Toolkit: Compassion is Justice: Standing in Solidarity with Transgender Nonbinary Youth and Adults<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rev. Dr. Bob Shore-Goss<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I want to start with a scriptural verse Mt. 25: 40 \u201cWhatever you do the least of my family, you do it to me.\u201d Here Jesus brings a notion of the least, those marginalized and scapegoated, he is the persons or groups targeted for exclusion and violence. What I love about Jesus is that he consistently teaches us that compassion is justice. When we stand in solidarity with those who are marginalized we stand Jesus the Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I want to call us as a Conference to stand with transgendered folks as they are scapegoated in a phenomenon called by sociologists \u201cpanics.\u201d I was introduced to the notion of sex panics in the 20th<\/sup> century by gay historian Allan Berube. Berube describes sex panic as \u201ca moral crusade that leads to crackdown on sexual outsiders.\u201d I experienced the sex panics of the Moral Majority and other Christians who targeted and scapegoated gay and stigmatized them as \u201cdiseased,\u201d \u201cdegenerate,\u201d and \u201cdangerous\u201d Cardinal Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, labelled us as \u201cintrinsically evil, objectively disordered.\u201d There are so many horror stories of violence and exclusion during that period. Violent rhetoric leads us to increased violence and hated crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are increased violence and xenophobic targets: Jews, Asians, asylum seekers, people of color, and LGBTQI+ folks. We are in another sex panic that has been widened to include gender variance panic. Such moral panics play upon irrational feelings of fear that some person or group of persons, whose values, skin color, or lifestyles threatens the well-being and safety of society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The UCC, in various conferences including Florida, have passed resolutions in support of trans and non-binary folks. The General Synod will consider a resolution to affirm the dignity of transgender and non-binary dignity amid legislative attacks. https:\/\/www.ucc.org\/synod-is-asked-to-affirm-commitment-to-transgender-nonbinary-dignity-amid-legislative-attacks\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n I want to propose some resources for congregations and actions in compassion solidarity with trans and non-binary youth and people\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Biblical Support for Preaching:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three passages we might want to reflect upon: Isaiah 56: 1-5, Mt. 19:12, and Acts 8:26-40. Take a look at the Queer Bible Commentary<\/em> for further reference; Justin Sabia Tanis, Trans-Gender: Theology, Ministry, and Communities of Faith<\/em>, and Sean D. Burke, Queering the Ethiopian Eunuch<\/em>, and Halvor Moxnes, Putting Jesus in Place: A Radical Vision of Household and Kingdom <\/em>are good sources for preaching. Justin Sabia-Tanis and Sean Burke are seminary professors and contributors to the Queer Bible Commentary<\/em>, and Melissa and Melissa-Harl Sellew & Joshua Reno write on Galatians from a transsexual perspective.in the QBC. I would add the work Trans\/Formation<\/em> co-edited by two colleagues and friends that I have worked with Lisa Isherwood and the late Marcella Althaus-Reid. The essay give insight into the deep and profound spiritual lives amidst struggle against religious and cultural prejudices. There are many more books by trans Christian authors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eunuchs are gender variant or proto-trans folks in the Bible. I want to address three passages briefly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Isaiah 56:5 declares, \u201cTo the eunuch notes how eunuchs, who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters, I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.\u201d This Isaian prophecy speaks of inclusion and the diversity of gender variant peoples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The context for Jesus\u2019 eunuch saying in Matthew 19:11-12 is a slur against Jesus. Jesus identifies with the third category of eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for God\u2019s kin-dom. Jesus stands in solidarity with eunuchs, and I have personally met a number of eunuchs dedicated to Jesus\u2019 kin-dom practice, and they are included in our congregations as lay and ordained members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let me now focus on the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8: 26-ff. The Ethiopian eunuch embodies intersectionality as a man, African, non-Jew God fearer, and a eunuch in the court of the Queen of Ethiopia, and he is the first non-Jewish convert to the Jesus movement. Eunuchs have been proto-transgendered individuals in the ancient world and even in the modern world as Hijras, religious eunuchs in Hinduism. The eunuch was not religiously acceptable in the ancient world as transgendered folks are not acceptable to many conservative Christians today. The post Easter Jesus movement reflected Jesus\u2019 radical inclusive practices of inviting outsiders and marginalized into his table fellowship. If God in the Isaiah scripture, Jesus in the eunuch statement in Matthew, and Luke in Acts on the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch is welcome into the body of Christ, then we can stand in solidarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n UCC Response<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I am proud of the UCC response: From the UCC website: The Rev. Paul Eknes-Tucker, pastor of Pilgrim Church UCC<\/strong><\/a> in Birmingham, Ala., joined a group of parents and medical providers in the state to file a lawsuit against it<\/strong><\/a>, and a judge blocked its enforcement while the case proceeds. In Alabama, Texas, Florida, there are may legislative attacks on trans children and youth and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What can our churches do? Here are some of my suggestions as well UCC churches, Conferences, and eh denomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Action Items of UCC ONA on the Day of Trans Remembrance<\/p>\n\n\n\n