In today’s Gospel, we see a man go through a life changing
experience. A physical miracle as he
goes form blind to sighted. As I
mentioned at the opening today, we are honoring the National weekend of Prayer
for Transgender Justice. Being
Transgender has been viewed as a gift, an awesome blessing of one who can
transcend the physical boundaries of gender. Because of that they were, in some
cultures, believe to be able to transcend the physical and spiritual worlds. I think that is truly a beautiful way of
looking at what it means to be transgender.
I look at being transgender as a calling. People are being called to be who they truly
are and that requires a special process, a special way of being in the world
that is different than most people understand. Many People choose not to even
try to understand.
This sermon is not going to be easy. Some of the facts are hard. Much of the truth is painful. If it wasn’t we would have no need for a weekend
of prayer for Transgender Justice. Unfortunately, we do…
This article came from the southern Poverty law center march
1st
In the past week, four
transgender black women have been murdered in the United States — a trend
that’s alarming civil rights and anti-violence advocates.
The New York City Anti-Violence
Project, which tracks transgender crimes, says there have been seven murders of
transgender people so far, this year, well above the corresponding number last
year.
The Anti-Violence Project
documented the homicides of 23 transgender and gender nonconforming people in
2016, the highest ever recorded by the coalition.
“As we face an administration
which devalues the safety and rights of transgender people and people of color,
we must work tirelessly to support transgender friends, family, and community
members,” NCAVP manager Emily Waters said in a statement.
Three of the most-recent
homicides occurred in Louisiana, two in New Orleans.
Ciara McElveen, was found stabbed
to death on Monday in New Orleans 7th Ward. That homicide came only two days
after another black transgender woman, Chyna Gibson, was shot and killed in New
Orleans on Feb. 25, the Anti-Violence Project reports.
In Monroe, Louisiana Jaquarrius
Holland was found murdered on Feb. 19, the Anti-Violence Project reports.
In Chicago, Keke Collier, also
known to friends as Tiara Richmond, was shot to death on Feb. 22 while walking
near her home in Chicago.
Earlier homicides involving
transgender victims occurred Jan. 4, with the death of Mesha Caldwell, in
Canton, Mississippi; the Jan. 6 death of Jamie Lee Wounded Arrow, in Sioux
Falls, South Dakota, and the Feb. 8 death of Jojo Striker, in Toledo, Ohio,
according to data provided to Hatewatch by the Anti-Violence Project.
McElveen’s murder brings
transgender killings up to the numbers reported at the same time last year,
with transgender women targeted at a slightly higher rate than in previous
years.
Because Ciara McElveen and Chyna
Doll Dupree were killed in Louisiana, a state with hate crime laws that do not
offer protections for gender identity, it is unlikely the charge will be
pursued without federal support for the investigation. Keke Collier’s murder is
the only one of the six carried out in a state with hate crime laws that
protect transgender people.
In previous years, those not
covered by state hate crimes laws could have placed some hope in the federal
government under the Matthew Shephard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention
Act. Developed in the wake of the brutal 1998 murders of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old
gay man from Wyoming, and James Byrd Jr., a 49-year-old African-African man,
the act was used to prosecute an anti-transgender hate crime for the first time
in 2016.
However, given the Trump
administration’s most recent rescinding of President Barack Obama’s guidance on
protections for transgender school children, along with the withdrawal from a
court challenge related to this guidance by Jeff Sessions and the Department of
Justice, there is concern that these murders will go overlooked by the Trump
administration.
Lisa Gilmore, of the Illinois
Accountability Initiative, said the Chicago murder is “yet another violent
attack leading to the death of a young transgender woman of color in our
beloved community.”
“The humanity and personhood of
transgender women need to be recognized,” Gilmore said. “As trans-women of
color are among the most vulnerable in our communities and our nation, we all
must be accountable for their safety and access to opportunities.”
In New Orleans, local transgender
activist Syria Sinclaire expressed sadness about the trend. “We should have the
right to live our lives open and free and not be taunted and traumatized by the
general public if they don't approve,” Sinclaire said in a statement released
by the Anti-Violence Project.
Shelby Chestnut, director of
community organizing and public advocacy for the organization, said the
record-pace number of transgender homicides comes at a time when “the Trump
administration is rolling back protections for transgender youth. This is totally
unacceptable.”
“We need to protect transgender
lives at all stages, but especially in youth where they experience bullying,
family rejection and violence that affects them throughout their lives,”
Chestnut said.[1]
Per a recent report “In America, up to 1.6 million youth experience
homelessness each year. The statistics for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBT) homeless youth are even more shocking, as this group
represents up to 40% all young people experiencing homelessness. Considering that
LGBT youth represent an estimated 7% of the total youth population, these
numbers are disproportionately high. While even a single young person without a
home is one too many, the disparity of LGBT youth experiencing homelessness is
unfathomable.”[2]
In the transgender population 1 in 5 have reported experiencing
homelessness. The issue for homeless
transgender youth is that they need to eat, they need to have safe space to
sleep and they need money for their medications. This often leads them seeking ways to make
money that is unsafe and dangerous.
Often when I worked with the transgender youth group at Children’s
hospital Los Angeles I would hear stories of young people seeking hormones on
the street because they could net get medical services. To pay for these meds
they did whatever they needed to do to survive.
In the book, Queering Christianity, I wrote on the topic of transgender
youth.
“Many times, in our daily lives as we try to discover who we are and
wat we need to be, we struggle we struggle with the concept of God who calls us
to be ourselves.”[3]Virginia
Mollenkott reminds us “We often find that we are more concerned with being
‘right’ and appearing to have it all together than being faithful to God’s holy
calling to live our lives with as much integrity we can muster.”[4]
”Unfortunately with the constraints’ of society, culture, faith, and family we
tend to shy away from these callings”[5]
Again Virginia Mollenkott point out that “As gender variant people we
have also been and continue to be the unwilling , undeserving targets of a
pervasive lack of social and spiritual integrity. That is why we must do all we can to move the
gender-variant persons out of the category of “victim” into that of “survivor”
and even “thriver”.”[6]
“Society must cease its targeting and seeking out, or in some cases,
ignoring the transgender person. The transgender person has an inevitable right
to live life as a recognized and valued member of society.”[7] We as Christians are called walk beside the
transgender person through their journey, we are called to defend and protect
each and every person as a child of God but more so the least of these, those
who stand at the margins of society.
The first transgender person I met was a man named Dwayne he lived in
the men’s dorm at the catholic college.
But on the weekends, he would do his hair and makeup and go out to
perform and live as his true self miss Natalie.
He lived a dual life and though I do not know what has happened to him
since he often spoke of how he hated being one person during the week and
another on the weekend. I hope he found
his happiness.
I must not I used the pronoun he because at the time Dwayne referred to
himself in the male pronoun. Of course that was 1981-82.
There is a wonderful story going around. You know when someone has a baby the first
question is “is it a boy or a girl” the
correct answer is we don’t know it hasn’t told us yet!” If only we lived in such a world where everyone
was truly free to express who they are and going to be in their own terms.
Today the Transgender person is becoming more visible and role models
can be seen throughout our modern American society. For example Judge Vicki
Kowolkowski is a superior court Judge since 2011 and a transgender woman. She also happens to be a colleague and friend
as she is an ordained minister in the Metropolitan community church.
People can see show like transparent thought the star is straight
himself Jeffery Tambor plays a true to the experience role. Of course, there is
Laverne Cox Hollywood star, actress and model who has two shows on T.V. right
now. Here is a brief bio of her from Wikipedia
“Laverne Cox is an American actress, reality television star,
television producer, and LGBT advocate. [She became known for her portrayal of
Sophia Burset on the Netflix television series Orange Is the New Black, for
which she became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award in the acting category, and the first to be nominated for
an Emmy Award since composer/musician Angela Morley in 1990. In 2015, she
became the first openly transgender person to have a wax figure of herself at
Madame Tussauds. In 2017, she became the first transgender person to play a
transgender series regular on broadcast TV as Cameron Wirth on Doubt on CBS.”[8]
I can honestly say there has not been a time in my life since I was 19
that there has not been a transgender person in my circle. I lost one friend to violence in san Francisco
back 1989. I mourn her every time I need
to talk about this. And WE need to talk
about this.
People call transgender people all sort of awful things. They condemn them to death without a judge or
a jury not that one is needed for no crime has been committed.. In today’s Gospel when asked why the man was
blind what did Jesus say?
The disciples ask Jesus what is this individual’s sin that caused this
is it his own or his parents?
Jesus replies;
“It wasn’t because of anyone’s sin---
Not this person’s, nor the parents’.
Rather, it was to let God’s works shine forth
In this person” (John 9:3)
I am sure I am going to hear it from someone how dare I use Christ’s
word to justify a transgender or gender queer person. Well just in case I
didn’t get it right the first time, I can do it again Jeremiah 1:5 says; “Before
I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated
you;” Each Human being has Value. Each
one of us form the most marginalized to the hardest to understand or comprehend
has value.
We as Christians are called to stand up and fight. Has an open and affirming congregation we are
called over and over again to voice our convictions, marginalization of people
will not be tolerated. It is easy to stand here in the pulpit and to sit in the
pew and maybe even in coffee hour where we are comfortable with similar minded
people to talk about it.
But do we do when out in a crowd
and we hear something or someone says something? Do we stand up? Do we attempt to educate? Or do we sit back quietly in fear or anger
and maybe just grumble to ourselves?
The man who was blind but now could see was taken before the Pharisees.
They asked him since your eyes were opened what do you say about Jesus. He is a
prophet the man replied knowing this could get him kicked out of the synagogue.
So they brought in his parents who knew if they affirmed the miracle
they could be kicked out so they said he is old enough ask him. Again they did and he replied “I do not know
if he is a sinner or not all I know is I can see.”
Finally they asked him again how this happened and he replied I already
told you why do you need me to tell you again Unless you too wish to be his
disciple. Of course they get in an
argument and finally he proclaims “if this one was not from God he could never
had done such a thing!”
This man Never saw Jesus but knew his work without seeing him as a matter
of fact he acknowledges Christ 3 times knowing what the consequence would be.
He makes Peter look really bad.
What I am saying here is over and over again a person proclaims who
they are meant to be and our society
tries to suppress, deny them, or fix
them and if that doesn’t work they well evidently they will beat them and worse
kill them!
Let me tell you about my friend Bamby Salcedo.
“Very early in life, she experienced numerous challenges. Growing up in
a poor home with a single working mother in Guadalajara, Mexico, she was drawn
to the companionship and lessons of several hardships in life like childhood
sexual abuse by an abusive step father, the use of drugs and surviving in the
hard streets of Guadalajara Mexico as a child. Maneuvering her uneasy way
through separate worlds of family, school, gangs, and LGBTQ friends, she fell
into a deep cycle of drugs, crime, juvenile institutions and later, after
immigrating to the US, prisons and constant street violence. Repeatedly facing
her mortality, and amid many reversals, she committed herself to treatment for
her addiction to work on herself and learn the root cause of what was leading
the life she was living.
She then slowly began to experience, build and imagine a different and
better life for herself. But Bamby’s improbable survival also inspired within
her a sense of duty to help others as she recovered her life. One by one, she
began to transform each challenge and each issue of her early life into the
substance, basis and gravitas for her current extraordinary work, activism and
life. Even now, she is always ready to credit others who assisted her
transcendent rise. Bamby often speaks of herself as a “Community Investment”.[9]
I first met Bamby when she was working at Children’s hospital as the
social advocate for the transgender youth program. It was because of Bamby’s openness and
willingness to listen, that we could establish an ongoing spiritual outreach to
the program that continues to this day.
One of the programs she initiated at children’s hospital was angels of
change;
Arriving at Children’s Hospital, Bamby saw a lack of visibility and
funding for the trans youth programs. Angels of Change, a remarkable
‘rite-of-passage’ experience for trans and gender nonconforming youth. Angels
of Change is a calendar and runway show that Bamby has produced each year for
the past seven years. Angels of Change also raises funds for The Center for Trans
Youth Health and Development with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Division of
Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine.
Participating in “Angels of Change” is an opportunity for trans and
gender non-conforming youth to develop self-presentation skills in a safe, fun
environment by participating in the production of a yearly calendar – the
world’s first calendar featuring trans youth. A celebratory, non-competitive
runway show by the participants caps off a program that challenges and builds
self-esteem, confidence, cooperation, belonging and an opportunity to project
into the future for its participants. Bamby’s creation of “Angels of Change”
recognizes and significantly addresses a previously missing cultural positive
representation of trans and gender nonconforming youth.
My Life is richer because of the many, many transgender youth I have
worked with and the transgender adults who helped shape my life. We as an open and affirming church and even
as a denomination are called to do more than proclaim it when in the face of
such violence in our community. We must
stand up and act. So, on this weekend of
National prayer for Transgender Justice – Freedom we pray;
Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds
held and nurtured over generations. Let the rain wash away the memory of the
heart, and neglect. Then Oh God, let the sun come out and fill the sky with
beautiful rainbows.
Let the warmth of the Sun heal us wherever we are broken. Let It burn
away the fog so that each of us sees each other clearly. So that we can move
beyond labels, beyond accents, gender, sexual orientation, or skin color. Let
the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness. So that we can share
the joy and sorrow of our neighbors. And let the light of the sun be so strong
that we will see all people as our neighbors.
Let the Earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us
with your beauty, and let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to
heaven. Then, Dear God, grant us comfort, give us peace, and allow us strength
to enable us to Stand up, Fight for, and be a Voice for Equality. In Jesus'
name, Amen!
Offered by Rev. Debra J. Hopkins, Black trans woman, minister at
Sacred Souls Community Church in Charlotte, NC.
[1] Bill Morlin, Four
Transgender Murders in a Week "Alarming Trend,” March 1, 2017, accessed
March 21, 2017,
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/03/01/four-transgender-murders-week-alarming-trend.
[2] true colors fund,
our issue, 2017, accessed March 21, 2017,
https://truecolorsfund.org/our-issue/.
[3] Robert E.
Shore-Goss et al., eds., Queering Christianity: Finding a Place at the Table
for LGBTQI Christians (Santa Barbara, California: Praeger, 2013), 300.
[4] Virginia Ramey Mollenkott,
and Vanessa Sheridan, Transgender Journeys (Cleveland: Pilgrim Press,
2003), 30.
[5] Shore-Goss et
al., Queering Christianity: Finding a Place at the Table for LGBTQI
Christians, 300.
[7] Shore-Goss et
al., Queering Christianity: Finding a Place at the Table for LGBTQI
Christians, 300
[9] Bamby Salcedo,
Bamby Salcedo Bio, 2017, accessed March 22, 2017,
http://bambysalcedo.com/bio.php.
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