Jennifer Knapp Comes Out

Do I hear a who's Jennifer Knapp?  Well maybe no one that you know.  Well, hell, its no one I know either.  So why do I care that she's come out?  I care because she's a Christian.  

From all I've read, Jennifer Knapp is probably as famous as Kelly Clarkson in the evangelical music world.  She is a grammy nominated artist who is also a multiple Dove Award winner (the Dove Awards are the grammys of the Gospel world).  According to the news article, she took a 7 year hiatus during which she underwent a midlife crisis that led her to examine her faith, sexuality and career.   In her interview with the Advocate, she says she dropped out of sight because she was a lesbian.  Today, she announced that her new album and the fact that she's coming out. 

She says this:

"I hope that the defiance does come across as humble.  If there's any frustration, it's trying to politely break the yoke of being asked to be something that I just can't be, and with all humility go: 'Just please be kind when you discover the truth.' It's kinda all you can do."

For people who don't see why this is a big deal, let me tell me now, it is.  Not just for me personally, but quite honestly for the larger Christian community.  According to Reuters, there is no other publicly open lesbian gospel singer.  But more than a being the lone representative in the Christian world, what's more amazing is how she's reconciled her faith with her sexuality.  She's moved from thinking that you HAD to exchange one for the other to seeing that the two really aren't in opposition.  Coming out is in itself an uphill battle, and that's not even taking an entire religious worldview into consideration.  

On Christians who would likely oppose and boycott her music, she says: “I’m quite comfortable to live with parts of myself that don’t make sense to you,” 


I know with all my heart that Jennifer Knapp is not an anomaly.  Faith and sexuality aren't dichotomous or mutually exclusive.  There is little need to throw scripture across the room.  Either side would do this just as well and we all know that.  Let's really keep in mind what's really important - real people in all their real differences, in all their real similarities - real living breathing feeling people.   

Thank you Jennifer Knapp.