Marsha Stevens is a lesbian Christian singer, who met her partner, Cindy at church, after a long struggle to reclaim her life because she lost everything when she came out as a lesbian to the Christian community.

1) How did you come out of the closet about being a lesbian to the Christian community?

Marsha: I was in Christian ministry when I came out in 1980. It was overwhelming and I can attach a sort of short version of that story below. Basically, for several years, I lost everything - my job (as a Christian singer), my home, my car, my kids (in California, where they said it couldn't happen to you). It took a long time to regain things. I got my daughter back after 9 months, and my son back after 7 years. I started singing for the church again (although, this time it was the MCC congregation) after 5 years. It just took a while.

Cindy didn’t have to come out to the Christian community since the only Christian community she had known was the one at the "gay" church.  She did have to come out to her big Italian Catholic family. But they stood by her even when she thought they wouldn't - plus her Mom really loves me!

2) What struggles did you have with accepting your sexuality because of your faith?

Marsha Gosh, I'm not sure I can do that one justice here.  Let me paste a couple of letters I've written to people who asked me that because of crises in their own faith walks:  Let's start with how I answer hate mail :-)

"Dear Brother/Sister in Christ, I’m always sad when people don't feel they can sign their emails to me.  I really do try to be approachable. I also try to be careful to reply to any emails I receive though, so here we go!

I'm glad you did as Jesus instructed us to do and came to me directly - that's pretty cool, even if it’s anonymously. I think you and I simply disagree on one doctrine. I don't mind sharing my understanding of that with you, but I don't think it's likely you and I are going to agree on this one issue.  That's too bad, because I'll bet there’s a whole lot we DO agree on. I definitely rely on Christ and His atonement ALONE to make me whole and holy and to forgive my sins. I absolutely believe that I (and all of us) must be born again by the Spirit of God as Jesus taught in John 3. And there is no part of the Bible I don't believe. I simply don’t believe the Bible teaches homosexuality is a sin. The Greek word for homosexuality doesn’t even appear in Scripture.

Like all Christians, I’m often asked to give an answer, a reason for the hope that's within me. :)  (Although 1Peter 3:15 also says to do that with gentleness and respect, so let me be sure I do that, too.)  Romans is a pretty easy answer. Let's be careful not to start with verse 26, since that verse starts with "because of this" or "for this cause." For what cause? Because "although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened...and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles...THEREFORE" all this other stuff happened. Not only that, but the fruit of all this comes out in verse 29 "They became filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful. They invent ways of doing evil. They disobey their parents, they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless." So, if someone sort of intimates that this sounds like me, I feel a little defensive. No, I don't feel like that. I love the Lord, serve Jesus, share about him with others and try to honor him in all that I am and do. I've never understood why people assume this is a condemnation of all homosexuality. I mean, what if the Scripture said that because they hated God and worshiped idols, they were given over to all kinds of depravity and men and women burned with lust for each other and treated each other in abusive and shameful ways? Would you understand from that, that all heterosexuality was bad? Or would it be burning with lust and treating each other abusively that was the problem?

I pretty much see the other 4 or 5 places that some people believe condemn homosexuality in the same light. I believe the Word condemns lust, unfaithfulness, hurting one another, abusing the messengers of God, rape and cowardice and I think that's all those Scriptures are addressing. And when we get to "abominations," I think it's important to realize that if we're quoting Leviticus, it also says that pork, lobster and any number of things we do or partake of today are also "abominations." But when we get to what things are an abomination to God - things that God hates, Proverbs 6:16-19 lists seven of them, culminating with "those who sow division among the brethren." For some reason, I hardly ever hear that quoted!