An Interfaith Service

[LeaP]

(note to Mods - this is not a religion post per se, despite the title)

I attended a Pride Week Interfaith service on Sunday. Not being much of a believer in the LGBT "community," I have attended very few related events over the years, and even then as a brief onlooker. Trans-anything has rarely had much of a presence, unless you count drag queens in that ... and I don't.

There was a medium-sized congretation, perhaps a hundred and fifty people or so. I would guess that almost all were gay or allies, but I did notice a few trans people as well. The service itself was straightforward. A few readings - delivered by a trans woman, no less, opening/closing prayers, a candle lighting ceremony with one colored candle for each color in the rainbow flag, and a sermon. There was a choir that was quite good. And there was dancing in the pews, waving arms, shouted amens, clapping, and that sort of thing - all very foreign to me.

The sermon is what stood out in that not only were trans people mentioned, but received a great deal of emphasis. More so than any other sub-group, I would say. It was doubly gratifying to me that it was delivered by a lesbian pastor, as certain segments of the lesbian community are notably anti-trans. There was the usual "transgender" language, which I thought over-broad, but she actually mentioned transsexuals specifically several times, even referencing transition and surgery. Frankly, I'm still amazed.

I thanked her at the door when leaving, and then took the opportunity to write her a fairly long note on why I thought her sermon significant - not just for me, but for the rest of the congregation. I just may drop into her church some Sunday to see if this was a one-off or was indicative of a fundamental inclusiveness.

The experience took off a little of the edginess over moving to the Bible Belt. I wonder if the LGB contingent heard the same thing I did, and whether they took it as a caution to them, as I think intended.

Interesting experience.

[IamSara]

Lea
That was a wonderful post. I like you would never have thought that we would get that much of a mention in a service. I am going to message you as to where this was. If I am in the area I would like to go visit sometime.

[Rianna Humble]

This thread isn't about how welcoming or otherwise any particular brand of religion might be, it is about the OP's experience of a particular event in which Trans folk were given welcome if unexpected prominence.

Let's keep it on-topic and therefore open. Any descent into debate about whether your own preferred brand of religion would wash as white or whiter will only cause this thread to be closed.

[Angela Campbell]

I tend to avoid any "events" that have crowds, because large crowds really make me uneasy. However I have attended a few in the area and they are pretty inclusive of us. Maybe it is because Florida is just "eat up" with trans folks, I don't know. Overall we are getting more attention in the media and there is an elevated awareness lately both good and bad.
It is hard to understand why many denominations and the LGB community are really not more accepting of anyone who is different (trans). I thought it was supposed to be about love and fairness and equality.

[Beth-Lock]

Here in Ottawa, a local CD/Trans Support Group, (Gender Mosaic), recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a Gala evening at a local hotel/conference centre, attracting about 150 people of all types, heads of EMS, including police, fire and paramedics and federal Senators, and one non-GLBT minister of the Gospel. It is, as you say, so gratifying that we are getting such broad-based support in society these days.

The media though often under-reports these events, so you have to actually attend them to see what is happening and feel a sort of ground-swell. Even when right-wing politicians do not openly support these things, they are careful not to bad-mouth them, and often say positive things, even though guarded, perhaps talking of the issue as a human rights one, instead of a GLBT issue.

As for lesbian hostility, that may be stale news. These days, I have seen a sprinkling of trans at all the lesbian dances I have attended, (I recognize them from knowing them personally in the trans community, not merely guessing they are trans), and the lesbians are accepting of them, (that is, us), now. (And in some cases, they would know I am trans for sure, not by just guessing from appearance, that is in the cases in which I have gone with my friend, as she would introduce me to longtime members of the lesbian community that she knows personally, so it is not like I am accepted because I am there in stealth.)

I am now quite comfortable going to lesbian dances, (called women's dances), even alone, but not to straight hetero dances, though I shall be testing those out soon, at least when I know there is some indication in their policy, that they are pro-trans. At least women's dances and the lesbians running them were there for me, and offered me an accepting milieu to get out and have a nice time, before I felt okay at hetero dances, as I assume I may some day be.

[Angela Campbell]

I grew up in the "bible belt" and I think you will find that the belt isn't so tight as some make it out to be. You have no need to fear.

[LeaP]

Unfortunately, I won't be in town for the Pride Parade. It would be equally interesting to see if trans people had any real presence there as well. In a similar vein, I haven't been to the local LBGT center yet, but will check that out soon. I checked the websites of the local colleges and universities as I've been looking for a therapist in this area. Counseling centers are thin on trans-knowledgeable coverage. There is a loose coalition of local therapists and physicians that have a trans focus, fortunately. If I had thought of it, I might have attempted to locate some of them at the service, if in attendence.

And Rianna, you expressed the intent of this thread exactly right.

[Marleena]

Hmmm.. Think I might need to get a cheerleader's uniform soon, Rianna.:)

Lea it's great to hear about a TS friendly sermon. Hopefully more will pick up on the idea as "T" are still lagging behind in the LGBT. Sounds like a very positive experience. Thanks for sharing.

[Rianna Humble]

The request to keep the thread on topic was not an invitation to debate whether we should continue to be part of the LGBT movement, neither was it an invitation to see which permutation of the letters might suit the Trans activists better than the others.