Posts Tagged ‘Safe Space’
Trans Day Of Remembrance Is Over: Is Your Church Still Trans Inclusive?
Being visibly trans or gender non-conforming in the world means you have the privilege of dealing with a lot of people’s feelings about your presence more than you care to. Folks often want to tell you how they feel about your clothing choices, the way you are “successfully” or “unsuccessfully” portraying your gender and more…
Read MoreAmidst Reformation: Our Chance To Change The Church
As an immigrant, a woman, and a person of color, I know what a public show of solidarity can mean in the face of adversity. Ashamedly, there have been times when I did not offer such solidarity to others. When I first became a Christian, I failed to be a public ally to LGBT people…
Read MoreKeeping My Church A Safe Place For The LGBTQ Community
My church, First Church Congregational in Rochester NH, has been “Open and Affirming” (a designation of the United Church of Christ) since 2002. The designation means that we make a specific commitment to welcome the LGBTQ community, to recognize the hurt that had been done to that community by the institutional church, and to work…
Read MoreAttempt To Repeal The School Success And Opportunity Act Fails
Today, the effort to repeal the School Success and Opportunity Act—California’s new law ensuring that all children have opportunities to do well in school—failed to qualify for the ballot. The law—also known as Assembly Bill 1266—went into effect on January 1st, ensuring that schools have the guidance they need to make sure all students, including…
Read MoreBuilding Safer Spaces For Our Transgender Youth
When I was in high school in rural North Carolina, I wasn’t very out. It was the early days of what you might call online social connection. I set up dummy email addresses to create secret identities on usenet forums where I tried to figure out what it meant to be transgender. I had friends…
Read MoreAt Home In The House Of God
Being the loudest queer voice in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination has made me a big target in my church. While many members are genuinely interested in a dialogue, there are still those who wish I would stop talking about equality. Each outburst made, each letter written, and each sermon preached against my message perpetuates the ignorant…
Read MoreThe Misnomer Of Safe Space
The majority of life boils down to one of two relational spaces. There’s the surface-level presentation of self, best reserved for exchanging pleasantries with the man next to you in the grocery line or during the meet and greet at church. I like your necklace and did you see the game last week? How’s your…
Read MoreA Lesbian, a Bible and an Inauguration Service: In Search of Safe Homes
Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson, Moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC), will read the scripture at President Obama’s Interfaith Prayer Service at the National Cathedral, to be held Tuesday morning, January 22. When I stand in the presence of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden to read the Hebrew Bible under the soaring arches…
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