4 February 2011 by kathleen.

My thanks to Helen Boyd for catching this story about children for sale at the SuperBowl.

I knew human trafficking existed.  I am so naive: I thought it only happened in third-world countries.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

27 December 2010 by kathleen.

It happens from time to time that I come across books, movies, web sites, and related artistic expressions that I find to be less than positive toward women, or which demonstrate self-defeating approaches to living transgendered or to transition.

In the last 6 months or so, I’ve come across a book and a movie (autobiographies of different people), both of which contain misguided practices.  Here’s what I mean by misguided: a transwoman describes being driven home after surgery, and — bandaged and still high from post-surgical painkillers — takes control of the car from the friend who was driving.

I know there are movies on YouTube of men and women saying, basically, “Look how stupid I was!” Well, good for them, but I won’t endorse their behavior by linking to them.  There is so much good in the world that I don’t need to point out the bad.

So when it comes to calling attention to a website that is negative toward any group of people, I will simply say, “No”.  Someone else can do that.  I won’t knowingly abet racial, sexual, political, religious, or gender hatred.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

13 December 2010 by kathleen.

There are gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders in Pakistan, Afganistan, China, North Korea, Iran, Libya, Kenya, Yemen, Somalia.  GLBT are everywhere, and in so much of the world GLBT must hide.  All the places in the world that hate America: there, too, are America’s unspoken supporters — GLBT — hiding from their own rulers.

GLBT round the world watch America on whatever news they can receive.  They hear us talk about freedom and rights — and they see us deny those rights to our own GLBT citizens!  They have to wonder just how serious we are when we do not treat our own people with the decency we claim to want for every country we’ve  liberated.

We are crippling our own, covert support base in these countries.  I believe that the United States could do no more for its success in Afganistan and Iraq, and its standing around the world, than to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and to legalize same-sex marriages.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

1 December 2010 by kathleen.

I have been negligent with my own health.  I have believed myself to be at very low risk of HIV and AIDS, so I have never been tested.  I keep meaning to, but I put it off.

Please join with me in this pledge: that I will be tested for HIV/AIDS before World AIDS Day, 2011.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

11 October 2010 by kathleen.

October 12 is the anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death.  In September, 2010, at least four suicides of teenagers have been linked to bullying. Gay-bashing and torture took place in New York City just last week.

Where in anyone’s holy book are there instructions to torment children?  to torture anyone?

Are there instructions to kill the enemies of the Lord: yes.  To kill those who oppose God’s people: yes.  To kill those who break the law: yes.  But to torture them?  Whose religion instructs its followers to torture those who transgress?  Whose religion justifies those who victimize children and drive them to their death?

In the face of violence and brutality, we can only cling to the our own experience of God, to our own estimate of our goodness, and to the love we share with families and friends.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

29 September 2010 by kathleen.

Tomorrow (September 30) I am off to Washington, D.C., for a conference of 15 local Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) church groups.  I may or may not have access to the Internet (or time for it!) while I’m gone.  I’ll post if I can.

Meanwhile, I’ve had a couple of  comments posted to my post TSA “Secure Flight”. I thought there must be a way to use the rules sensibly, and there is.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

20 May 2010 by kathleen.

Friday, 6pm, tired, hot, checkout lines backed up.  Cashier 6 has an item that doesn’t scan, needs a price check.  Customer on 3 wants a carton of cigarettes, but there are only 7 packs left of the brand he wants.  Customer on 4 has a credit card that’s being declined.

Your blood pressure could rise.  You could get really mad.  D**n it, you should have grabbed a cart — these two 12-packs of Miller Light are getting heavy.  Why do they call it “light beer” anyway…. doesn’t feel that way.

I pray.  I imagine a soft cloud of pale, golden light descending upon all of the customers, all of the clerks, all of the baggers; and a shining silver light descending on all the cash registers.  When I do, I immediately feel the tension drain from my shoulder blades, and the muscles in my neck begin to soften.

You could imagine blessings of God poured out upon every one of us in line, however that looks to you.  You could see a pale, blue aura around each of us.  You could wish for each one of us — especially the people behind you — that we breeze smoothly through the checkout lines.

Expect nothing in return for your good wishes.  Sometimes that’s all you’ll get.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

16 May 2010 by kathleen.

In a nutshell: LGBT people hide by acting like heterosexuals.

In order to protect themselves, they do their best to preserve the appearance they are straight.  When successful, this tactic keeps the parents of LGBT teens off their backs, and lessens the risk that will be harassed at school or assaulted afterwards.  For both teens and adults, hiding as a heterosexual generally adds credence to the belief that they are straight.

Often it is not just the LGBT people who pay the price for this deception: the very parents from whom they hide suffer indirectly, as does society at large.

The Windsor Star, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, reports on a study published in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. According to the newspaper, LGB teens have a higher risk of involvement with pregnancy than do their heterosexual peers.

The need to hide because you are L, or G, or B, or T — it isn’t right. It isn’t right in Canada, it isn’t right in the United States, it isn’t right anywhere on earth.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

24 April 2010 by kathleen.

What ever you are, who ever you are, how ever you are — there is a kernel at the core of your being, a beautiful, powerful, precious kernel.  Honor that.

Whatever combination of gay, straight, male, thin, smart, female, tall we are, we all learned to hide that kernel.  We learned to wrap it with layers of deception, to  camouflage it so cannot be seen, to lock it up so its light cannot escape, to deny its very existence.  We would be seriously vulnerable if others were to see that kernel: we must keep it hidden!

Just do not hide your essence, your value, your beauty from yourself.  Deny it to others — but honor it and revere it within yourself; for it is your participation in the divine.  Do not accept the invitation to deny it because you are transgendered — do not deny it because you are not transgendered — do not deny it for any label or lack of label which you can apply to yourself.  Only love yourself for the invaluable essence that is at your core.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

14 March 2010 by kathleen.

I watched Susan Stanton’s story tonight on CNN.  Wow!  I am ever so glad I’ve not been involved in politics and the media!  My transition and surgery were exciting enough without being swamped with reporters and cameras in my face.

Whatever you think of Susan Stanton personally — and the documentary showed that there has been some controversy about her — I think CNN did a fair and thorough job of documenting Susan’s transition.  I am glad to have had a chance to learn more about her and what she went through.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »