Academy-Award-winning
actor Taraji P. Henson is having an open and honest conversation about
sexuality and faith on her new Facebook Watch series Peace of Mind with
Taraji.
In episode
nine of the series, she talks with two young Black men about the challenges
being gay and involved with the church can present. In a clip shared
exclusively with PRIDE, Henson, alongside her best friend and
co-host Tracie Jade, comfort Kyree after his family rejected him because
of his sexuality.
After coming
out to his family at a young age, Kyree says he was ostracized and quickly fell
into a life of "drugs and confusion."
Henson asks
directly, "Did you question your religion?"
"At that
time, my family members told me before I left, 'you know God don't love
you no more.'" As Kyree bursts into tears, Hensen rushes over to
embrace him.
"That
just made me go deeper and deeper," he says. That really tore me apart.
I'm still today not the same person."
Many LGBTQ+
people struggle to balance their sexuality with their faith, especially when
organized religion can tell them they're going to hell for loving who they
love. While being religious and LGBTQ+ are not mutually exclusive, it
certainly presents its own set of challenges.
The official
description of the episode reads:
"Black,
Gay and Religious: Suppressing Sexuality for Faith? Church is known for being a
safe haven for many people but being gay in the Black church can be extremely
difficult. Two young men share their mental health struggles with embracing
their faith and sexuality. Clinical Psychologist Shelly Collins unpacks some of
the ways that religion and sexuality can clash, the impact that it can have on
mental health and how to move forward."
SOURCE: PRIDE DOT COM
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