LGBT — Page 2

August 24, 2015 By Mary van Balen Leave a Comment

The Long Reach of White Privilege

A few days ago, Jenny Boylan wrote a great editorial in the New York Times about white privilege. It’s easy to miss it, if you’re white that is. Privilege is like that. When you’ve got it, it’s almost invisible to you while being obvious to those who don’t have it. I am a woman, so I recognize male privilege when I see it. I’m white, too. White privilege can escape my notice. I wouldn’t think of any transgender people, likely the most marginalized people in our society, as being privileged. Jenny Boylan didn’t either…

In her column, she offers her unique perspective on being white, and at on time, presenting as male, being a transgender woman, and the suffering of trans women of color. Read it here.

Filed Under: Widening Our Circles Tagged With: acceptance, civil rights, equality, gender, grace, Jenny Boylan, LGBT, white privilege

August 20, 2015 By Mary van Balen Leave a Comment

President Obama Appoints Transgender Woman to White House Position

from Huff Post

This is good news for the transgender community. President Obama had become increasingly supportive of LGBT people and the struggle for equal rights and protections for them. He has appointed Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, who was a policy adviser at the National Center for Transgender Equality, as an outreach and recruitment director. Read about it here and in the Washington Post that first reported the story.

Filed Under: Widening Our Circles Tagged With: acceptance, civil rights, equality, inclusion, LGBT

February 4, 2015 By Mary van Balen Leave a Comment

Transgender Students in Business Schools

An article in today’s New York Times looks at the experience of being transgender while attending business school in the U.S. A hopeful note in the article by Cory Weinberg is that the number of Fortune 500 business that include gender identity in their nondiscrimination policies has risen to 61% from 25% in 2008.

The quote from a young business-school student says what I imagine many transgender people would echo:

“I just want to go through school as the woman I see myself as,” Dominique said. She does not want to be a business-school trailblazer. “You are there to do business, not to be the trans individual.”

People simply want to be themselves.

Filed Under: Widening Our Circles Tagged With: acceptance, business schools, civil rights, equality, gender, inclusion, LGBT

January 20, 2015 By Mary van Balen Leave a Comment

A Nun’s Ministry to the Transgender Community

A friend of mine, “Sr. Monica,” has had a long and graced ministry to the transgender community. Her presence with the people she knows speaks of God’s love and care for all of us, including those most of the fringes of society, the “invisible people,” as she called them.

Read her recent HuffPost blog post .

I hope, perhaps naively, that during the current Pope’s tenure, the church will finally recognize and remedy its failure to “be there” for these people who want simply to be who they have been made to be.

Filed Under: Widening Our Circles Tagged With: acceptance, compassion, equality, gender, grace, inclusion, LGBT, Pope Francis, Presence

October 13, 2014 By Mary van Balen 1 Comment

The Synod on the Family

Posted on new.va

The Synod on the Family, called by Pope Francis, is into week two. The first document has been released. It is really a summary of what has been discussed thus far. The rest of the week will be spent with the bishops in small groups, refining the document that then will be released. As noted in NCR’s article, the document speaks in new tones of listening and recognition of the dignity of persons, and with mercy.

Still, I find myself bristling at the continued use of the word “failure” or “failed” in discussion of divorced people. Yes, truly listening to the concerns and realities of ordinary people is a step forward and perhaps heralds a coming openness to change in policies that do not reflect the love and mercy of Jesus. Still, as one who is divorced and who has worked with women in abusive situations, I must say that many times, leaving a marriage is not a “failure,” but a success. To stay in a relationship that has become oppressive, that no longer is life-giving, or that has become abusive simply to “obey the rules” is not something to encourage.

In some of these situations, if the spouses (or spouse) would pursue an annulment, the church might say the sacramental marriage was invalid, it never happened….But many do not pursue such a course. The church should respect the persons involved, not calling them failures, but supporting them as they move on.

A topic completely missing from the discussion is that of the transgender community. (Read entire document here.) Often overlooked, the “T” in “LGBT” needs to be considered. Many transgendered people have left the Catholic church after enduring humiliating experiences including the suggestion that they be exorcised for the demon within. The lack of understanding of current medical and psychological knowledge about this reality is a glaring omission.

Today, the issues of the transgender community are becoming more and more visible in the media and social consciousness of the reality has grown. The Roman Catholic Church needs to follow that lead.

The current movement is hopeful. We’ll see how far the Spirit leads and how far the Church follows.

Filed Under: The Scallop, Widening Our Circles Tagged With: catholic, compassion, faith, gender, grace, hope, inclusion, LGBT, mercy, Pope Francis, Synod on Family

November 20, 2013 By Mary van Balen Leave a Comment

Transgender Day of Remembrance

PHOTO: TransOhio

Today across the country and the world, people stop to remember those transgender persons lost to violence fueled by transphobia and hate. I join my voice and prayer with others commemorating this day for an end to such senseless violence. Ignorance and fear are the sources of such violence. Like racism, such attitudes are sometimes learned at home, or sadly, in church. No matter where it begins, these attitudes have their root in dividing the world into “them” and “us.” Into “people like me” and “the other.”

If you don’t know much about transgender people, today would be a good day to learn something. You will find that transgender people are just that: people. When we get down to it, people are more alike than they are different. Today, say a prayer for those who have been lost. And say a prayer for those whose ignorance and fear perpetuate discrimination and violence against transgender people.

Here are some links to sites that contribute to better understanding of these people and the challenges they face:

Lana Wachowski’s acceptance speech for HRC Visibility Award. Acclaimed director of movies such as the Matrix Trilogy and Cloud Atlas, her speech is one of the best on the topic I have ever heard. You won’t be the same after you hear it.

JamieAnn Myers Blog on Huffington Post states that over 238 trans people were murdered world wide last year. Her blog lists some struggles a transperson meets just going about ordinary daily activities.

Transgender Day of Remembrance 2013 (TDOR) A post from GLADD that includes a link to find TDOR events in your community.

Wikipedia’s entry on Transgender Day of Remembrance presents the history of this day as well as links for further information.

Filed Under: Widening Our Circles Tagged With: civil rights, inclusion, LGBT

June 12, 2013 By Mary van Balen Leave a Comment

Good at Heart

Medgar Evars, Civil Rights Leader I was a young teenager when civil rights leader, Medgar Evers, was assassinated, shot in the back, while returning home from a community meeting. Fifty years ago, today. His widow, Myrlye Evers-Williams, reflected on the event saying, “We are cursed as human beings with this element that’s called hatred, prejudice and racism,” said Evers-Williams, now 80. “But it is my belief that, as it was Medgar’s, that there is something good and decent in each and every one of us, and we have to call on that, and we have to find a way to work together.”( “Quoted in June 11, 2013 AP article”)

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Filed Under: Widening Our Circles Tagged With: LGBT

July 12, 2012 By Mary van Balen Leave a Comment

Thank you, Episcopalians!

Maybe it’s because I just had a conversation with my sister about the Roman Catholic church’s secrecy around its position paper on transsexuality. (Even enlisting the help of members of the hierarchy, I could not access the Vatican’s position document on transsexuality issued “sub secretum” in 2000 and later sent to presidents of bishops’ conferences.)

Maybe it’s because I have written and talked to political representatives about passing laws to provide job and housing protection for transsexuals to no avail.

Maybe it’s because I have a transsexual daughter.

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Filed Under: Widening Our Circles Tagged With: LGBT