#transgender catholic

[transienttheologyproject]

if you’re a genderqueer christian, if you know & love a genderqueer christian, or if you’re simply interested in learning more about how Christianity and transness intersect with one another rather than contradict each other, then consider checking out the Transient Theology Zine — available now digitally & for preorder through 9/15! www.transienttheologyproject.weebly.com

[angelwingumbrella]

Shout out to those who believe in/know the reality of Transubstantiation and who also believe in/know the reality that Queer Rights are Human Rights!

[oleandro-drag]

saint sebastian tended by saint irene but they're both drag artists

felt like this might be something this site would enjoy

on stage: oleandro & delfi oraakel, photographer: peroksiid (on ig as oleandro_drag, delfi_oraakel and peroksiid)

[dioptasesystem]

Luce Says: transgender people are fucking epic.

This is canon, I asked Francis myself.

[jadenvargen]

posted this on twit but rejected draft for a transgender horror anthology. based on my youth experiences having dinners with bigoted family members while closeted. (deemed too gorey to fit the theme)

[whereserpentswalk]

We need to start depicting this lil guy doing heretical things asap!

Reblog with what acts you want to see him commit!

[luceandfriends]

@the-truth-about-mary

Ever since he showed up, I’ve been seeing a huge influx of accounts similar to his pop up. Some are subtle, MGTOW posters who simply reblog things with a snarky comment. Others have no posts but their likes are full of violent pornography, Whether out of ignorance or crude exhibition. Regardless, I want to let my mutuals and any other minority reading this to see:

You are worth a life of dignity and safety. You are beloved in ways you cannot fathom. I want to protect those I can, and equip all with confidence, courage, hope and forgiveness. If anyone, anyone at all, needs a place to grieve, I will do what I can, to offer comfort and validation.

Many people are going to see this and recoil with hostility, or fear or doubt or shame. I do not see any of that. I see You.

In the face of violent hatred, I humbly offer mercy to those who seek it. I will bring honor back to the name of the most blessed Virgin Mary and her beloved children. God bless you all. 🕊️

-Luce 💛

[eternal-echoes]

“Your child says she's trans. Now what? Many parents are frightened that if they don't affirm the child's declared gender identity, they could lose their child. In fact, some trans activists openly discuss how they train family court judges to view parental hesitation as a form a "medical neglect."(2) As a result, some parents can lose custody of their children if they don't consent to hormones and surgery.(3) Therefore, what should you do if your child claims to be trans? If you don't affirm her proclaimed gender identity, are you rejecting her?

First off, here's what not to do: Don't freak out, be dismissive, tell her it's just a phase, try to win a debate, convince her she's immature, or remind her that the frontal lobe of her brain isn't fully developed. Upon reading this, some parents might think, "Okay, I already managed to do all of that during our first conversation, and now she's locked in her room with her earphones on, not answering the door, and probably staring at her cellphone screen again. Any suggestions for damage control?"

When the dust settles, approach her gently and say, "I want to apologize. I'm sorry I didn't handle that very well. I honestly wasn't sure what to think or what to say. Do you mind if I could try to listen again?" Although teenagers often have a short attention span when listening to their parents, they have a surprisingly long one when parents offer a sincere apology. Nonetheless, if she spouts off a snarky reply, give her a pass this time. Let her air her grievances.

Should she be willing to reengage in a conversation, here are ten tips for your initial discussions:

One: Express gratitude that she has shared this information with you. Odds are, these feelings have been brewing in her mind for quite some time, but she was afraid to talk to you about them. She might have privately navigated through stages of initial awareness about her gender dysphoria, followed by waves or confusion, shame, exploration, self-rejection, resignation, and acceptance. For her to confide in you more deeply about where she's at in this process, she'll need to feel safe.

Two: Express reverent curiosity. By the time she talks to you about this, she has probably spent countless hours learning about the subject online and discussing it with others. If you don't understand concepts or terms she uses, invite her to explain what she means by them. If some of them strike you as absurd, unscientific, or theologically unsound, now is not the time to debate. Listen and learn what she's thinking. If you show her that you're willing to listen to her, in due time she'll value what you have to say in return. If she's open to sharing with you some of the sources where she's learned about the topic of gender, take the time to explore what they are saying, so you can better understand what she's thinking. In time, as she sees that you're willing to learn more about what matters to her, she may be open to reviewing resources you could share with her, that charitably call into question some of the ideologies she may have internalized.

Three: Be empathetic. Don't try to disprove her feelings. Rather, find places where you agree and might be able to affirm her ache or discontent. You could say, "I can see why you would feel constrained by the way the world expects people to fit into stereotypes. That makes sense." Although you might not agree on what it means for her live as her "authentic self," you can affirm her desire to live authentically. You could also affirm that this must be difficult to experience and acknowledge that you realize she didn't choose to feel this way. It's possible to validate her feelings without validating her reasoning, beliefs, and ideology. You could add, "I can see this has been very hard on you. I hear what you're saying, and I want to help. Thank you for trusting me with this."

Four: Rather than interrogating her, ask thoughtful questions. For example, "Can you tell me more about this? I want to understand." "What can I do for you?" "What has it been like to tell me about this? It must have taken courage." As your conversations deepen with time, you might be able to gradually map out the history of conflicts she has felt with her sexual identity. For example, "When did you start feeling this way?" "What was happening in your life at that time?" "When does the discomfort feel most intense?" For some individuals, gender dysphoria is like a white noise always playing in the background of their lives. For others, it fluctuates in intensity, and certain things such as formal attire and events (where individuals are expected to dress in a strictly masculine or feminine way) could trigger dysphoria. Another female recalled, "I felt the most dysphoric in my teenage years just in my bedroom.”(4) As you learn more about her experiences, you can discover ways to avoid triggering some of the distress.

Five: Don't debate her memories, even if they seem embellished. Parents of gender dysphoric teens often note that their child often reinterprets their childhood history through a transgender lens. Rather than trying to disprove her recollection, listen to her perception.

Six: Be humble. If she points out some of your flaws and the hurts that you have caused, own what you can without blame-shifting. Seek forgiveness where it is needed. Often, parents worry that if they admit blame, they empower their children to hold things against them. The opposite is true. When children witness authentic vulnerability, they learn from example that ownership of one's shortcomings is a trait to be emulated.

Seven: Remind her that she is loved. Reaffirm that you will never leave her, no matter what. Explain that God loves her unconditionally as well. Perhaps you could take this moment to also apologize on behalf of the Church if she has ever been alienated by members of her faith community. Reassure her that God loves her, that He desires a personal relationship with her, and that the Church is her home. Assure her of your prayers and encourage her to have a genuine prayer life as well.

Eight: Listen for deeper motives. Drs. Yarhouse and Sadusky write:

What motivates their gender atypical behavior varies. Teens may engage in atypical expression to manage gender dysphoria, reduce anxiety about body image, express a sense of "true self," experience sexual arousal, seek entertainment, or respond to boredom. Moreover, some teens do appear to be in a search for identity and community.(5)

Each person's motivation is their own. But by listening well, you can gradually discover that there are often motives that run much deeper than simply the profession, "I'm trans." What might appear on the surface to be a feeling of inadequacy could have a layer of shame beneath it, and self-hatred at the core. Insofar as these or other deeper factors surface, try to help them distinguish how they feel from who they are. Your unconditional love will help her to explore difficult emotions such as resentment, anger, hurt, and self-loathing, so that the deeper unmet needs can be addressed with healthy strategies.

Nine: Don't pull away from your child. The topic of gender can cause so much relational friction that some parents opt for a "flight" response, hoping the difficulty will spontaneously resolve if they ignore it long enough. One young woman recalled that as she was wrestling with the idea of gender, she felt as if she were being pushed in a "confused and desperate head space" by her parent's isolated attitude toward her. Speaking of her mother, she wished that she "would have shown a bit more understanding and asked me some questions and talked to me like I was a human being going through a struggle rather than a problem to be solved."(6) So, rather than viewing her as a problem to be solved, consider her to be a mystery to be gradually revealed. According to existing research on the well-being of LGBT-identifying young people, the best predictor of their well-being over time is the quality of their relationship with you, their parents.(7)

Ten: Buy yourself time. You could say, "To be honest, this is a lot for me to understand. But I can tell that this really matters to you, and so I want you to know that I take this seriously because of that. I need some time to process our conversation and learn more about this." Telling her that you need time enables you to avoid making any major decisions or promises (other than love) in your initial conversations. It allows you time to strategize how to help them manage their dysphoria in the least invasive manner possible. Further, it models the type of thoughtful discernment around complexity that you hope your child would emulate.”

-Jason Evert, Male, Female, or Other: A Catholic Guide to Understanding Gender

—

Work cited:

2) Julian Vigo, "Capitulating to Bullies: Brown University and the Transgender Lobby vs. Science," Public Discourse (October 7, 2018).

3) Cf. Ryan Anderson, "Parents Denied Custody of Child for Refusing Support of Transgenderism: Here's What You Need to Know," Lifesitenews.com, February 19, 2018.

4) "DETRANSITION Q&A (#1)," https://youtu.be/kxVmSGTgNxI.

5) Mark Yathouse and Julia Sadusky, Emerging Gender Identities (Ada, MI: Brazos Press, 2020), 67.

6) "DETRANSITION Q&A (#1)," https://youtu.be/kxVmSGTgNxI.

7) Cf. Yarhouse and Sadusky, Emerging Gender Identities, 66.

—

For more recommended resources on gender dysphoria, click here.

[transmutationisms]

my mothers approach to having a relationship w me is literally 1. don't ask any information about my life/job/interests when on the phone, let the conversation awkwardly die any time i run out of things to say 2. send increasingly fervent letters (addressed without using any name for me, incl on the envelope) abt how our phone conversations make her sad and shes praying for me.

now listen i understand its hard when your relationship with someone is strained and distanced in a way you didn't want. however when that happens to Me i do things such as, snort amphetamines, and run very far. maybe she should try some of that instead of resentfully moving halfway across the world to do soft imperialism, just a thought

[transienttheologyproject]

CALL FOR ART BY TRANS+, NON-BINARY, & GENDERQUEER CHRISTIANS

​Are you a trans+ Christian with artwork (of ANY medium!) expressing your journeys in gender and faith? Would you like the opportunity to share your voice and experience with other trans+ Christians who may be struggling at the intersections of their gender and faith identities, especially amidst current transphobic Christian rhetoric? Look no further! Submissions due Friday 8/18 at 12:00 noon EST.

More information below the cutoff and on the project site! :) Please don't hesitate to reach me at soupdempsey25@gmail.com with any further questions!

The Transient Theology Project is an undergraduate research project focused on examining the intersections between Christianity, process philosophy, queer theory, and the lived experiences of trans+ Christians.

Given the ways in which non-cisgender identities and expressions have been understood as not only ‘abnormal’ but supposedly immoral in many Christian spheres, this research aims to offer a constructive theology which suggests that not only is it not immoral to be trans, but that transness is an actualization of what it means to be made in the image of God.

This project is critical and timely, especially due to the current onslaught of anti-trans legislation which directly impacts the quality of life for transgender individuals. This legislation, in tandem with anti-trans rhetoric, is understood to emerge from a particular fundamentalist notion of religious ethics; thus, this project aims to provide inspiration to trans+ Christians who may be struggling with reconciling their faith lives and gender identities within the current socio-political climate.

The main goal behind this project is to provide trans+ Christians with the affirmation that they don't have to choose between their faith and their gender identity. While many trans people have suffered trauma & abuse at the hands of Christian institutions & individuals, some have found that in embracing their gender identity, their relationship with God has been strengthened, and vice-versa. This project is meant to illustrate that those people aren't alone in that experience & that they don't need to pick between themselves and the God they believe in.

In an effort to be made as accessible as possible, rather than be presented in a formal, academic paper, this research will be compiled into a zine — a small-circulation, self-published magazine — that will feature art by transgender Christians and will aim to serve as a guide for those who are trying to navigate the tensions between their Christian faith and their non-cisgender identities and expressions.

Genderqueer Christians are invited to submit their art (of ANY and EVERY medium) to be shared in the zine by this Friday, August 18th at 12:00 noon EST. The link to the submissions form can be found here.

If you're cisgender and/or not Christian, consider spreading the word! Share us with any genderqueer Christian artists you may know, and stick around for more updates & the final zine release by following us on Tumblr, Instagram, and TikTok.

Thank you for your time and consideration!

[murderonthedullexpress]

Hey! Want to help out a struggling trans guy? Then please check out my Bonfire! I’ll be adding more designs soon. I appreciate any little bit!

[rabbitprayer]

No desire to convert to catholicism but the desire to kind of pretend that no schisms ever happened.

[charlott2n]

slips down the transgender christian side of tumblr pipeline

[briefblueseason]

Rosary intentions for the LGBTQ rosary by Fr. Don Greene. Originally posted on my Instagram: @/evangeliigaudiumetsy

Buy my handmade rosaries:

https://EvangeliiGaudium.etsy.com

[lapsed-lys]

Everyone! I made a Discord server for trans Catholics! Everyone is welcome as long as they want to interact with trans people and Catholicism :D

@carry-on-wayward-catholic @cath-lic I know you two were looking for one!

[uh-goose]

If u can plz draw Fredo as an awkward teen or smth like. Or him doing something cutesy (twirling his hair talking about a girl or kicking his legs and being silly) btw thank u for offering your awesome art skills to the masses 🫶

hi!! i loved this ask so much but i got so sidetracked haha. it made me start thinking about little fredo and i just think he’d be such a silly child. also no problem! i hope i made the fredo girlies happy ☺️.