Now this is nice news. Having personally faced discrimination twice in my life, on the job for being transgender (and this in high tech heaven no less) I was really happy to see this news from our hard workin’ crew at MTPC, 104 Legislators Co-sponsoring An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination & Hate Crimes!

So now the work begins to actually get the bill passed so now we can all join in the fun of lobbying

I remember being at The Neighborhood one time and I saw Gunner there. We were chatting about the whole ENDA fiasco. And I said to Gunner, “You know, I think we have to do this at the local level” and he agreed.

Of course MTPC has been making the grassroots local level work happen for years like no one’s business. He and the entire MTPC team have done a great job rallying all of us to do something locally to improve our lot. So how can you get involved?

There’s a lobby day planned on April 7 and some training planned too ahead of time. So you don’t sit like I did in front of my State Rep saying, “yeah this is good you should support this”. I eventually got my message down and actually on message thanks to MTPC’s coaching. You can too! Rummage on over to MTPC’s web site to learn how you can help: MTPC Ways To Help

I could probably post alot on this topic but I’ll leave the info for our readers over a nice cup of coffee or cocoa. In a nutshell, one of the largest and most influential Evangelical Churches, Willow Creek Community Church, has concluded that homosexuality is not a sin. It’s part of who you are.

While that may seem self-evident, it’s a major deal for a church like Willow Creek to admit it.

This happened during a meeting that none other than Julie Nemeck attended at Willow Creek. You might remember Dr. Nemecek, she’s both an experienced pastor and educator who was booted from her job in Michigan for being trans.

Here’s a quote from the story on her blog:

For our part, we were surprised and pleased that Willow Creek’s own 30-year study of homosexuality has led them to conclude that: (1) Sexual orientation is unchangeable. and (2) Sexual orientation should not keep someone from being received into their church. They acknowledged that 6 of the 7 verses used to condemn homosexuality are irrelevant; really referring to other things.

You can read the full story at Julie’s blog at her story, “Soulforce, Willow Creek and Me“.

Their story is pretty amazing and really goes back to something that we miss sometimes as Christians and as transgender people: God isn’t so much concerned with who we are but in our resultant behavior; our character. Are any of our behavior Christlike or not? Are our behaviors and actions showing we are redemptive and healing in our relationships and still uncompromising, and, though very much imperfect, disciples?

For me, it’s important to remember my behaviors are a reflection of my individual heartfelt desire to “give back”, in a sense, to Christ for His sacrifice for me on the cross and my personal acceptance of His sacrifice for my sins. My behaviors can’t earn me God’s love but they can show how much I love Him by loving others.

It’s easy to forget that in Jesus’s day, He was considered an out there radical bent on destroying the government and the powers of the day. He was considered a major league weirdo and threat! And though He was a radical, even a surface read of the Gospels shows you how redemptive and healing His behaviors were. What a great example He left us.

You can learn about SoulForce at this linkie love here. Photos of this historic meeting are at SoulForce photos here.

It’s almost like you forget what it’s like to be hugged when you come out as transgender.

For me that was a loss.

I had always been kinda touchy feely. I loved hugging people in church and welcoming them in. Such a nice thing to do. Nothing says “Jesus loves you” like a warm human accepting you unconditionally and hugging you.  When it was unclear what I was to my fellow parishoners, my soft hugs were met with a more professional, “at a distance” kind of “thing”. Not quite a hug and not quite a put off. More ambiguous than that. Oh well. Jesus was in there someplace I’m sure but I darn missed that hug!

I started reclaiming my huggability when I came into the transgender community and when genetic women accepted me. That was a nice suprise.

My first hug from a genetic woman who both knew about me and accepted me was quite the experience. She said, “Oh I’m pleased to meet you Rebecca” and then like a big cloud I was embraced and I embraced her. I felt normal! Like, wow, who woulda thunk it. I thought, for a long while, I’d become part of the NLG, “New Leper Generation”. Not nearly as trendy as the Pepsi Generation or being a Gen-X’r.

The best hugger by far is Mara Keisling. Mara is the Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. So she’s a mover and a shaker.  And, generally speaking, you don’t get great hugs from a  mover and shaker.  It’s just not becoming.

I saw Mara at First Event, one day. I’ll never forget that day. I welcomed Mara with a big smile and a ‘Hi Mara” and she opened her arms and gave me a huge welcoming hug. It was like someone had put their arms around me and gave me enough comfort that life would be okay for like 3 days. Now THAT was a hug.

First Event 2009 was a love/hug fest. So many wonderful women. So many teary, “oh I love you’s” so many hugs. I thought I was going to get a rash from hugging so many of my old and new friends. It was great. I talked to my therapist about it, she said, “so you really got some nurturing”. Mmmm now that’s a great word. I felt nurtured. I was learning a hug could be a poweful thing and I’d forgotten that.

I’d encourage everyone to hug each other warmly. Think about how we could reduce our need for foreign oil! And don’t be shy in public with them hugs, “what will people think, my goodness…” nah, they will be so jealous they aren’t getting a nice warm embrace and being let know they are welcome to be who they are, right where they are, right as they are.