Content note: This article contains detailed discussion of homophobia, transphobia and conversion therapy, and includes testimonies which make reference to misogyny, ableism and sexual assault
In Lent Term, Cambridge saw CICCU, the Intercollegiate Christian Union, run its events week, on the theme of Pursuit. The promise of free food, interesting discussion and a warm community brought many to their doors - that is, to the doors of Holy Trinity, an Anglican church with openly homophobic leadership frequented by many CICCU members.
Less than a week after Pursuit drew to a close, the leaders of Cambridge’s favourite student churches opposed the government’s proposed ban on conversion therapy in an open letter. Among 2546 signatories were ministers and pastoral workers at Holy Trinity and St Andrew the Great (StAG), along with leaders from several other Cambridge churches.
The government is suggesting that “legitimate talking therapies [...] do not start from the basis that being LGBT is a defect or deficiency”. The signatories, on the other hand, believe that “internal desires to commit sexual sin, [...] of which LGBT inclinations are only one form, are certainly defects and deficiencies”.
“Ideas promoted by these church leaders ... match what the government believes to be harmful to LGBTQ+ people”
The open letter includes tone-deaf remarks such as claiming that the “current transgender phenomenon” has come about “through a combination of popular culture, peer pressure and social media influence [leading young people] to believe that in some mysterious sense they do not belong to their biological sex”. Not only does this deny the scientific consensus that trans identities are valid, it misleads members of these churches into believing that their transgender family members, friends, or even selves, are part of a passing “phenomenon”.
What this nauseatingly shows is that the ideas promoted by these church leaders - whose congregations CICCU encourages students to attend - match what the government believes to be harmful to LGBTQ+ people. The evidence suggests the same, as the following statements, provided by Cambridge students, demonstrate.
One student, who identifies as as queer, shared that their friends at Holy Trinity and StAG “passed [the open letter] off as an unimportant issue”. One of their friends, who runs a student small group at StAG, said “he felt [they were] being “unfair” on StAG and [that] conversion therapy could be a very loving thing”, leaving the student feeling “ostracised from the christian community and from people [they] used to consider friends”.
Mary, President of Student Christian Movement Cambridge (SCM), recalls hearing talks by Rebecca McLaughlin, author of Confronting Christianity, at StAG and CICCU events where McLaughlin “never went so far as to say she had been ‘converted’ to heterosexuality, but it was heavily implied”, such that “she was able to present an incredibly homophobic argument in a way that could never be challenged, because it was allegedly her own story [...].” Stories of LGBTQ+ self-identification were weaponised to tell queer folk in the congregation that they too could change, could suppress their feelings.” It was at SCM that Mary found an alternative, LGBTQ+-affirming view, and could “see the scale of harm and mental distress that this abusive theology has had on people”.
A straight LGBTQ+ ally was told they couldn’t lead a small group at Holy Trinity after refusing to sign a statement saying that, amongst other things, they “believed that sex is for men and women in marriage”. They further said that “[Holy Trinity] don’t often explicitly state their position but they will say sex is for men and women [in] marriage with the obvious implications that follow from that”.
“CICCU hosts regular events at Holy Trinity and at St Andrew the Great, despite their anti-LGBT beliefs”
I don’t think it is unreasonable for Christians to be concerned that “it should not be a criminal offence [...] to persuade, to teach and to help people of every age to become, and to live as, orthodox Christians”. What I do find unreasonable, however, are the countless experiences which tell us that the treatment of LGBTQ+ people in these spaces is deeply damaging. Last year, StAG hosted a talk and small group Bible study entitled ‘Is God Anti-Gay?’. This purposefully provocative title minimises the broad and complicated discussion around God’s view on same-sex relationships. By suggesting it can be answered in one evening, StAG dismisses the trauma suffered by LGBTQ+ people as a result of this issue. Contributing to the trauma of those who aren’t straight or cisgender is, I believe, the opposite of what Jesus would do, yet it seems pervasive among the leaders of these churches.
CICCU hosts regular events at Holy Trinity and at St Andrew the Great, despite their anti-LGBT beliefs. At the CU-led Church Search, they are the two go-to suggestions for freshers eager to find a new church on their first Sunday in Cambridge. Upon my arrival at University, I too was drawn by the modern worship style, energising student community and interesting talks that Holy Trinity has to offer. But attending a service, with the stories of older students’ poor experiences in mind, left me feeling more than a little uncomfortable. CICCU’s encouragement of their attendees, whether regular or one-off, to attend churches which are openly homophobic and deny the reality of transgender identity is deeply problematic.
Openly affirming, Christian spaces do exist in Cambridge. Seven Cambridge churches are part of Inclusive Church, a network which “celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate”. Not one of these features is in CICCU’s list of suggested churches. Student Christian Movement (SCM) is also a welcoming and LGBTQ+ affirming space for Cambridge students. Positively, SCM UK are leading an open letter in support of the ban on conversion therapy, with over 2500 signatures from Christian leaders and ministers, including several Cambridge college chaplains and deans. My hope and prayer is that next freshers week, CICCU will join these LGBTQ+ affirming spaces in welcoming students to a Christian community which celebrates all: regardless of who they are, or who they love.
St Andrew the Great and Holy Trinity were both contacted for comment.
Holy Trinity responded: “People of all sexualities are genuinely valued and welcome at HT and sexuality is in and of itself no barrier to full participation in church life. We absolutely do not support or practise any attempt to change any person’s sexual orientation through counselling or therapy. We do hold and teach mainstream biblical Christian views on sex, marriage and relationships in accordance with current Church of England doctrine on the subject. ”
StAG commented: ”we support the end of all abusive and forced practices to change the orientation of people’s desires; we echo the letter’s condemnation of “evil and disreputable past practices, which are already illegal”. Nor do we use counselling or coercion to this end. We do, however, hold to our Lord’s teaching in the Bible that the only right place for sexual intimacy is within the marriage of a man and a woman.
StAG elaborated that their concern is that the proposed legislation could make preaching this view illegal. They further asserted that Rebecca McLaughlin’s interview did not endorse conversion therapy, as she is open about still being attracted to women. They also reiterated that “all are welcome to the church and we reject the charge of homophobia”.
