So, let's talk about church. A few months ago, I went out dressed on a Sunday afternoon and met a friend at a restaurant along a busy street. After lunch, I walked to my car and passed a storefront evangelical church. Just as I was walking past, the door swung open and a very kind older woman welcomed me in. She was very sweet but also a bit insistent, so I relented and went inside. The service was about halfway through, and afterwards everyone was remarkably kind and welcoming to me. It was kind of overwhelming. Well, since then, I have been visiting that church as often as I can, and they have welcomed me (Monica) with open arms and hearts. This has been an unprecedented experience for me because Im not religious, and because I had mixed emotions about going into a place of worship dressed. I was afraid that some of the other churchgoers might find my presence to be sacrilegious or blasphemous. Keep in mind that these are somewhat fundamentalist evangelicals who, by default, advocate for "traditional family values." And yet, they have embraced me, use my name and pronouns, etc. An important detail is that the pastor is an elderly woman and 80% of the churchgoers are middle aged and older women. I think that makes all the difference. One funny aside is that I have had to shop for modest dresses because I didnt have any before and considering how covered up the women are, I wasn't about to shake things up even more. While I am still not religious, the sense of community and the positive vibes are a welcomed addition to my life.