Welcome to In Sacred Spaces, a three-part podcast miniseries that showcases a rich tapestry of spirituality, history, race, religion, gender, and sexuality. We visit sacred places of worship, community, mourning and celebration while talking with African-American religious leaders and members of New York City’s vibrant ballroom community. Join us as we learn about the decades and even centuries of antiracist, feminist, and LGBTQ+ affirming activism that have happened within these sacred spaces.

More than a podcast series, the project aims to spark reflection and dialogue among our listeners and particularly those with religious backgrounds or that are members of the LGBTQ+ community. Our journey unfolds across three LGBTQ+ affirming spaces in New York City: St. James Presbyterian Church, Grace Congregational Church of Harlem, and the Chelsea Piers. Here, our speakers weave together theology, personal anecdotes, and histories of their respective spaces and communities to craft complex narratives of the liberatory impact that spirituality can have on the lives of African Americans, women, and queer and trans people.

Mission

While religion, and Christian theology in particular, has historically often harmed queer people and communities of color, this series aims to complicate these narratives. We do this by uplifting the voices of African-American religious leaders and members of New York City’s LGBTQ+ Ballroom community through discussions of activism, acceptance, and solidarity in places of worship and spiritual practice.

Purpose

Acknowledging the challenges trans and queer individuals, women, and people of color may face in traditional religious spaces, our project seeks to center their voices. Using history, music, and divinity, we hope to engage our listeners in a transformative journey where diverse voices converge to create a profound, nuanced exploration deeply rooted in local history.