Crossroads of Human Sensuality and Immortal Beliefs
Danny Ballon, a student at the Harvard Divinity School (HDS) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is on a mission to create safe spaces for individuals who identify as LGBTQ and have faith. Ballon, who was raised in a Pentecostal church and felt called to ministry from a young age, has embarked on a unique journey towards an LGBTQ-affirming spiritual life.
Ballon's experiences of ordination and coming out as gay left him at a crossroads. However, a chance encounter with a gay seminarian inspired him to consider divinity school as a means to reconcile his identity. He began to see divinity school as an opportunity to explore his spirituality in relation to his sexuality.
Now, Ballon is reviving the HDS Queer Rites group with first-year M.Div. student Denson Staples. The group aims to create a space that celebrates individuals who have been able to reconcile being queer with being spiritual or having faith in something. It is not focused on achieving a specific goal, but rather on encouraging exploration and investment in meaningful projects.
Ballon's work with Queer Rites is focused on encouraging individuals to explore what their spirituality means in light of their sexuality and invest in projects that feel meaningful to them. He draws on his own experiences to determine what might best serve the Queer Rites community.
Ballon's goal for Queer Rites is to provide resources and showcase the various ways people are reconciling their faith and sexuality, rather than dictating how to do so. He aims to introduce people to the range of options for reconciling faith and sexuality, leaving the work for individuals to do for themselves.
In addition to his work with Queer Rites, Ballon sees his legal advocacy and ministry passions as jointly informing his work in LGBTQ initiatives at Harvard. The Law School and Harvard Kennedy School are doing policy advocacy work for LGBTQ rights, and HDS is creating space for LGBT homeless youth.
Despite these efforts, a significant portion of the resistance to this policy work is religious in nature. Ballon's experiences of religious alienation and subsequent journey toward an LGBTQ-affirming spiritual life are common within the HDS community. He believes that by sharing his story and the stories of others, he can help break down barriers and foster understanding.
Ballon's journey is a testament to the power of exploration, resilience, and community. He invites all who are interested to join him in the ongoing conversation about faith, sexuality, and the intersections between the two.
