Inclusion LGBTQ+

Oasis aims to build communities where everyone is included and everyone flourishes. We produce publications and conferences to help support inclusion in education, faith communities and the workplace for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The Gender Agenda online conference

As part of our work on LGBTQ+ inclusion, Oasis held The Gender Agenda conference in September 2021 bringing together transgender pioneers and their allies to consider how best to ensure inclusion in education, faith communities and the workplace.

We looked at the journey a trans person and their family face, the importance of support and how this can happen well.

Key speakers

The conference was organised  in collaboration with Mermaids UK and Proud Trust and was hosted by TV presenters Dr Carrie Grant, MBE and David Grant MBE.

Key speakers included:

  • Rev Rachel Mann (Anglican priest, poet and feminist theologian)
  • Rev Paul Bayes (Bishop of Liverpool), and
  • Rev Steve Chalke (author of ‘The Gender Agenda’)

Conference resources 

You can find videos of all the key speakers plus written resources here

 

 

A message from Sir Elton John

“The failure of many churches to welcome, accept and include LGBTQ+ people creates stigma, loneliness, fear and denial, causing lasting damage to their wellbeing and mental health.

What is more, the scale and severity of these problems are of the gravest concern. We need safe and affirming churches as places of sanctuary for all.

I applaud all that organisations such as Oasis are doing to champion real inclusion and to engage church leaders and others with the issues of safeguarding LGBT+ people. This work is urgent in order to protect all those who are vulnerable because of their sexual or gender identity.” 

Sir Elton John

Creating Sanctuary Conference

Speaker sessions now available

This online conference took place on 17 October 2020 and was hosted by Oasis in partnership with Creating Sanctuary, House of Rainbow, OneBodyOneFaith, Open House and the Ozanne Foundation. Nearly 300 people took part to explore how their churches could be more inclusive, covering:

  • How to understand statutory guidance and the law
  • How to embed safe practice in churches – understanding safeguarding and the promotion of welfare
  • What good pastoral care looks like
  • How we build healthy and safer churches

See below for links to speaker videos

What is the 'Creating Sanctuary' resource?

The Creating Sanctuary resource provides a framework to enable churches to explore inclusion through safer and respectful dialogue, so that churches can be safe places for people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-sexual or other (LGBTQ+) even as the long-standing debates and conversations about how to read the Bible in relation to LGBTQ+ people continue.

It  is an independent resource which has been co-designed by a group of Baptist and Church of England leaders.

Find out more about The Creating Sanctuary Core Group

 

Key speaker sessions from the Creating Sanctuary Conference

Title Date Link
Andrea King, Chair Creating Sanctuary October 17, 2020See video
Jide MacAuley, House of Rainbow October 17, 2020See video
Dave Moreton, Oasis Church Waterloo October 17, 2020See video
Jayne Ozanne, Ozanne Foundation October 17, 2020See video
Creating Sanctuary Q & A October 17, 2020See video
Andrea King - the 'Creating Sanctuary' Resource October 17, 2020See video
Creating Sanctuary movement website see website

Oasis LGBTQ+ publications

Title Date Link
In the Name of Love March 6, 2018Go to shop
A Matter of Integrity March 6, 2018Go to shop
The Gender Agenda March 6, 2018Go to shop