Final answer:
The contradiction of being a lesbian or gay Christian is mainly experienced in the tension between secular society and religious institutions. Individuals and religious leaders struggle to reconcile faith with LGBTQ+ identities amidst varying religious doctrines and secular advancements in civil rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to O'Brien (Wrestling the Angel of Contradiction), the need to explain the contradiction of being a lesbian or gay Christian is experienced by many as c. Secular society and religious institutions. This stems from the tension between the narratives formed by institutional religion that often portray homosexuality as incompatible with religious teachings, and the legal and societal progress towards LGBTQ+ equality and acceptance. These conflicting perspectives can place significant psychological and social stress on individuals who identify as lesbian or gay Christians, who must navigate the waters of secular views on LGBTQ+ rights as well as the religious doctrines that may label their identities as sinful or deviant.
Religious institutions and leaders, such as in the case of Reverend Amy DeLong, face controversy and potential punitive actions when their support of LGBTQ+ rights, such as officiating a gay marriage, contradicts official denominational policies. This highlights the complexities faced by religious leaders and LGBTQ+ individuals in reconciling their faith with their sexuality within the confines of both religious community expectations and secular civil rights movements.