence, suppression, and shame.

Guest Bio

Sam is a Registered Therapist, Clinical Supervisor at Anchored Counselling Services, and co-founder of The Religious Trauma Collective. She specialises in trauma-informed support for those healing from religious trauma, spiritual abuse, cults, and high-control faith systems. As a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Sam brings warmth, humour, and empathy to her work.

Sam is the host of the Beyond the Surface podcast and the author of her eBook, A Shattered Sanctuary: From Fellowship to Freedom. She also created the Embracing Queerness & Faith workbook and two self-paced practitioner courses: Understanding Religious Trauma and Religious Trauma & The LGBTQIA+ Community.

Support Hotlines:

Link to all support hotlines in NSW, Australia: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/services/Pages/support-contact-list.aspx

Link to USA hotlines:

https://www.apa.org/topics/crisis-hotlines

Contact me:

https://www.jaimesimpsoncounselling.au

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