007: Becoming an Activist with Staley Munroe — Part II

Today, in Part 2 of our interview with Staley Munroe, she shares her faith journey. She dives into the nature of God, what love really looks like, and how to “put out fear with love.” Her approach to finding common ground with the people who have the most fear is inspiring.

From a young age, Staley had a desire to understand life from a spiritual angle. She spent many nights studying scripture and pondering the meaning of passages. Her findings always led her to the belief that God is full of grace, acceptance, and most important, love.

Her journey in faith was (and still is) a powerful, fulfilling relationship with the divine and the people in her life. She had made love her mantra and strives to impact people gently, with love. Her goal is to find common ground with people, honor them, and give them the opportunity to have a positive experience.

Staley gracefully exists on the fringe of two very different worlds. She balances between the LGBTQ community and a conventional Christian community. If everyone approached differences like Staley, our world would be a better place. There could never be too much kindness or too much love. And as Staley emphasizes, all people are children of God.

During Staley’s journey, she battled the paralyzing effects of gender norms. She has also experienced the world from two sides of the spectrum. In her own worlds, Staley felt white male privilege slip away as she transitioned to her true self. Her unique perspective offers insight into how we can combat gender norms and find more connection with those who view the world differently.

Staley’s story is the story of many people, and she gives a voice to others who have had the same struggles and the same triumphs. Speaking out with true love and concern can never end in a loss. There are only people to love, relationships to nurture, minds to be changed and progress to be made.

Key Takeaways

[:02] Staley Munroe is introduced. This episode is Part 2 of a two-part series.

[:36] Today Staley’s spiritually and faith are discussed in detail.

[1:35] Staley dives right in talking about her faith journey starting when she was young. God is accepting and loving.

[2:22] Staley mentions God and the Gay Christian, a book by Matthew Vines that explores the context of biblical scripture as it pertains to LGBTQ people historically.

[3:33] Staley expresses how she would not have been able to make it through her transition without her belief in faith, hope and love; emphasis is made on love.

[4:58] Staley is on the fringe of two very different groups of society. The LGBTQ community and a conservative Christian community.

[6:15] Relationship equity with a person is important when talking about faith. Building bridges and finding ways to help people is discussed.

[9:00] Reference is made to the recent Presidential election when both the candidates were able to offer sincere compliments to each other. The power of honoring another person is talked about.

[11:30] Finding common ground in our personal relationships is equally powerful, and opens the doors to potentially more love.

[13:30] All people are children of God and people do the best they can with what they know and their experiences.

[17:21] Gender norms/roles/biases exist and affected Staley (and all of us) in her experience.

[20:34] Love is the countermeasure to fear.

[22:34] Staley has an interesting perspective. The world has viewed her as both a white male and a woman; white male privilege is real.

[27:00] Make room for feelings.

[27:31] Preferred gender pronouns are discussed. How to approach a conversation with a person respectfully.

[29:38] Thank you for listening. Follow us on Twitter @prtini, and use the hashtag #rewritetherules. Please like, share, and review if you like what you heard today.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Prtini.com/about/

@prtini

@silverwindrider

Prizmnews.com/about/

Godandthegaychristian.com/#home

@VinesMatthew

Soundcloud.com/adamsinger