A Catholic Transsexual Applauds Several Points in Latest Papal Remarks

An article by a dear friend elucidating the recent, unexpected news that the Catholic Church is showing signs of softening its stance somewhat regarding gay and gender-reassigned people. Though not exactly a definitive swing towards liberalism, these hints do represent a dramatic change of tone from the oft-paraphrased trans people as "nuclear weapons" analogy and...

Transphobia

It took its time, but it had to crop up eventually... ...though I am never quite sure if "phobia" is a fair description. He certainly did not strike me as consciously afraid, and even seemed on some level to enjoy the encounter, or at least rather more than I did. "Phobia" does seem like clumsy...

Day of Reblogs – Part 2 – ‘”Poof! You’re a Girl!” The Interval of Losstalgia and a Childhood Friend’

Today's second reblog is an essay by Dr. Aoife Hart: transwoman, devout Catholic, and feminist scholar... which, needless to say, is a rather unique and not always very comfortable niche to fill in today's world. Though a Christian now, I had the mercy of being raised in secular surroundings in my dysfunctional, dysphoric "boyhood," so...

Pride, but no Prejudice

Like you haven't heard that one before... There are Pride events in Cardiff (AKA Mardi Gras) every year, though my previous attendance at them has been limited to drifting about aimlessly and wistfully, observing other trans people and wondering what might have been if I had only dared to be as honest with myself as...

Prodigal Daughter?

In last week's news, another old cliché took a battering... The perception of religion in general and Christianity in particular as being not-overly-friendly towards LGBT+ people is pretty well worn, and this blog has done its share of the wearing. One can thus imagine my surprise when I attended a mindfulness and meditation session at...

The Joy of Imbalance

I have alluded to my religious leanings a few times, insofar as I have any. I had no religious upbringing, for which I am grateful: dogmatic upbringings and happy outcomes with parents on LGBT issues tend not to go together well... Nonetheless, I was drawn to the figure of Christ at university, after encountering a...

In the Tunnel, Needing Hugs…

Ok... Yesterday's optimism and philosophical attitude seems to have packed up and left, and I am currently just doing my best not to catch my reflection, as the sight of it disgusts me. There will always be days like this with gender dysphoria, and all political correctness aside, I have no problems with calling it...

Let’s Be Fair: What a Positive Week

Eleanor looks in the mirror every day and is pretty displeased. She despairs of ever passing convincingly as her innate gender, and sometimes her best projection for the future is retiring as quickly as possible to an isolated setting where at least she will be spared both the agony of rejection for who she is...

God Moves in Mysterious Ways…

Another factoid about Eleanor: she is a Christian, which can be an awkward and rather conflicting thing to be when one is also transgendered... Among the many painful and depressing details of the Leelah Alcorn tragedy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Leelah_Alcorn), the fact that all Christian involvement in her life led only to depression, bullying, and total lack of...