Lina is currently a Master of Theological Studies student at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Her gender pronouns are she/her/hers, identifying both as lesbian and queer. She is originally from Sweden where the Swedish Lutheran Church is the state church, and has become a member in the United Methodist Church since moving to the US.

Throughout our conversation, Lina demonstrates a resilience in her reaction to the recent General Conference vote by the Methodist Church that affirmed the church's doctrine against full LGBTQIA+ inclusion. We also discuss her hopes for marriage someday in the church, misconceptions about marriage for LGBTQIA+ people of faith, and her upcoming research trip to Eurovision, held in Israel this May.

Connect with Lina @landstromlina on Twitter and Instagram.

We discussed several items regarding the United Methodist Church. For an explanation on the outcomes of the 2019 General Conference vote regarding matters of LGBTQIA+ inclusion, visit umc.org. For ongoing updates regarding inclusion and churches that are stepping up as affirming despite the vote, follow the Reconciling Ministries Network. They have a long history of sustaining this conversation over the past four decades in the UMC. While you're there, you can also learn more about Bishop Karen Oliveto, who we mentioned on the show.

Also mentioned on the show was the Q Christian Fellowship. Learn more at qchristian.org. And if you've never heard of the Eurovision song contest, educate yourself at eurovision.tv.

Out Loud is a podcast by and for queer people of faith in the South. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and join our mailing list for updates. Support the show financially by becoming a Patreon member and receive exclusive content and merchandise.

Music: Acoustic Meditation 2 by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://audionautix.com/