Long before social media reignited debate over her testimony this summer, Jackie Hill Perry had already answered one of Christianity's most controversial questions-and people are talking about it all over again.
The Christian rapper, bestselling author, and Bible teacher is once again making headlines after an old interview resurfaced in the wake of a heated Threads exchange during Pride Month. As critics and supporters revisited her story, Perry pointed them back to the same biblical conviction she has been defending for years.
So, did God create sexual orientation?
Her answer surprised many.
Speaking during a Q&A with theologian Preston Sprinkle at the Exiles in Babylon conference, Perry rejected the premise of the question itself, arguing that the modern concept of "sexual orientation" is not the best biblical framework for understanding human identity.
"We are image bearers," Perry began. "We're made in the image of God, which also makes us very complex and complicated."
Rather than defining people by labels such as "gay" or "straight," Perry said Scripture presents a different picture of humanity.
"We're born with feelings. We're born with affections. We're born with desires," she explained. "And then, because we are born after Adam, I believe that it orientates us towards sinfulness."
Instead of viewing orientation primarily through the lens of sexuality, Perry argued that every human being shares a deeper orientation-a fallen nature that affects every desire, not just sexual ones.
She then made perhaps her boldest statement of the conversation.
"As far as orientation, I don't like the idea of orientation because it's so new," she said, noting that the concept only emerged in the nineteenth century. "I don't like how it frames our personhood, where like you are gay and you are straight instead of you being human with a variety of different ways to feel."
For Perry, identity begins not with desire but with creation.
Her conclusion centered on what she believes is Christianity's ultimate answer to every disordered affection.
"We're born in the image of God made for Him... but because of sin our affections are affected," she said. "Therefore we need to be born again so that we are empowered to always choose God despite how we feel."
The resurfaced interview comes just weeks after Perry found herself trending online when users on Threads questioned her testimony and wished her a "Happy Pride." Rather than entering a lengthy online debate, Perry responded by pointing people back to the same biblical convictions she has expressed publicly for nearly a decade.
Her comments also echo themes from her bestselling memoir, Gay Girl, Good God, in which she recounts leaving a same-sex relationship after becoming a follower of Christ at 19. Throughout the years, Perry has consistently emphasized that becoming a Christian does not guarantee someone's attractions will disappear. Instead, she argues that the gospel transforms a person's identity and empowers believers to pursue obedience regardless of their ongoing struggles.
As conversations surrounding sexuality continue to divide both culture and the church, Perry's remarks remain among the most widely shared-and most hotly debated-Christian perspectives on the subject.
Whether applauded or criticized, one thing is certain: Jackie Hill Perry's answer continues to spark conversations that refuse to go away.
