What is Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns?

Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns is a Quaker faith community within the Religious Society of Friends. FLGBTQC deeply honors, affirms, and upholds that of God in all people.

Ours is a Quaker faith community committed to justice, liberation, and the full affirmation of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. We honor the divine Light in all humans and nurture a deep well of faith that sustains courageous witness in the world. We gather to listen deeply to the Spirit, to one another, and to the spoken and unspoken messages that rise among us.

Through direct experience of the Light, we seek spiritual refreshment, fellowship, and the bonds of love that we discover in our shared differences. We affirm loving, Spirit-led sexuality and gender expression as powerful, Divinely bestowed gifts. Guided by this sense of sacred queerness, we reclaim faith as a source of power and resistance, embodying a living testimony of inclusion, equality, and deep, nourishing love.

Our organization has a rich history in the Religious Society of Friends. We have long discerned that radical inclusion must guide us, signaling welcome to people of any gender identity or sexual orientation. At the same time, we acknowledge that our community is already wider than our present name suggests. There are beloved Friends–some of whom we already know and some who we have not met–who identify in many ways that do not appear in our current name. We welcome all Friends wholeheartedly to participate in our community.

We stand in solidarity with those who face marginalization, violence, or exclusion, knowing that liberation is interconnected. Strengthened by the stories we share, we support one another to live up to our Light, to heal the wounds inflicted by oppression, to speak our truths, and to make Love visible in the world.

(from a minute approved 10 Seventh Month 2026)

Who are Quakers?

In the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), people from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs embark together on a spiritual journey. Although their individual beliefs may vary, Quakers share an understanding of a Divine presence in all people.

This presence is the source from which we draw our strength to witness to human dignity, and to work for peace and justice. Though some Quaker meetings continue to struggle for unity around gender and sexual diversity, many Quaker meetings have found unity in welcoming and supporting gender and sexual minorities.

The Religious Society of Friends began in England in the 17th Century. Early Friends sought to revive a form of primitive Christianity, without creed, outward sacraments, or paid clergy. In the course of Quaker history a variety of spiritual practices evolved as Friends followed the inward leadings of the Divine presence.

Today those spiritual practices include both programmed and unprogrammed Meetings for Worship. Programmed meetings may include pastoral prayer, responsive readings, music, scripture, and prepared messages, while in unprogrammed meetings for Worship worshippers gather together in silence to seek the Divine presence, speaking out of the silence when led to do so by the movement of Spirit.

Quakers believe that all are called to minister to one another. We believe that each person has direct access to the Divine inner light present within. Individuals must search and come to a personal understanding of their own spiritualities, which may or may not be Christ-centered. During the past three centuries, consistent testimonies have emerged which bear witness that the Spirit can be trusted to lead toward simplicity, equality, justice, nonviolence, peace, and stewardship.

Where can I find Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns?

The first place for information is this website. We also have periodic gatherings, as mentioned above.

How do I get involved?

You are invited to come to our Gatherings! You can contact any of the people on our Contact page with questions. Please also take a look at our Outreach and Resources page for more information about our email list, epistles, and other resources.