K Mark Demma
Finding a place at the table.
Queer folk look for a spiritual home.
This project was conducted as a part of The Pluralism Project was developed by Diana L. Eck at Harvard University to study and document the religious diversity of the United States. Dr. Jeanne Kye Matthews is the advisor for the local project, Asheville's Spiritual Odyssey, a year long, student centered research project. It was my desire to explore religious communities that are welcoming to Gay and Lesbian people and the spiritual journeys of queer folk. This is an ongoing study, but so far I have looked at two different groups: members of a Presbyterian Church and a group called "Radical Faeries". The latter group has left traditional religions behind to form their own spiritual community while the former work to come to terms with same gender relationships in the context of a traditional Christian setting.
© 1998 K. Mark Demma