Posts Tagged ‘Gender Identity’
Breaking The Curse Narrative
Recently, two people–one queer and neurotypical, and one straight and mentally ill–confided similarly troubling worries to me. The first told me his mother had disowned him because he is gay, and, as he said, “to her that meant rejection of, and rejection by, God.” The second said her extended family was no longer talking to…
Read MoreWhat Trans Identity Actually Teaches Children About Gender
It feels like there has been a lot of popular attention paid to the ministry of Pope Francis. Right from the moment he was chosen by the papal conclave, if not before, there was just something so unique about him. Though I am not myself a Catholic, I was fascinated. I think a lot of…
Read MoreI Am A Beloved Daughter Of God
In college I started a blog. The website was orange text on different-orange background that hurt the eyes to read. The top was emblazoned the title “HYPOCRITE,” and below the title was a quote from the book of Matthew. It was the scene of Judas betraying Jesus, but I’d cut the context and just left…
Read MoreA Letter To Mi Querida Iglesia
Para mi querida Iglesia, For a long time I have struggled with my relationship with you—at times proud of my Catholic faith, at times ashamed and hurt by my Catholic faith, at times a combination of all of this and much more. My journey of faith has been incredible and filled with experiences that I…
Read MoreMormon in Montana: My Experience Of LGBTQ Youth Homelessness
These days I am one of the first in any group to jump to defend someone’s religious beliefs, including their right to share them in a friendly, respectful manner. It wasn’t always this way. At one point in my life, I found all religion, spirituality, or belief system harmful and hypocritical. The second God was…
Read MoreWhy This Pastor Testified Against Minnesota’s “Bathroom Bill”
Earlier this month, I testified in a hearing before a Minnesota House Committee on HF3396, a misguided piece of discriminatory legislation that would restrict bathroom access for trans and gender nonconforming people on the basis of “biological sex.” In that committee, I shared my experiences as a pastor, a gay man, and the son of…
Read More1,779 Christians Support Transgender Students In Tennessee
Contact: James Rowe Director, Believe Out Loud Email James 646-723-7826 1,779 Christians Support Transgender Students In Tennessee Bill Sponsor Withdraws HB 2414 After Transgender Students & Allies Deliver 67,000 Signatures New York, NY—Today, Tennessee’s harmful anti-transgender bathroom bill was withdrawn after lawmakers received petitions with more than 67,000 signatures. These petitions included signatures from 1,779…
Read MoreWe Are the Voices of Change: Fighting Back North Carolina’s HB2
In a 12 hour special session on March 23rd, the North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 2 (HB2). Designed to overturn a Charlotte City Council ordinance which protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in public accommodation, commercial contracting and taxis, HB2 is the most sweeping anti-LGBT legislation in the nation, according to…
Read MoreHow This Transgender Latina Found Her Way Back To Faith
Nicole Garcia created and donated a religious stole to the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Shower of Stoles, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary of telling the stories of LGBTQ people of faith. Click here to see how you can bring the Shower of Stoles project to your community. On Friday, as we celebrated Good Friday, I wore my…
Read MoreHow My Gender Journey Became My Resurrection
Easter service was exactly as one would expect, uneventful even, for most of those gathered that morning. As I joined my congregation early that day, I was greeted with the traditional “Alleluia! Christ is risen!” and the blast of the organ and choir singing, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” I took a breath, binding…
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