06/01/2026
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: "Q***R JESUS"
Anamchara Books is beginning work on a new essay anthology tentatively titled "Q***r Jesus." We are seeking personal essays, theological reflections, biblical meditations, prayers, poems, and hybrid pieces that explore the presence of Christ in LGBTQ+ lives, bodies, loves, communities, struggles, and joy.
We're not looking so much for abstract arguments as a personal answer to this question: Where have you seen Jesus in q***r life?
Maybe you have seen Christ in coming out, in chosen family, in drag, in trans embodiment, in q***r elders, in the courage to survive church harm, in a pastor’s blessing, in the Eucharist, in the beloved disciple, in the Ethiopian eu**ch, in the wounded and risen body, in music, protest, grief, desire, friendship, or joy.
We welcome work from LGBTQ+ Christians, q***r and trans seekers, post-Christian writers still wrestling with Jesus, and allies whose essays grow from genuine relationship, humility, and solidarity.
Possible sections/topics include:
• Meeting Q***r Jesus (e.g., the discovery of Jesus' love after church rejection; the q***r person who showed you Jesus, the mystic who opened your mind to seeing Jesus in a new way, etc.)
• The Q***r Body of Christ (e.g., Jesus, gender, and the holy refusal of binaries; the transformation of q***r eros into sacred embodiment, the Eucharist through q***r experience, etc.)
• Reading Scripture Q***rly
• Q***r Saints, Ancestors, and Witnesses (e.g., q***rs elders as spiritual ancestors; AIDS, grief, and resurrection hope; drag as proclamation, lament, and praise; Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, Pauli Murray, Bayard Rustin, St. Francis (?), etc.)
• Creating the Kin-dom (e.g., leaving the church to find Jesus, what it really means to be a "welcoming" group, etc.)
• Blessings and Prayers (to be woven through the entire book, including contemplatives practices: e.g., a blessing for the q***r child of God; a prayer after rejection, a liturgy for chosen family, etc.)
Essays may be personal, theological, devotional, prophetic, or reflective. We are looking for pieces that are honest, embodied, and spiritually alive.
Suggested length: 1,500–4,000 words for essays; shorter works welcome for prayers, poems, blessings, or liturgies.
To submit or pitch an idea, send to [email protected]. Please include a brief bio and let us know whether the piece has been previously published. Questions and pitches are welcome. Feel free to share with any writers you know who might be also interested!
Payment: accepted contributors will receive one print copy of the finished anthology and will participate in a shared royalty arrangement. No upfront payment is available at this time.
(Art by NakedPastor.)
