[core topic]
This is part of an ongoing series
on strategically inclusive leadership.
Read the introduction here.
[core topic]
This is part of an ongoing series
on strategically inclusive leadership.
Read the introduction here.
Celebrating International Women's Day and all women, transgender and cisgender - recognizing also that there are some who present as women and have similar experiences to women but are non-binary.
Picture is of a Hershey chocolate bar with packaging specifically for this month: "Her for She". Featuring Fae Johnstone of Wisdom 2 Action. Art by @gosiakomorski
Picture is of a Hershey chocolate bar with packaging specifically for this month: "Her for She". Featuring Autumn Peltier. Art by @gosiakomorski
[core topic]
This is part of an ongoing series
on strategically inclusive leadership.
Read the introduction here.
Things our company / institution / organization /government currently does that matches each of the three categories: | |
---|---|
Denial, status quo, continuing, etc. | |
Helping minoritized and racialized employees succeed in existing structure | |
Transforming the organization and building a new one together | |
Other thoughts and ideas |
Coming Out: Living Authentically as Black LGBTQ People
Download page for this 68-page guide: https://www.hrc.org/resources/coming-out-living-authentically-as-black-lgbtq-people
Black & LGBTQ: Approaching Intersectional Conversations
If you’re considering engaging (as a Black queer person) with people who identify as non-Black in your life about your identities, it’s important to remember that the process of having difficult conversations does not begin or end with the discussion itself. It is essential to consider your well-being and safety at each step in the journey. Here are some approaches to consider before, during, and after a difficult conversation to make sure the dialogue — and your mental health — stays safe.
Direct download: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/intersectional-conversations-1.pdf
If you are a TEACHER, this is a must-watch video!
The Braves Wear Braids documentary looks at the spiritual meaning of braids, and the struggles faced by Indigenous youth to keep this important piece of the culture alive through interviews with Ethan Bear, Elders, and other Indigenous men who speak to their own personal experiences with their braids. (from video description)
So... hopefully by now most of us know not to touch other people's hair! Much of what I've seen on that topic has been about Black people having their hair touched by strangers.
While of course I wasn't going around touching anyone's hair, this video gave me a better understanding of the important role of hair in Indigenous culture. Note the important role that parents, along with teachers and principals, have in educating others and in addressing and preventing bullying, in the context of Indigenous male youth with long hair and braids.
[core topic]
This is part of an ongoing series
on strategically inclusive leadership.
Read the introduction here.
The five quotes and some brief comments by me (I encourage you to read the six-page article to get the full context):
Quote 1:
“Many of these challenges arise from the reality that a church that is calling all women and men to find a home in the Catholic community contains structures and cultures of exclusion that alienate all too many from the church or make their journey in the Catholic faith tremendously burdensome.”
Quote 2:
“A culture of synodality is the most promising pathway available today to lead us out of this polarization in our church. Such a culture can help to relativize these divisions and ideological prisms by emphasizing the call of God to seek first and foremost the pathway that we are being called to in unity and grace. A synodal culture demands listening, a listening that seeks not to convince but to understand the experiences and values of others that have led them to this moment. A synodal culture of true encounter demands that we see in our sisters and brothers common pilgrims on the journey of life, not opponents. We must move from Babel to Pentecost.”
I follow Alok Vaid-Menon on Instagram. They are an author, speaker, poet, comedian...and I've been learning so much from them.
Here they are speaking about the grammar of gender:
Visit Alok's Instagram page for more great content.
[core topic]
This is part of an ongoing series
on strategically inclusive leadership.
Read the introduction here.
Here's a tip for introducing yourself - including pronouns - to someone else.
Example:
Hi, I'm Marcelino, my pronouns are he and they, I'm a stockbroker.
Why the triplet? Two reasons:
Possibly awkward | Hi, I'm Jacquelyn, my pronouns are she/her. | Oh, hi, I'm Hassan... |
---|---|---|
Not awkward | Hi, I'm Jacquelyn, my pronouns are she/her, I'm an architect. | Oh, hi, I'm Hassan, I'm the service manager. |
There are various steps individuals who are comfortable with sharing their pronouns can do to invite and make space for others to also share their pronouns if they wish. Here are a few examples:
Sharing of pronouns is increasing as diversity and inclusion awareness and initiatives grow. It is far more common to see pronouns listed in email signatures or beside attendee names during a video conference.
More organizations are promoting the use and sharing of pronouns. Some organizations, however, are now requiring employees to share their pronouns. This is problematic and not recommended for a number of reasons:
While pronouns sharing should never be required, it should most definitely be allowed and facilitated, especially as it can make a world of difference to people who are trans or gender non conforming, along with being helpful when connecting with people whose names are gender neutral or unfamiliar.
"Have you ever wanted a daily devotional but couldn’t find one that affirmed your sexuality/gender identity? or took social justice seriously? Do you want something you can do in five minutes in the morning or can use for an extended time of study? Are you looking for a devotional that takes Scripture seriously, but also affirms the goodness of queer and trans people?
In this 40-day devotional you’ll find entries from a queer and trans perspective written to support you in strengthening your faith and affirming your identity." (from website)
For more information and purchasing (paperback, kindle and digital pdf), see
https://www.queertheology.com/devotional/
Dr. Christena Cleveland's book, God Is a Black Woman, is definitely worth a read or three.
Here's a quote from an interview done with Dr. Cleveland on the Queer Theology podcast:
"And so when the Black Madonna says, I'm completely reordering the pecking order per se, it means putting black trans women at top - on the top.
So when I say if God's a black woman, then she must be a black trans woman. Yeah, I was surprised. I, I shouldn't have been because my trans friends have talked to me about TERFs [trans-exclusionary radical feminists], but I was surprised by how many people - TERFs - were really upset that I included black trans women in my discussion of God as a black woman. And it did make me more, more convinced because that, that behavior suggests that TERFs don't think that trans black women are sacred."
From https://www.queertheology.com/podcast/459/
Find out more about this book and Christena Cleveland:
According to the Google dictionary,
benevolent means well meaning and kindly and has the following roots:
Both parts are from Latin.
"bene" meaning well; "velle" meaning to wish.
bene volent = well wishing
benevolent.
Something said about royalty, as in "He was a benevolent ruler."
As king, he acted in ways which showed he wished well upon his subjects.
But who needs Latin, when you can speak French.
The word "bene" is quite similar to the French "bien", which in English is "good"
The French word "volent" means to steal.
So benevolent could also mean "good thief"
Something also said about royalty, as in, "He was a good thief."
As in, the king was good at stealing. So good, that no one even thought of him as a thief.
Not even when he stole millions of acres of land from Indigenous peoples around the world. Or when he stole the lives of millions of people by enslaving them...
Just something to think about ...
This post has nothing to do with the main theme of this blog, which is an exploration of exclusion and embrace. This is about another love of mine - architecture.
I recently came across a well-designed house by Heliotrope Architects, featured in several magazines.
They all have great pictures similar to this one. One of the articles also includes floor plans of the main floor and lower level, but not of the upper floor. So I created a possible version of the second floor, based on pictures and description from the articles along with the footprint and layout of the lower floors. Am sharing it here for anyone else who appreciates this house and is wondering what the upper floor might be like.
The Anglican Diocese of Edmonton has just released a document "Finding Our Way", which summarizes what our new (as of Sept 2021) Bishop has heard and how he wants to move forward.
Intro: https://edmonton.anglican.ca/pages/finding-our-way
Actual Finding Our Way (PDF)
Performative allyship is when your place of worship has an LGBTQ sticker at the door and a Pride flag on their website but it …
doesn't talk about sexuality and gender
doesn't discuss the use of gendered language
doesn't have all gender washrooms
doesn't invite openly LGBTQ speakers to speak
doesn't mention that they perform same-sex weddings
doesn't have clear LGBTQ anti-discrimination policies
And those are just six practical things that are often missed by performative allies...
Now read about the deeper things that many churches are also missing when it comes to actually being inclusive and embracing of queer folx, in my article:
You may have read this excerpt on social media of a story about the Queen and someone at the Platinum Jubilee parade.
“Well,” said the Queen to the homeless man at the edge of the parade, “Where do you go from here?”
“I am not sure, your majesty,” the man answered with a tear. “You see I lost my job and my children have all grown up and gone on their separate ways.”
The man continued, “I am now homeless as I have nowhere else to stay.”
“Well, my friend,” the Queen replied to him, “This will never do at all!”
“I too am all alone. You can move into my palace. I’m sure we will have a ball.”
The man looked up and asked, “Will there be something to eat, dear Queen?”
"Of course," she replied, “The biggest spread of sandwiches you’ve ever seen.”
“And cups of tea and crockery that you can drop and I will never never mind.”
The man replied “Your majesty, I accept your offer. You are very, very kind.”
Hmm, you say. Really? The Queen invited a homeless man to come live in her palace?
Here's a great new resource for queer teens, endorsed by the It Gets Better project:
imi is a free, digital, science-backed mental health web tool for queer teens to learn coping skills, hear stories from real LGBTQ+ teens, and explore resources that affirm queer identities and boost mental health.
Happy Pride Month to All!
And especially to the youth -- you are loved and you matter!
Created by DisArt and Oaklee Thiele, the My Dearest Friends Project is an international, disability-led art collaboration archiving disabled stories. The collected stories are featured as part of various exhibits, and the writers are compensated for their contribution. The site includes video and audio resources, and features the amazing drawings of Oaklee Thiele (see image above as an example).
Sections include:
I would like to say that the drawings that appear throughout this site are a real treasure, as is watching some of the videos in which Oaklee is creating drawings. The video I watched was descriptive - meaning, along with the closed captioning that captured the words the narrators and speakers spoke, another voice described what was happening on screen. This is something that is not often done, but useful to be more inclusive for those who are visually impaired.
Here is an amazing resource for transgender folx: Strands for Trans. As they put it:
A HISTORY OF REJECTION
Haircuts are historically gendered: Salons for women. Barbershops for men. This leaves the trans community feeling uncomfortable, unwelcome and unsure.
A FUTURE OF ACCEPTANCE
Strands For Trans is bringing gays, straights, women, men, anyone, together to create more trans-friendly barbershops and hair salons. Join in and let’s help this community feel welcome.
This great site includes videos of people sharing of why this matters and asks people to support the site by approaching their own barbershops or hair salons, as well as through social media. The site also invites shop owners to request a sticker and add their businesses to the map.
And the map shows 6,000+ listings of trans-friendly salons and barber shops, mostly in the US and Canada but also in other countries. Zoom in to your city, find a marker in your neighbourhood, and click to get details!
https://www.strandsfortrans.com/
You may have read my previous post about PIE: about being public, intentional and explicit -- three key components to being a faith community that affirms LGBTQ2S+ people. (if you haven't read it, do so first: https://exclusionandembrace.blogspot.com/2017/01/pie-public-intentional-explicit.html)
I'd like to first suggest that we add an "S" to PIE to make PIES (cuz, you know, lots of pies are better than just one pie): S for Self-Examining >
PIESA community that examines itself discovers those areas in which more change is needed, those aspects in which they could improve how they love and embrace others.
Here's a brief example of a church being self-examining:
A church is located in an older building. There is one main women's and one main men's washroom, both outdated and badly designed. The church has begun holding some learning sessions where they asked some of their queer members to share, and also invited speakers from the queer community to come in. After one of these sessions, where they heard that some transgender people feel uncomfortable in public washrooms, some of the members involved in managing the facility got together. "What can we do to make this better?" they asked. They looked around and realized that there was a storage room located behind the washrooms, which could be converted into a single user washroom. Conveniently, the plumbing connections were nearby. "What if we use the whole space, and make it an accessible washroom while we are it?" someone added. The "accessible" stalls in the existing washrooms were unfortunately based on outdated standards for what is considered accessible and in reality, are very awkward. So they proceeded with their plans and, once the washroom was complete, made sure to post on the church website that the building now has a "accessible, inclusive gender-neutral washroom".
Now, such a washroom serves a wide range of people: transgender folx who feel unsafe in gendered washrooms, people in wheelchairs, a parent with a child, a person accompanied by an attendant or caregiver. And it happened because they were learning, thinking and examining their church community and facility.
"Louis Riel's prophecy is coming to pass! The Indigenous artists are the Awakeners!
That's certainly what you'll witness in this 6-part, 1 hour documentary series in both English and French (12 Eps in total) in which Canadian acclaimed, indigenous singer and song writer, Laura Vinson embarks on a journey to meet extraordinary Indigenous people with disabilities who are artists. Laura's sudden loss of her mentally challenged sister, Noreen, combined with her own challenges with an anxiety disorder, plus the progressive loss of her hearing cause her to have a great deal of empathy and respect for those Indigenous and disabled people who are often underappreciated and underestimated." (from http://theawakeners.ca/)
Read more about this incredible project: http://theawakeners.ca/
Watch the series here: https://www.ami.ca/category/Awakeners/episodes
Note: at the point of posting, I have finished watching the first episode. I learned a lot and it also challenged some of my unconscious biases.
"The word I have coined in te reo Māori for autism is ‘Takiwātanga’. It is a derivation of my phrase for autism: “tōku/tōna anō takiwā” – “my/his/her own time and space”."
Read more about how this word came to be in Keri Opai's story (video and text): https://www.altogetherautism.org.nz/a-time-and-space-for-takiwatanga/
Read the short BBC article on this project: https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-40493398
Check out the very cool language glossary, featuring te Reo Maori <> English translations, word collections, plus phrases and proverbs: https://www.tereohapai.nz/
I'm currently reading this book, the first one I've read by a trans author and the first that's about the Bible and the lives of transgender Christians. It's especially interesting in light of a recent panel that I attended on "Being Transgender in the workplace".
Love the book so far! Keep your eyes open for future posts inspired by this...
Find out more at http://austenhartke.com/book or get a copy from your local bookshop or library.
Austen's site also includes a lengthy resources page and a link to Transmission Ministry Collective:
"We’re an online community of transgender and gender-expansive Christians committed to growing our faith, supporting each other, and healing the world."
The Transmission Ministry Collective offers:
This is a free, online tool which is intended to give those who are working with new immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers a basic understanding of trauma as it tends to be experienced by this group of people. The topics covered, each in a page or two, are:
Immigration: An Introduction
Why Does Migration Occur?
Who Are Lawful Permanent Residents?
Phases of Adjustment
Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Trauma: An Introduction
The Injury Mental Model
Triple Trauma Paradigm
Vicarious Trauma
Consequences of Trauma