ELCA Introduces Confirmation Curriculum Focused on Queer Identity

CHICAGO — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is promoting a new confirmation curriculum specifically designed for LGBTQ youth and their allies. Called “Queer Confirmation,” the program consists of 24 sessions intended to combine Lutheran and Christian teaching with discussions of sexual identity, belonging, and the experiences of young people who identify as queer.

The curriculum is being released in two units, with the Fall Unit containing the first 12 lessons and the Spring Unit, comprising lessons 13–24, expected to become available later this year. According to the ELCA Youth announcement, each session contains approximately 90 minutes of material and includes small-group discussions, reflection exercises, resilience-building activities, and Christian rituals.

The stated purpose of the curriculum is to provide an “affirming space” for queer youth and allies while exploring Christian and Lutheran themes. The program addresses faith, identity, community, and belonging together rather than treating confirmation instruction as separate from contemporary questions surrounding sexuality and gender.

The ELCA describes the curriculum as intended to deepen relationships among participants, facilitators, peers, and God. Its promotional material repeatedly uses language such as “queer young people,” “livable faith,” and “faith, identity, belonging, and community,” presenting the program as a means of integrating a particular understanding of sexual and gender identity into Lutheran religious formation.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal blocked recognition of foreign same-sex marriages.