What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Transgender Visibility and the Church

    Today happens to be International Transgender Visibility Day of Visibility.

    As yet, I’ve heard nothing today from anyone from a faith background. No bishops making statements either positive or negative, no-one threatening to leave a denomination over it, no statements at all really.

    It seems to me that it is worth me going on record to say that St Mary’s is a church which has transgender people connected to it.

    I suspect that wouldn’t particularly surprise anyone. Most people will shrug and say “oh, that’s just St Mary’s for you”

    However, I think it is worth my while saying that each of the three church communities that I’ve been part of since ordination has had transgender people as members of their communities. I’ve also met trans men and trans women in both of my times working in university chaplaincy. This has made me conclude that being transgender is a more common thing than I used to presume and it really is surprising that the church has nothing much to say about it.

    Members of the body of Christ are transgender.

    I’ve had to learn a lot as I’ve listened to people with that experience tell me about their lives.

    One of the things that I’ve learned is that some of the very common narratives that I have become used to hearing from lesbian and gay people of faith don’t really map onto transgender experience very well.

    Many many times, I’ve heard stories from gay and lesbian people of alienation and frustration within church communities which I’ve met by saying, “Well, I don’t think God makes mistakes – God made you attracted to the people you are attracted to and God doesn’t make mistakes”.

    However, that doesn’t really work for people who are on a trans journey. Not quite anyway. I’ve changed what I say a bit and now I think that I’d be more likely to say is that the essential truth is that God loves us as we really, truly are.

    Transgender people and those who are close to them are welcome at St Mary’s. I’d like to think that people already know that but I guess that with the silence I hear from the wider church it is worth saying out loud. The fact that I’ve known people with this experience in very different religious communities to the one I now lead gives me some hope.

    So – God bless all transgender people on this day of transgender visibility.

    God blesses the whole church through them.

    ,

3 responses to “St Andrew's Day”

  1. Avatar
    Kelvin

    Re: St Andrew’s Day
    Loved the service tonight Kelvin. Thankyou.  Would be good to have more folky things like you used to!  Enjoyed Highland Cathedral.

    When will you take your congregation to Perth Cathedral?
    Some haven't been for a very long time and some have never been!

    Reply
  2. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Re: St Andrew’s Day
    Thank you for the comments. I enjoyed last night’s service a lot too.

    There is not a huge amount going on at the cathedral to invite people to at the moment. The last thing that members of St Saviour’s joined in with was the farewell to Bishop Michael Henley in the summer. The choir sang at that service and one or two other people came to it too.

    I’ve always been aware that I was once one of the cathedral clergy. I would not want people to think that I was trying to emulate a cathedral in St Saviour’s. (There is no chance anyway, it is very different indeed – the choir and the music are so much better in Bridge of Allan). I’m also wary that going back a lot to a place that you have been in before can be unhelpful to the former congregation.

    The next big thing at St Ninian’s, Perth will be the consecration of the new bishop on 2 March 2005. I’ve no idea how they will allocate tickets for that – perhaps some of them will come our way.

    Reply
  3. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Re: St Andrew’s Day
    Oddly, I was thinking about the cathedral earlier this week. When I was little there was quite a lot happening for churches in the diocese to attend and I had the opportunity to go a few times to be part of joint fun days etc. We even had the opportunity to sleep over once or twice which was great fun.

    Admittedly this was a long time ago and things have generally changed but it is very good for congregations to mix and join up. It has always made me feel as much a part/member of St.Ninians as St. Saviours although I haven’t been there now for a long time

    I wouldn’t imagine people would asscoiate you overly with the cathedral either, you’ve been in BofA long enough for that not to be an issue. This isn’t really leading anywhere in particaulr but it would be good to see more happening at the cathedral that ‘normal’ people could be a part of in one way or another

    (and I enjoyed the folky thing too, definitely more please!)

    Reply

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