Sharre
My name is Sharre and I am a Black, queer, Christian femme, raised in rural North Carolina.
One day, while I was out with my aunt, my mom found a letter from my girlfriend in my bathroom. She called me crying and wondering where she “went wrong” in my upbringing. When I got back home, she sent me to my grandma’s house.
Grandma sat me down in the kitchen, read me the verses in the Bible that have been used to condemn the LGBTQIA+ community, anointed my head with oil, and prayed that the demon of homosexuality would leave my body.
Pronouns: Sharre/she
Photo of Sharre
I asked God to deliver me from my attraction toward women. Surrounded by people who “loved me” by telling me that who and how I loved was wrong was very damaging. Not only did I hate myself, but I hated God too. I asked people to pray the gay away with me. I kept telling God, “your will be done” at the end of all of my petitions. It seemed God wasn’t moving on my behalf and wasn’t moved by my intercessors.
One day, something changed: God told me that God created me who I was. God’s will for my life was for me to live as a queer person.
I no longer hated who I was and how I loved. I accepted myself. I released the idea that a demon was inhabiting my body and embraced the fact that I was created in the image of my very creative Creator who has a boundless capacity to love and connect.
I was able to get to this point because I listened for God's voice and connected with others; I want that for everyone who is doubting their Goodness.
Photo of Sharre
