An interfaith dialogue in Jabavu, Soweto, created space for queer people to reflect on faith, sexuality and belonging as part of a build-up activity towards the 22nd Soweto Pride.
For many queer people, faith can be a complicated space—one where spirituality and belonging can exist alongside experiences of exclusion and discrimination. In Jabavu, Soweto, an interfaith dialogue sought to create room for a different conversation: one in which queer people could explore faith, religion and sexuality in a space centred on safety and belonging.
Hosted by the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW) on 23 September at the Ipelegeng Community Centre at St Paul’s Anglican Church, the dialogue formed part of FEW’s build-up activities towards the 22nd Soweto Pride.
FEW partnered with Uthingo Network, the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM), and the Global Interfaith Network (GIN) for the gathering.
The programme brought members of the queer community together to share their experiences and perspectives on faith, while creating an opportunity to question some of the religious narratives that have been used to discriminate against queer people.
Relebogile Setshedi, media and advocacy manager at FEW, said conversations around spirituality and faith were important because many queer people still seek safety and solace in religion.
“Religion has often been used as a tool to incite violence on queer people, so with this dialogue we also broke down the very scripture [that] is always used to spread misinformation about queer identities. We are also aware of the Family Values Conference that will be held in Cape Town in 2027, so this conversation is very important so that queer people can be empowered while we also spread knowledge as well,” Setshedi told MambaOnline.
We All Belong to God
The programme opened with a prayer led by Reverend Nokuthula Dladla of MCC, followed by welcoming remarks from Setshedi. An ice-breaker facilitated by the I AM team’s Gomolemo Lesejane and Maureen Majola invited participants to share their expectations and helped create an open atmosphere.
Lindelani Zuma of Uthingo Network then unpacked queer terminology, giving participants an opportunity to engage with language and concepts around queer identities.
Zuma said partnering with FEW provided an opportunity to reach more people and increase visibility for Uthingo Network’s work.
“I am also excited for the upcoming pride, so let us spread love and come in numbers and support,” Zuma said.
After the break, Reverend Nombulelo Khumalo from I AM led a discussion on biblical scripture that is often used to discriminate against queer people. Khumalo explored the context and moral interpretation of the scripture, encouraging participants to engage critically with how religious texts are understood and used in conversations about sexuality.
For Khumalo, interfaith dialogue is ultimately about recognising a shared sense of humanity and creation despite differences in how people understand or name God.
“Interfaith to me means everyone believing that they are an image made by something beyond them; that is what brings us together as people, just trusting and believing that we are God’s creation, no matter how one chooses to name God, as long as there is a God in their life. We are here to celebrate and honour the bigger and divine being,” Khumalo told MambaOnline.
The conversation appeared to open up a sense of ease among participants, who engaged openly in a space where they could share, listen and learn more about faith and what it means to belong.
For Eudicia Mbanjwa, a participant in the dialogue, the conversation was enlightening enough to make her consider reconnecting with faith.
This captured one of the central themes of the dialogue: that for some queer people, creating a space where faith can be questioned, discussed and approached without judgment may also create an opportunity to reconsider their relationship with spirituality and belonging.
