Miguel is not religious and does not attend this LGBT-supportive church regularly. But he enjoys the service as an opportunity to be around other sexual minorities. He knows many of the people at the service and seems comfortable there.

Sunday at the Metropolitan Community Church in Managua involves song and service led by Pastor Albert Nàjera Flores. "People will say, 'Oh, that's a gay church' but it's not a gay church, it's a Christian church. It just happens to that the majority of members of our congregation have a sexuality that is different from heterosexual people," Pastor Albert Nàjera Flores says.

The room for the service is predictable. The table in the church boasts a candle, a silver cross, a covered glass of wine, a Bible and other Christian accoutrements. Chairs are arranged in a circle. In the far corner, there is a flag–red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. These are not the colors of the embroidered sashes worn by Central American pastors and priests but of the flag of pride: The flag of LGBT people.

The service of La Iglesia de la Comunidad Metropolitana (Metro Community Church) has existed for 19 years. It is one of the very few religious services in Nicaragua that includes as its mission affirmation of sexual minorities. Those attending are young, between the ages of 17 and 35 for the most part. Women are rare participants in Nicaraguan organizations, the pastor says, and this service is no exception.

Pastor Alberto Nájera Flores considers it “very powerful to be able to unite spirituality with sexuality.”

“Sometimes it is difficult because of the discrimination against the gay and lesbian community here in Nicaragua,” Flores says. “It is hard to change people’s minds after they have had their patriarchal ideas all their life. It is hard to change their ideas overnight. It is really good to work with the community and help them accept their sexuality, help them find the church and help them see their sexuality as a gift from God.”

The influence of religion in Central America is very strong. Most traditional forms of Catholicism and the myriad of other religious traditions in Latin America reject homosexuality. The Metro Community Church of Managua is fighting a battle on two fronts. Presenting an accepting religion for sexual minorities while also challenging the societal mindset about sexuality. For Alberto, it has been an internal struggle.

“Sexuality is usually seen as separate from spirituality, so I had to discover it on my own,” Alberto explains. “I did that through reading and through praying, and I wanted to know if what I was thinking was right or wrong. I had to go through that process. Coming to this community has helped me and also my experience with God has helped me to see that, to feel that I am doing the right thing.”

The June 18th edition of El Nuevo Diario, a Nicaraguan newspaper, includes and article titled, "I Discovered that My Husband is Gay." The topic of homosexualitty is appearing more and more in the press in Nicaragua. NGOs have done a lot to increase discussion on LGBT issues by including outread to media outlets.

Leaning over Miguel’s shoulder as he reads El Nuevo Diario, a Nicaraguan newspaper, I catch the headline of the article—“Descubrí que mi esposo es gay”–“I discovered that my husband is gay.” Miguel laughs at the article. Nicaraguan media has began to include many articles and references to sexual minorities since the emergence of the NGOs.

These articles are a way to watch the general populace, greatly influenced by religion, cultural beliefs and prejudices, come to terms with the growing visibility of sexual minorities. It is better than the silence of the past where sexual minorities did not meet or organize and were punished for doing so. The change will not happen overnight, as Alberto says. It is a back and forth battle with both gains and losses.

And as Clara says, “Society needs to suffer a change. That change is going to come through these small changes being multiplied over and over again.”

All interviews were translated from Spanish by Tara Ramos and Angela Beallor.

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