Thanks Rachel, this helps re-frame my own thinking. Is discussing Christianity & sexual difference a matter of clarifying this verse or that? It seems like there is a deeper issue, and that is is child abuse—the theological assault that Christian tradition has made against children. All children are told they’re evil, sinners, “desperately wicked,” etc. Then the assault on the sexually different is truly murderous in intention. The instruction is clearly to self-terminate, and AIDS would get you if you didn’t get yourself. This is hatred that is understood biblically (cf. 1 John 3:15) as murder.

There’s many scriptural points to make along the way. Am thinking of this paper which says Jesus explicitly speaks to the issue of sexual abuse (if understood in spiritual terms) in Matthew 18:6, revised by translators into ineffective, vague talk. The actual translation should be: “But whoever scandalizes one of these little ones who believe in me”- with the verb ‘scandalize’ having sexual reference. Whoever abuses children will pay.