Gender Justice Teach-In Series, Part 1:
Connecting the Dots: Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

What we learned:

Part 1 gave us a vocabulary for welcome and fresh ways to discuss gender identity and sexual orientation that look for commonalities, rather than categories.

Series Trainer: Alex Patchin McNeill

Alex Patchin McNeill is the executive director of More Light Presbyterians and is the first openly transgender person to head a mainline Protestant organization. He is a life-long Presbyterian, and a nationally known educator and advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Christians. He played key roles organizing faith communities for the passage of Amendment 10A in the PC(USA), and for marriage equality legislation in Maryland. McNeill has also campaigned for ballot measures and legislation to promote LGBTQ rights. His journey to ordination is currently being chronicled in the documentary, Out of Order. Alex holds a Master’s of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. He currently lives in Asheville, NC with his wife and three dogs.

 

How can our congregations be places of welcome for transgender and gender non-binary folks? The starting point for that journey is learning how to discuss the nuances of gender identity and sexual orientation in order to provide a strong foundation of welcome. This teach-in gives participants a vocabulary for welcome and offers fresh ways to discuss gender identity and sexual orientation that look for commonalities rather than categories.

Powerpoint Slides

Check below to see what we learned on parts 2 and 3!

Part 2 – What we learned:

  • the rich biblical foundation for trans inclusion
  • ways churches have successfully made worship more welcoming to trans and non-binary folks
  • tools and tactics to make your church spaces more intentionally welcoming of trans identities.

 

Part 3 – What we learned:

  • a survey of opportunities for action in the current legislative landscape offers faith-led advocates
  • beyond national and state-level action, participants will also learn how to implement proactive policies and programs in their home churches