To be clear about this story, I'm not objecting to the existence of religion. Some people are going to be religious, and that's not something I would try to change.

I object to those religions that choose to demonize and dehumanize LGBTQ people.

It's perfectly possible, as many Christian denominations in the United States demonstrate, to affirm and support LGBTQ people instead.

I mean, there's a vast gulf between Evangelical and Catholic churches, which characterize queer people as abominations and depraved, respectively, and Episcopal churches (among other mainline denominations) that happily ordain LGBTQ ministers and that include LGBTQ bishops in their leadership.

Actually, my values align very closely to the values of progressive Christians, who I think of as true allies, and not just on LGBTQ-specific matters.

I just happen to not believe in the god they believe in. But it doesn't bother me that we don't believe the same thing in that respect.

What bothers me about right-wing Christians is their fierce dehumanizing language to describe queer people like me

What motivated me to write this story was that a Catholic woman told me that fierce dehumanizing language isn't important.

Of course it's important, and her apathy helps explain why the persecution continues.