Rather than simply report on each of the sessions of the recent Transgender Religious Summit, I’ve chosen instead to discuss dominant themes that emerged from the conference as a whole. Today, I’ll address relational education.

Transgender people of faith and their allies must provide more and better education to the church at large if we hope to stimulate denominational policy makers to affirming change. This theme emerged in the Summit’s introductory session, led by Dr. Joel Kushner, Director of the Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, and Barbara Satin, transgender activist and consultant with the Institute for Welcoming Resources. As Barbara noted, even lesbian, gay, and bisexual people frequently lack the information they need to be effective allies to transgendered people, and denominations that welcome and affirm us in theory (or in theology) often struggle to do so effectively in practice. Education narrows the gap between theory and practice, and does so best when it occurs within the context of relationships marked by trust. Trying to create change outside of healthy relationships frequently leads to conflict.

Read the rest of this entry »

My dear friend Peterson Toscano announces an exhibition of artwork by survivors of the ex-gay movement, to be held February 22-24 at the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center.  They are receiving submissions through February 13.  Check Peterson’s latest blog post for a list of other fabulous events going on in Memphis that weekend, including the retirement performance of his play Doin’ Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House and the Memphis premire of his new show, Transfigurations - Transgressing Gender in the Bible. 

You can’t be in leadership and not be who you are. You lead by example. Leaders have to be truthful and open. I couldn’t live any other way.

Alba Martinez, out CEO of United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, as quoted in The Philadelphia Inquirer (as seen in this week’s Gay and Lesbian Leadership Smartbrief)

Ex-Gay Watch announced yesterday that Vivian Yuki Choe, a frequent and insightful commenter at the site, is joining their team of contributors.  Vivian is a 31 year old transsexual woman who will soon be moving to Australia with her husband.  She also blogs at The Journey of Yuki.

The Bilerico Project is also adding a new trans contributor, Monica Roberts.  Monica is a 45 year old transwoman of color who hails from Houston and blogs at TransGriot.  You can read her first post here.

Congratulations to Vivian, Monica, Ex-Gay Watch, and the Bilerico Project!

The price of justice is eternal publicity.

Arnold Bennett, English poet, author, and critic (1867-1931)

When I read last year’s news coverage of the first-ever Transgender Religious Summit, I was thrilled to know the event was taking place. I had always assumed that coming out transgender meant the end of my ministry career, and was so encouraged to know that enough transgender religious professionals existed to warrant a conference! So you can imagine how excited I was to receive an invitation to this year’s follow-up event, held last Sunday and Monday at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California.

I’ll be blogging some of the topics we covered at the summit over the next few days, but I want to open my coverage of the event by thanking all those who made my attendance there possible and by greeting all the wonderful new friends I made (who I hope will eventually find their way here). It was incredibly inspiring and empowering to be among them, and I left them with great hope for the future–both for all trans people of faith, and for myself as a trans woman called to serve the world on God’s behalf.

After the break is PSR’s press release on the event, as an introduction to my coverage that follows. Read the rest of this entry »