I was just wondering, of all the "Christian denominations," which tend to be generally more accepting of the LGBT community? Have you any experience with these; what would you consider to be the primary differences between the denominations which are more accepting as opposed to the less accepting (to put it mildly)? As always, keep it civil.
I am not too versed in this, but I know "Disciples of Christ" voted in 2013 on the issue and came out with this Disciples of Christ Church Votes to Affirm Homosexuality, Transgenderism; Allows Openly Gay Leaders This varies - I actually work at a DoC church. I am not out, but we do have an openly gay couple that goes and everyone is very warm and welcoming to them. They do also serve in the church in leadership roles. We are still in a VERY red state and of course have people that do not agree with it, but are still very respectful. (in the church) I don't know much about the Episcopalians, but they have been very vocal about accepting LGBT members. I know quite a few of them myself and they are very welcoming! I am not out myself, but it is comforting to know that there is support out there amongst churches. ESPECIALLY in this area of the country.
Generally, I know the United Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Methodists (mostly), Episcopalians (mostly), and Unitarian Universalist Christians are all generally very accepting churches.
A couple of points: 1. I would definitely search http://www.gaychurch.org/ for listings in your area. 2. The official stance of the United Methodist Church isn't affirming...yet. They are having a big fight. However, you can certainly find churches that have tolerant undertones. Typically, the closer a Methodist Church is to an urban area, the more gay-friendly they are. 3. There's also the Metropolitan Community Church denomination. You will find that the majority of attendees are LGBT. 4. Don't forget certain non-denominational churches. Many of these have broken away from their faith communities to form their own small churches. There are several that I know that have split from the Catholic Church. 5. Sometimes, it is a pure numbers game. The more churches in a major urban area, the more likely you will find some in the city proper that are affirming. 6. If you are looking to know of other online LGBT Christian communities, I do know a couple and can share them with you privately.
The United Church of Canada is very gay affirming. The Presbyterian Church in the USA is also; opinions are very split in the Presbyterian Church of Canada. A few Mennonite congregations welcome gays.
To be honest, the ones most in favour of the rights of LGBT people (say, the Swedish Lutheran Church) tend to be rather weak on religion. They hold the basic principles espoused by Christianity, but they often more or less openly reject clear biblical teachings in the understanding that their Christianity has evolved with other institutions, such as democracy and the legal system, or cultural changes like the sexual revolution. It would be a religious question I can't answer as to whether it is more religiously legitimate to prioritise the perceived essence or the particulars of the text. The Roman Catholic Church is less flexible and more focused on religious texts themselves, which is true of many anti-LGBT churches. I wonder if a church's being limited to a single nation (and its diaspora) simultaneously frees and limits it; on the one hand, it has the ability to adapt to its cultural circumstances very well, while on the other it is a slave to the Zeitgeist. The RCC often has to make tough decisions regarding popularity and cultural relevance; what loses it active followers in countries like Austria or the United States increases its legitimacy in conservative Africa. And to some extent the highest levels of the leadership of the RCC, whose importance both political and religious is unparalleled in other denominations and thus their closeness to everyday people is reduced, tend to have been secluded from what might be called the "real world" by the time they reach such exalted positions. For better or worse, it's much easier for a theologian to address the Bible outside of the constraints of presentism when the seat of that church is so old-fashioned and insular. The cultural context of a church seems to me the most likely to encourage LGBT-friendly leaders, but I don't think that stems from religion itself. It seems far more likely to me that a church operating in a liberal society would have leaders who hold those liberal principles due to more secular influences and interpret their religion accordingly than it is likely that a purely religious change has occurred in the newer interpretations of homosexuality.