Constructing the Queer Christian: A Counterdiscourse Analysis of Queer Exvangelicalism on Twitter

Abstract

This thesis examines the counterdiscourses created by “queer exvangelical” communities on Twitter in response to the queer-exclusionary discourses of fundamentalist Christianity. The queer exvangelical community is comprised of former and questioning queer Christians who use digital platforms to share their experiences of leaving or reforming their faith due to the homophobia and LGBTQIA2+ exclusion that takes place within many Christian communities. Using Foucauldian discourse analysis, this research identifies and examines the counterdiscourses constructed and disseminated within these online networks and considers the ways in which Twitter’s affordances facilitate their creation, circulation, and levels of engagement. Ultimately, this case study finds that these communities construct a counterdiscursive figure of a “queer-Christian,” who challenges the exclusionary and hateful theology and beliefs that has long denied sanctity and “goodness” to queer identities. Through acts of storytelling, solidarity, and support, the “queer-Christian” facilitates personal and community healing within the exvangelical community. This project views the de- and reconstruction of anti-queer fundamentalist Christian discourse as a necessary step in creating new, inclusive knowledges about sex, sexuality, and gender in the Western context.