Queer Archives Project

Queerness & Christianity - Nathan Hansford, Class of 2025, Lafayette College

At a college where Christianity has long shaped campus life, queer students have often had to navigate religious spaces that were not built with them in mind. While Lafayette is officially nonsectarian, its history is steeped in Presbyterian values—from early leadership and curriculum to student life and traditions. Over time, overt religious requirements have faded, but a Christian cultural bias remains. For many queer students, this has meant encountering both subtle and explicit exclusion in faith communities on campus. And yet, some have found belonging and even strength in these same spaces. In this essay, I will explore how Lafayette’s Christian legacy has affected queer students, especially through religious organizations, and examine the ways in which queer individuals have reshaped or resisted those environments to create space for themselves.

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