GLOWFriends Email Community

This community consists of Christians who have a primary attraction to their own sex but believe that sexual activity is to be confined to heterosexual marriage. Subscribers support and encourage each other in sexual chastity, whether single or heterosexually marred. They may or may not identify as gay or lesbian. While these lists are not meant to be a forum to discuss whether or not gay sex is appropriate, it being generally assumed that it is not, honest questions regarding biblical principles are welcome.

Subscribers come from a variety of Christian backgrounds and include some gay-friendly straight people as well as a some gay or lesbian persons who are not convinced that gay sex is wrong. Most subscribers are single, and some are married, being the gay partners in a gay-straight marriage. Mutual respect is upheld, and Posting Guide Lines are the same for all lists.

Dreams and Convictions

1. As a group of Christians we subscribe to the Apostles' Creed and recognize that our salvation is only in Christ.
   
   
2. God has shown unconditional love to us long before we responded to Him. God does not abandon us when we sin, but He raises us up again. 
   
   
3. We want this to be a community where members can share even very personal things -- joys, sorrows, pain, victories and defeats -- without fear of being judged or receiving unsolicited criticism. 
   
   
4. We understand that same-gender attractions (which are generally considered homosexual) are real and not just a chosen behavior. They are an integral part of an individual and morally neutral. 
   
   
5. We believe that God designed sex to be a component of the life-long bond between one man and one woman. Thus the main thrust of this mailing list is the support of gay and lesbian persons but not of gay sexual activity. However, we deplore the attitude that gay sexual activity is somehow worse than heterosexual activity outside of the covenantal bond of marriage.
   
   
6. God alone is competent to judge the heart of another. Thus persons involved in sin of any sort should not meet with condemnation, but with love and compassion, as it is only thus that anyone can begin to understand the unconditional love of the Savior -- the only One that can meet the love-hunger of the soul.
   
   
7. We believe that witnessing to what God has done in our own lives is God's chosen method of proclaiming the Good News -- as incorporated in our name: God's Love - Our Witness. Preaching and proclamation is secondary and is not the focus of this list.
   
   
8. It is our dream that subscribers will find such loving support in this list that they will be freed to grow into their God-given potential in Christ. We hope that the atmosphere on this list will facilitate "bearing one another's burdens," encouraging one another and lifting each other up in prayer. 
   
   
9. We also dare to dream that the support of this list may give some subscribers the courage to be "out" to their fellow church members in such a manner as to gain their understanding and respect. This would fulfill our dream that there would be role models for our young people to follow when they discover that they, too, have same-gender erotic attractions.
   
   
10. While this mailing list is mainly meant to support individuals who are convinced of the biblical ideal of sex being reserved for heterosexual marriage, it is open to those who are not thus convinced, providing they won't be offended by testimonies of those who are and will be respectful of their views. IOW, we don't expect subscribers to this list to post messages in support of gay sexual activity of any kind -- even in a monogamous union.