Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Hill Perry
Week 5: Identity — Who Am I, Really?
Read the chapters in Gay Girl, Good God addressing identity — specifically how Jackie came to understand what it means to be defined by Christ rather than by sexual attraction. Key Scripture: Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Colossians 3:1-4
Previewing Week 5 of Gay Girl, Good God
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 10-week guide when you’re ready.
One of the book's most important arguments is about identity: what gets to define you? Jackie wrestles honestly with whether she is a "gay Christian" or a Christian who experiences same-sex attraction — and the difference turns out to matter enormously.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Jackie challenges the label "gay Christian" as a self-identifier — not because same-sex attraction is to be denied or hidden, but because she argues it is a category mistake to make any desire the noun of your identity rather than an adjective describing an experience you have. Do you find that argument compelling? Why or why not?
2.1 Corinthians 6:11 says of the formerly sexually immoral, "such were some of you" — past tense. How does Paul's use of tense shape a biblical theology of identity? What has changed about the person in Christ, and what has not yet fully changed?
3.Jackie is clear that having same-sex attraction does not make someone less of a Christian or less of a new creation. But she is equally clear that building one's identity around that attraction is spiritually dangerous. How do you hold those two convictions together without sliding into either shame or permissiveness?