The printing press was a new form of media that created a religious revolution, fracturing the one united Roman Catholic church into thousands of branches of Christianity. Rather than relying on studied priests and monks to read and interpret the Word of God to them, people had access to the holy scriptures for themselves. It was a profound shift for people’s relationship with the church, and it changed the way we do ministry from that point forward.
The printing press was one innovation in media. We are in the midst of several media innovations, and they all are shaping our beliefs about God and the world around us.
Americans are consuming more than twelve hours of media per day. That’s more time than we spend eating, sleeping, and exercising combined. While the media is omnipresent in our lives, it’s incredibly fragmented. Algorithms have created tailored and spoon-fed content wrapped around our interests, further isolating us from the people around us.
When a young lawyer asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus told a story of emergency aid delivered across lines of religious and ethnic differences. Our modern, algorithm-driven media landscape builds stronger parasocial relationships with online content creators than with the diverse people that live in our own communities.
This has a detrimental effect on marginalized communities, who increasingly only have each other. Every summer I direct The Naming Project, a faith-based camp I founded for LGBTQ+ youth and their allies. We strive to create a sanctuary where youth of any sexual orientation or gender identity can comfortably explore who they understand themselves to be and how they relate to God and the rest of the world, all in the context of a supportive community. In those moments around the campfire, faith is not a weapon; it is reclaimed as a force for empathy, justice, and collective liberation.
But outside the sanctuary of camp, the landscape for these young people is growing increasingly hostile.
Similarly, at GLAAD, we are seeing that effect: support for LGBTQ+ Americans has fallen to its lowest point in four years, dropping from 84% in 2023 to just 74% in 2025. That dramatic drop in support has real-world impacts. It creates a less safe world for the youth in our ministries who are made to feel that they have to pick between being queer and being loved by God.
Our fractured media profits off this division and erodes trust, but it does not defeat us as people of faith.
There is a massive opportunity hidden in this fractured landscape: the “Moveable Middle.” There are roughly 86 million Americans, everyday people who are conflicted in their support or actively seeking language to understand LGBTQ+ issues. They agree on the harm of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, but they feel powerless to do anything about it.
But we can reach them. And we must reach them.
As we approach the 2026 midterm elections, we know that dehumanizing anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, especially targeting transgender people, is being weaponized as a political wedge issue. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent on ads designed to divide us and erase the humanity of the youth I minister to through The Naming Project.
As faith leaders who believe everyone reflects the image of God, we cannot afford to be silent. Our traditional institutions will not be able to fight this battle for us. It will be up to us to leverage the platforms we’ve built, and the followers we’ve amassed to become what GLAAD calls a “trusted surrogate.”
Whether you host a podcast, run a TikTok account, lead a Substack, or simply share content on your personal social media feeds, you are content creators in the new media ecosystem. Change is created through surrogates like you who connect with your followers over shared values. When you speak up in these digital spaces, frame your advocacy around the universal values that the moveable middle already cares about: honesty, authenticity, freedom, and protecting family. Remind your audience that anti-LGBTQ+ attacks are actually attacks on everyone’s freedom and privacy.
Voting in the upcoming midterms is essential, but it is not enough. In this divided state of media, everyday advocates must use their platforms—big or small—to flood the zone with messages of love, justice, and compassion. We have the tools to reclaim the narrative. It’s time to hit record, speak the truth, and build 100% acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community.
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Ross Murray is the Vice President of the GLAAD Media Institute and the author of Made, Known, Loved and The Everyday Advocate. GLAAD is the leading LGBTQ Advocacy organization accelerating acceptance and equality.
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The New Evangelicals is a digital-first 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to creating a better path forward at the intersection of faith, politics, and culture. Through educational resources and inclusive community spaces, we empower people to reject Christian Nationalism and boldly advocate for their neighbors while holding onto a faith rooted in the way of Jesus: with love, justice, and compassion for all.
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