Dr. Dan Sanches Furlanetto

Title

Echoes of Silence: Psychosocial Resonances of LGBQ Experiences in an Australian Neo-Pentecostal Church

Abstract

The way conservative groups and institutions navigate sexual diversity has evolved in recent years due to legal protections and cultural advancements, despite the widespread hostility and exclusion that this population continues to endure. Some religious organisations have adapted to these social changes by incorporating more inclusive practices without necessarily relying on affirmation. Drawing from my PhD ethnography and interviews with current and former LGBQ members of the Australian Hillsong Church, I propose to unveil new modalities of conditional inclusion that, while rooted in narratives of love, may conceal abuse and exploitation. To do this, I highlight the role of silence not as an effect of chronic abuse but as a foundation of traumatic obstructions through the impossibility of self-symbolisation. This process unfolds amidst the spectacularisation of faith, which promotes experiences of joy, community, and integration,…