Western religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), as evidenced in both their scriptures and their historical practices continuing to this day, tend to be chock-full of sexism and homophobia.
While there are some modern religious groups, such as some United and Unitarian churches in Christianity and the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) and the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) within Reform Judaism, that tolerate homosexuality, these are exceptions and tend to simply ignore anti-homosexual passages in their own religious texts or drastically reinterpret them. I am not aware of any modern Islamic group that is tolerant of homosexuality, though Sufism, in the past, seems to have had its moments. And while predominantly Hindu and Buddhist cultures (I'm thinking specifically of India here, though it may apply in other parts of Asia) seem to have been more tolerant of homosexuality in the past, this certainly seems to have changed a great deal with Western colonial influences as there is plenty of homophobia to be found among adherents of these religions today.
Given the pervasive sexist and anti-homosexual views expressed in both religious texts and in practice, I have often been puzzled by the number of out GLBTQI people who nevertheless insist on adhering to theistic beliefs and remaining committed to their respective religions. Should the discrimination they face, and the very solid basis in their religious texts for such discrimination, not be enough to turn them away from religion?
So I put the question to you, whether you identify as GLBTQI or not: 1) do you find that more members of the GLBTQI community (I know it is problematic to speak of a GLBTQI community, but no more so than speaking of an atheist community) leave religion than stay, and 2) of those who remain religious, how have they defended their adherence to a religion that cannot tolerate them unless they edit and water it down drastically?
I am also curious whether any of you, my fellow atheists, left religion in part because of sexism and homophobia.
I look forward to the ensuing discussion.