Gray Whitaker-Castañeda finds that religion plays a role in their identities

While junior Gray Whitaker-Castañeda does not subscribe to a distinct set of religious beliefs, religion still plays a role in their identities. Their father was raised Catholic, and their maternal grandmother is a regular churchgoer. That said, their apprehension surrounding religion does not directly stem from their family ties.

“I haven’t had any conflicts with people who practice religion, or any specific religions, but I do take issue with how, specifically, the Bible can be interpreted and used against queer people,” Whitaker-Castañeda said.

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It does make me a little nervous, sometimes, just kind of the general fear and doubt that’s that people aren’t 100% accepting even if they say they are.

— Gray Whitaker-Castaneda

This general concern around the usage of holy texts, like Leviticus 18:22, to condemn queer people has significantly contributed to Whitaker-Castañeda’s anxiety in religious areas.

“I tend to get somewhat nervous entering religious spaces, whether that be churches, or I shadowed DeLaSalle [a Catholic high school in Minneapolis] in my high school process, and spaces like that that do tend to make me tense up a little bit, just because I get scared to be open about my queerness in those spaces.”

Although they haven’t had any distinctly ill-willed experiences with their father or grandmother, there’s still a small part of Whitaker-Castañeda that tells them to be wary because of their family members’ religious beliefs.

“I do often wonder about my grandma’s religious beliefs and my dad’s affiliation with religion; I don’t know how deep that runs in him, but I do always wonder how that plays into how they view me. And it does make me a little nervous, sometimes, just kind of the general fear and doubt that’s that people aren’t 100% accepting even if they say they are.”