Ep 15: The Chasm: Religion And Gender Equality
There are a number of controversial topics when discussion transgender issues. Religion is one of the touchiest subjects. There are plenty of reasons to see the rift between the LGBT community and religious institutions, and the gap grows every day. How can people who believe in love and forgiveness be so hostile to another group of people? While not all religious people are anti-LGBT, there is a vocal presence, as well as systemic sources for the animosity. But the most curious phenomenon is how many LGBT individuals will still choose to remain faithful, even in the face of discrimination.
In this episode, we look at the basic conflict between religion and trans* individuals. This links to a much larger discussion of sexism in religion. It is a concept I call "the chasm," a distinction between two aspects of the church that has a tenuous bridge over a deep divide. We then look at how evangelicals are steering the conversation in present time, creating a vocal opposition to LGBT individuals from a religious perspective. But when we look at the fundamentals of religion, we see that this divide is incongruent with basic teachings. As such, many LGBT people still hold onto their beliefs. Why do they do this? We look at this question and hopefully understand that there is, at the core, no reason why transgender individuals and religious beliefs cannot coexist.
Trigger warning: This podcast contains discussions of religion, transphobia, sexism and violence.
Here are some resources and references:
http://www.advocate.com/religion/2015/9/17/lgbt-people-faith-why-are-they-staying
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_and_religion
http://www.religiousinstitute.org/acting-out-loud/transgender/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-mclaren/an-open-letter-to-christi_1_b_7536054.html
https://www.queertheology.com/transgender-christian/
https://ffrf.org/outreach/item/13784-religion-as-the-root-of-sexism
Links:
Buzzfeed article: http://www.buzzfeed.com/skarlan/watch-the-emotional-moment-this-trans-teen-was-surprised-wit#.xoJX62gjK
Paved With Good Intentions: https://pavedwithgoodintentions.simplecast.fm/