How do I explain this so it makes sense? I am the same person, but more fully. I am me, but living into my maleness. She will never know me as Leo. I will never have a picture of us where I am Uncle. It is only one small part of my grief, but it is real.

I stuck my head out of the curtain again, this time, with my binder stuck on my armpits and my arms unable to lower. In a stage whisper, I called for Patrick to come back over to help. Since he couldn’t come in, I turned my back to the opening and had him stick his hand through the curtain to roll down the binder from the back, while I tried to roll it down from the front. My pinned arms flailed as I tried to both block my breasts from view and tug down the front of the binder.

As a person who lived as a straight, cisgender, white woman in the church for 37 years before coming out, I’m sorry that we haven’t done more as a church to speak love over the rancorous voices of bigotry, discrimination, and shame.

This article was first published in PQ Monthly, Portland, in February 2016. It’s raining outside. I’m scrolling through Facebook past angry political posts and memes about cats. And then I see a post from AIDS Walk Portland. Drawn in, I look at the photos from last summer. Blue sky and sunshine on the green grass... Continue Reading →

This article was first published in PQ Monthly, Portland, in January, 2016. Coming out as trans, starting with my own self-realization on March 26, 2013 was both terrifying and liberating. Of course I told Daniel first. A friend of many years, he is the one I call when things go bump in the night. We... Continue Reading →

This article was first published in PQ Monthly, Portland, in January 2016. You are not alone.  You are lovable and worthy.  You have a place at the table. For those of us longing for a community of faith, longing to be known and loved by God, we need to hear these words. More and more... Continue Reading →

Let us each put energy towards bridge building, peace-making, and hearing the stories of others. Let us find out what we have in common. Let us be curious about each other, in a way that is caring. Let us be brave enough to share our own stories of struggle and happiness. Let us be gentle with ourselves about our own short-comings, and learn to be graceful with others for theirs.