Should Christian Books Include LGBTQ Characters?

In general, most Christian authors try to reflect their faith in their work. This means we don’t usually write about things that are against our faith unless we are using it as a testimony.

For example, a Christian author may write a story about an alcoholic to demonstrate how God can deliver you from an addiction. Twin Win, by D. Gail Miller, featured two protagonists who weren’t Christian at all—one character even committed a crime and stole private documents from an organization. But the story followed the journeys of these characters to salvation and carried a strong message of forgiveness.

So, even though a book may include a character or a situation that goes against our personal idea of what should and shouldn’t be in Christian fiction, that doesn’t mean the author has done something wrong.

In my article, Writing Villains in Christian Fiction, we answered the question, Can Christian authors include witches/dark magic in their writing?

My answer to that question was, It depends.

I believe that witchcraft, sorcery, and other dark elements are not of God. However, the mere presence of witches and dark elements in a Christian book is not an issue in and of itself. The problem with their presence in Christian writing stems from how they are incorporated into the story.

The Chronicles of Narnia is probably one of the most famous examples of Christian fantasy out there and it included a witch as the main antagonist. But you must understand the witch in this book (The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe) is an enemy. She is considered evil and neither her actions, nor her powers, are glorified.

That is the same mindset I believe we should apply to this question.

Like most Christians, I believe homosexuality is not of God—you can read my article, Is Homosexuality Still a Sin? for more information on that—but just because something is not of God doesn’t mean we can’t use it as an element in our entertainment.

What I mean by that is, we can use these elements, or unorthodox characters, to demonstrate the traits of God. Just as CS Lewis used a witch to demonstrate that God’s power is greater than that of the enemy, you can use an LGBTQ character to demonstrate that God can deliver us from any lifestyle.

Does that mean Christian authors should aim to demonize the LGBTQ community? No, my friend, not at all. But it does mean that if you are going to include unorthodox elements or characters in your story, as a Christian author, you have the responsibility to tell the truth and to make sure you don’t use your talent or your platform to glorify or uphold sin.    

In my article, Our Jobs as Christian Authors, I make the argument that it is our duty to create a safe space for Christian readers. Our work should always glorify, uplift, and edify Christ Jesus. It should teach others about our faith and introduce readers to a character, a world, or an element that exemplifies the Word. It should be our goal to fill an entire library with books that are safe for our children to read—books that fill our Spirit as much as they entertain us, books that do not leave us filled with temptation, worry, or doubt. Books that are free of foul language, unnecessary gore/violence, perversion, and unorthodox relationships.

But sometimes we must step outside our comfort zone to create a story that edifies Christ. How do we teach people about forgiveness if our characters never make mistakes? How can we portray God as our comforter if our characters are never lonely? How can we demonstrate salvation if we only write about perfect characters who are already Christian?

Ask yourself these questions before you make a final decision.

What purpose will this character serve in my book?

What is my reason for including them in this story?

How can I use them or their testimony to glorify God?

Will God approve of this character or this story?

How will this character reflect my values as a Christian?

As long as the story does not glorify the sin, I believe Christian authors can use LGBTQ characters to share certain testimonies. In your book, is it clear that homosexuality is a sin? Will your character be delivered from their lifestyle? Will they experience salvation from Christ? These are stories that can certainly be told, and in fact happen in real life every day.

One of my favorite Christian influencers is a woman on TikTok who goes by the username, @officialaarmour. She is an ex-transgender who openly shares her story of going from being a trans male back to being a female after getting saved by Christ Jesus. Her journey is quite incredible and is filled with testimonies of her life before and after gaining salvation. Imagine reading a book based on her journey, there would be no denying the story is Christ-centered.

If you are a Christian author and you are seriously considering using an LGBTQ character in your story, make sure you are following Christ and are led by the Holy Spirit into writing this book. The one thing you never want to do is abuse the platform/talent you have been given. Do not use your gift to glorify, support, or uphold sin. Remember your responsibility to speak the truth and remain Christ-centered.

God bless