Leadership Training Leader: Lauren Quock

Lauren Quock is a queer Chinese American artist, activist, and aspiring elementary school teacher. She grew up attending the Presbyterian Church in Chinatown in San Francisco and went to a Lutheran Missouri-synod school from kindergarten through 8^th grade.

Lauren first recognized the need to create safe spaces for LGBTQ people of faith in college, when a debate about same-sex marriage pitted the queer community against the faith community and left little room for queer people of faith.

While on the staff at the PANA Institute at Pacific School of Religion, Lauren opened the conversation about LGBTQ justice with youth leaders of color by holding Queer 101 workshops and sharing her experience as a queer Asian American Christian.

Lauren has been involved with the Network on Religion and Justice for Asian Pacific Islander LGBTQ People since its founding in 2004 and currently serves as the organization’s Coordinator. With her team of volunteers, she creates community spaces, including a talking circle and an intergenerational choir, for API LGBTQ people of faith and allies who have been alienated by the church. She also facilitates educational workshops at API churches to break the silence around LGBTQ experiences and to help them to be more welcoming of LGBTQ people.

Lauren currently lives in Berkeley, CA.

The Network on Religion and Justice for Asian and Pacific Islander Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People (NRJ) is a culturally respectful, LGBTQ-affirming, spiritually grounded, justice seeking network of API-LGBTQ organizations and individuals

their faith communities, family and friends working to nurture and support efforts toward a fully LGBTQ-inclusive Asian Pacific Islander faith community.

NRJ creates community spaces and leadership development for Asian Pacific Islander LGBTQ people of faith and allies through monthly organizing meetings and Talking Circles. NRJ provides education to Asian Pacific Islander churches to increase their understanding of LGBTQ people and support their efforts towards full inclusion of LGBTQ people. NRJ creates resources for Asian Pacific Islander LGBTQ people of faith and Asian Pacific Islander faith communities, including a director of LGBTQ-friendly API churches,directory of LGBTQ-friendly API pastors, library of sermons and articles, and videos! Check us out at www.netrj.org.