MCC & Transgender Day of Remembrance
Distance does not decide who is your [sibling] and who is not. The church
is going to have to become the conscience of the free market if it’s to have any
meaning in this world – and stop being its apologist.
- Bono
The Queer world is still under attack in many reaches of this world. Though advances are made every day for the inclusion and acceptance of homosexual people, yet our gender-variant and transgender siblings continue to suffer the pain of abuse and murder…even in our most “progressive” communities.
Every year, those of us who remain conscious of the loss of life and liberty among our siblings take a day to remember with intention. We mourn the loss of beautiful lives taken from our gender-variant and transgender siblings. These are our siblings who have been abused, beaten, and murdered.
Yet, along with remembrance and mourning we each have the opportunity to act for prevention. Help us this year and every year to follow to bring awareness and compassion to the minds and hearts of our societies. Only through education, activism and presence may we prevent further deaths…deaths of spirit and of body.
Participate
MCC Proudly Supports TransgenderDOR
If you are a writer of liturgy or simply have a passion for providing resources around the world on behalf of Transgender Day of Remembrance, please add to this online library through the various forms available and through your comments on existing posts.
We welcome people of all paths and look forward to your contributions!
TDOR Commentary
(Written by Mark McKenzie, October 2008 & Edited by Melanie “Mel” Martinez, October 2009)
Theological Commentary
The theology that informs our resources includes that God creates all beings as manifestations of God’s divine self, in infinite variety and glorious diversity. Transgender and gender variant people are merely part of those Holy multivalent manifestations. The heart of God is with those who are oppressed and forced by society to live on the margins and therefore transgender and gender variant people will be reminded of this theology in all resources released for Transgender Day of Remembrance. Too often our siblings have had to deny their sense of true self in order to “fit” comfortably in this world, too frequently allowing the discomfort of others to dictate their level of integrity. It is internalized transphobia that drives transgender and gender variant people under ground and into their closets. It is liberating when we all can be authentically who God created us to be, to celebrate our unique and wondrous creation. Living with integrity is a calling by God made more challenging when one is marginalized for who one perceives oneself to be–to BE.
Cultural Commentary
In the United States and other countries in which MCC exists and works, we live in cultures which mandate that everyone fit in a gender binary as male or female, and within those roles a certain appearance is acceptable while variations that are perceived to be too extreme are not acceptable. In fact, such variations are often seen as a cause for violent response. Behaviors perceived to be masculine or feminine must coincide with one’s gender appearance. Variations are problematic in certain tightly structured binary social situations and while we perceive those variations as God given diversity, some of our siblings around the world do not. It is usually in these circumstances where violence breaks out and the transgender or gender variant person’s life is put in jeopardy.
We gather in this annual service not only to remember our dead siblings in the trans community, but also to stand up boldly and declare God’s creation of all gender variations. God is the One who calls our Name the first time we hear it. And Love (God) is the only way that we can know our names.
Transitioning is a spiritual process, whether we name G/god/dess as part of that process or not.
Resources for Transgender Day of Remembrance are created to be an affirmation of that which is unique and special about transgender and gender variant people. This remembrance intends to lift them up into a space of wholeness, hope and healing, while challenging the rest of the world to promote their safety and acceptance. We are challenged to love. Love comforts, empowers, heals, companions, and frees us to be who we are, together in community, as we honor our martyred siblings.
It would be unloving to simply wail our losses and let these people go out into the fearful world that seeks to kill that which is different. Such an action would be like sending sheep into a wolf’s den. It is imperative to be proactive in strengthening this community-under-siege by reminding them they are not alone, God is within and with them, and that they have each other and themselves, as weapons in this fight for their integrity, authenticity and their very lives. It is a dual pronged gospel of empowerment: we have God on our side through the community and we have ourselves; we take care of each other and ourselves.
