The Hymn Society Presents: Scholarship on LGBTQIA2S+ Hymnody

Join The Hymn Society's Director of Research, Dr. Stephanie Budwey, for a presentation on the history and current hymnody of the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

This presentation considers the role that Christian sacred music has played in the movement for equal rights in the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Just as music played an instrumental role in the Civil Rights Movement, it has also been a driving force in the struggle for justice in the LGBTQIA2S+ community. This exploration includes examining the songs themselves and collections of songs, including the Metropolitan Community Church’s Trial Hymnal (1981) and Hymnal Project (1989–1993), as well as the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada’s 2019 collection Songs for the Holy Other: Songs for: Hymns Affirming the LGBTQIA2S+Community. Additionally, this presentation draws from interviews with Christian pastors and musicians from around the world and U. S. contemporary artists Flamy Grant, Jennifer Knapp, and Semler to consider the role that music has played in the struggle for justice for the LGBTQIA2S+ community both inside and outside of church walls.