Finding The Happy Medium Launch Event

Finding The Happy Medium is a journey, a navigation, a process that many people of faith and non-heterosexual identities endure at some point in their lives. Based on grounded theory research in 2022, the last 4 years has seen me aiming to get this research published in a peer-reviewed journal in a bid to use the therapeutic, conversational model as a training tool for religious officials and mental health professionals when they support their clients with such identity navigations. The abstract of this research paper is pasted below.

What is this event about?- A platform to give a voice to the muted- particularly those who have had to navigate religion and non-heterosexuality. A celebration of the last 4 years of trying to get it published. A discussion about the research, what it entailed, real life-stories, and what the research implications are moving forward. The event itself will last about an hour, and there'll be plenty of opportunities for respectful discussion, and sharing, as well as optional networking. Come as you are, and feel safe. 

Who is it open to?- Anyone with a curious and open mind. Typically, members of the LGBTQ+ community may be drawn to the topic nature, but also allies, religious officials, mental health professionals are all invited to attend with a respectful and open-mind to learn more about the research.

The Abstract for Finding The Happy Medium- A Practice-Oriented Framework for Navigating Faith and Non-Heterosexuality Based on Qualitative Interviews- Afsar Ali & Dr Vera Ludwig (published in the International Journal of Sexual Health, April 2026)

Please be respectful and mindful when using photography/videography due to the sensitive nature of this work. We will have designated times/spaces to guide this on the day :) - your safety is paramount.

ABSTRACT
Objectives: This work aimed to explore the experiences of participants identifying as both religious and non-heterosexual, with a deeper focus on how they sought support to navigate these identities.
Method: A grounded theory approach, using semi-structured interviews with 16 participants from different religious backgrounds, was employed.
Results: A number of themes arose, including conflict that is both internal and external (from societal norms), negotiation of identity—including either affirming or rejecting their different identities—and a desire for a person-centred space that encourages internal dialogue rather than immediate judgment. Analysis revealed three dichotomies shaping participants’ identity navigation: fluidity versus fixedness in faith and sexuality (whether religion and sexuality are personally negotiable or externally determined), the distinction between personal beliefs and enacted practices, and public versus private acceptance of intersectional identities. Participants expressed a need to be seen as holistic individuals beyond their religious and sexual identities.
Conclusions: The article presents “Finding the Happy Medium,” a person-centred, conversational framework to support religious and secular service providers in creating safe spaces for clients navigating faith–sexuality intersections. The framework offers a bridge between sexuality-affirming and faith-affirming services. These results have applications across therapeutic, coaching, and community support settings.

Tea, Coffee, and Bar will be open to purchase drinks from.

100% of ticket sales from this event will be donated to Firepit CIC and Muted Healing's Pro-Bono Counselling/Coaching Fund to support low cost mental health services, particularly in this field. If you are a student, on Universal Credit, or would like a concessionary ticket, please email us, we'd be happy to accommodate you :)