How to Thrive this Christmas for LGBT Christians

Candace Chellew-Hodge, author of Bulletproof Faith gives some tips for gays and lesbians for surviving the holidays with families who are opposed to homosexuality: "I know there can be a lot of depression in our community around the holidays. We feel cut off from our families of origins who may have condemned us. I tell people in [Bulletproof Faith] that there are ways to argue and one of the best ways is to walk away. That honestly you don’t have to justify your beliefs to anyone. Even family members.

I have an incident in the book with my brother in law where I was less than bulletproof. I wanted him to acknowledge that I might be right. And he was not going to give it to me. And it escalated and it got ugly.

I’m not saying, don’t fight for your rights. I’m saying that we have to get our there and fight for our rights and we have to get out there to try and change the church, but you have to pick your battles.

Would You Rather be Right or Happy?

I ask in the book, would you rather be right or would you rather be happy. I don’t need to be right with my family. I need to be happy when I see them.

Take care of yourself and don’t put yourself in situations where you’re going to get frustrated or you’re going to get angry. If you find yourself in a situation where you’re getting frustrated or angry, walk away. It really is about your survival as a gay or lesbian person. It’s not about proving yourself right, it’s about knowing that you’re right all ready. And you don’t have to prove it to anyone."