The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) Resource Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder will present a discussion called "Trying Not to be Gay: Reconciling Faith and Sexuality" on Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the University Memorial Center, room 235.
The featured speaker is Brent Coleman, a locally noted professional counselor and former fundamentalist Christian who speaks both personally and professionally about his experiences with religion and sexual orientation.
Beverly Tuel, GLBT Resource Center director, hopes that the discussion will help to build dialogue on the differences between the two groups.
"Most of the time discussions are centered on the adverse relationships between gays and Christians," said Tuel. "Brent talks about reconciling those from another perspective."
Coleman spent years attempting to be an "ex-gay." He now talks about trying to change sexual orientation in relation to religious beliefs and practices.
"My experiences have been that there is a tremendous amount of spiritual wounding among gay, lesbian and bisexual people that has come from negative religious experiences in their pasts," Coleman said. "My presentation attempts to show how we can try to reconcile those experiences and move toward a healthy spiritual life."
Coleman has spoken to college crowds and church groups around Colorado and Texas. He's found that many college students are interested in knowing how to deal with family and spiritual issues.
"Questions about how to talk to family about sexual orientation come up on every campus that I've visited," Coleman said. "Â鶹ÒùÔº often are working through family issues, as well as spiritual ones."
The GLBT Resource Center provides information and referral services, educational, cultural and social programming, and advocacy for the GLBT communities on the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder. It also provides networking for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered groups on and off campus.
For more information call 303-492-1377 or visit the web site at . The site includes the center's resource guide, calendar, hours and location.