Dissecting Identity: Internalized Homophobia, Religion, and the Queer Community with Stephen Long

Deep Dive with Shawn C. Fettig

Today, we welcome Stephen Long, the brain behind Sacred Tension Substack and its podcast. We're in for a deep, meaningful discussion about internalized homophobia and how it affects the LGBTQ+ community. But, we're not stopping there, we're delving into the nitty-gritty; the politics of relationships, religion's role in society, and the evolution of identity language. We grapple with the terms "gay" and "queer", and the generational gap in their interpretations.
We discuss the daily struggle of reconciling deep religious beliefs with homosexuality, and how queer people of faith endure a constant battle of making peace with conflicting aspects of identity. We'll also be touching on the complexities of activism and the loss of personal growth caused by internalized homophobia.
To wrap things up, we'll refocus on religion's role in society. We'll bring in perspectives from the Satanic Temple, a non-theistic religious organization emphasizing compassion, empathy, and human rights. We'll dissect the elements of religion, its challenges, and how it can add structure and meaning to lives. This is an episode packed with boundary-pushing conversations, norms challenge, and enough self-reflection to spark meaningful change. Make sure you like and subscribe to Deep Dive with Shawn C. Fettig on your preferred podcast platform; you won't want to miss this one!
Mentioned:
On Liberty – John Stuart Mill
The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State - Graeme Wood
The Identity Trap – Yascha Mounk

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Chapters

1. Navigating Internalized Homophobia and Language Dynamics (00:00:00)

2. Navigating Beliefs and Hospitality in Community (00:15:24)

3. Internalized Homophobia (00:21:59)

4. Exploring the Complexity of Gay Identity (00:35:28)

5. Rejecting Strategic Essentialism, Discussing Religion (00:51:20)

6. Religious Satanism and the Value of Religion (00:59:30)

7. Navigating Religion, Sexuality, and Belonging (01:07:02)