Rj discusses their journey finding an affirming home church. Communities that seem to be inclusive and loving, sometimes do not live up to those statements. But Rj demonstrate for us a resilience, and an ongoing curiosity about how to honor trans lives in our churches. They identify as queer and transgender with the gender pronouns they/them/theirs.


International Transgender Day of Visibility is March 31. Learn more.


Join me for my Storytelling Mini-Tour in April: April 5-6 in Fulton, MO and April 16 in Nashville, TN. For more info, visit outloudstories.com


Connect with Out Loud: Follow us @outloudstories on Facebook and Instagramjoin our mailing list, and become a Patron.


Faith Denominations Mentioned: Morelight PresbyteriansNew Covenant Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Nashville, TN


Trans Resources Mentioned in Nashville: Middle TN Transgender Support Group (TVALS)Southerners on New Ground (SONG), Transbuddy at Vanderbilt Medical Center


Definitions from this Episode, Courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign


-- Queer - A term people often use to express fluid identities and orientations. Often used interchangeably with "LGBTQ."


-- Genderqueer - Genderqueer people typically reject notions of static categories of gender and embrace a fluidity of gender identity and often, though not always, sexual orientation. People who identify as "genderqueer" may see themselves as being both male and female, neither male nor female or as falling completely outside these categories.


-- Pansexual - Describes someone who has the potential for emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to people of any gender though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree.


Music: Acoustic Meditation 2 by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://audionautix.com/