[we either love and embrace...]

We are either a people who love, embrace, and enter into a caring posture with our family, friends, neighbors, strangers, and even enemies (real or imagined) 

or

we will spend our lives mercilessly trying to define who is lovable and who is not, who is worthy and who is not, who deserves my attention and who does not. Inevitably, we will end up loving people who look like us, think like us, and pledge allegiance to the same flag—and we will exclude the rest.

In this truly useless pursuit, we will separate ourselves from God (through tribal worship), from the world’s good (by avoiding healing and restoration), and from our very souls (through self-pre­occupation with ego).

Excerpt from Jack Jezreel. Spacing added. https://cac.org/daily-meditations/contemplation-action-week-2-summary-2017-07-08/

[standing with you...]

 

International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

Amazing graphic courtesy of may17.org

(6 versions available at may17.org)

Along with being about people and advocacy which I affirm and work for, these posters are absolutely gorgeous and I love the way they have incorporated different races, body types and abilities in the midst of the IDAHOBIT theme… 

"universal" washroom

A joke:

Question: What do you call a non-binary deer?

Answer: Dear.

---

Here's a cool version of a washroom sign at the Husky/Tim Horton's in Canmore. Very thematically appropriate as you'll know if you've ever been in Canmore or looked it up on a map.

One thing that's missing, despite its claim to be "universal", is that it still presumes two genders, as seen by the standard figure with pants with a buck's head and the standard figure with a skirt with the female deer head. 

What to put instead? 

How about a toilet? With a wheelchair to indicate barrier-free, and an image of a change table... Maybe the words "Restroom" or "Toilet"

Nowhere near as fun as antlers, I must say...

But going deeper, the problem with this sign is that it is conventionally unconventional - it is still cisheteronormative regardless of cute imagery. It is based on the foundation that presumes everyone is cisgender and heterosexual. 

And that's simply not true and not inclusive of all of God's creation.

mr mike's "he she" hallway

Saw this at the Mr. Mike's restaurant in North Edmonton - an open hallway with multiple doors, each with moustache and lips (some also with wheelchair and baby logos).

Not perfect, as the signs are still based on a gender binary, but pretty good.

It provides the second best alternative to truly gender-neutral washrooms: single-user washrooms with dual gender signage. This means that transgender and non-binary patrons can go into any available washroom without anyone hassling them for being "in the wrong washroom" No one will hassle them for what door they go through, and no one will hassle them for which washroom they are actually in (cuz they'll be in there by themselves).

I imagine that Mr. Mike's interior designers were going for cute and having the signage here align with the signage elsewhere in the restaurant. However, with a bit more creativity, they probably could have come up with all-gender signage that was still on brand!

What do you think? What kind of design would clearly indicate that these are washrooms, while still having a fun element?

[Kent Monkman at the alberta gallery of art]

 

If you are a fan of Kent Monkman as I am, and live in the Edmonton area, here's an opportunity to see four of his works -- at the Alberta Gallery of Art.

On until May 21, 2023, the Generations exhibit includes the three works seen above plus one more in another gallery. 

Of particular interest to me were the two paintings seen at the centre and right above (Resurgence of the People, and Welcoming the Newcomers, respectively). As you can see, they are large and detailed -- yet these are the studies for the final versions that are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art... final versions which are monumental at 11' x 22' in size. Nonetheless, as I can't get to New York anytime soon, it was amazing to see them this close up!

The artwork in the front is a "sculptural installation Museological Grand Hall by the contemporary Mi'kmaw artist Ursula Johnson [which] evokes a silent vigil for her female ancestors - makers of baskets..." (from the museum label).

six of my favouritist books

Here are six of my most favourite books, listed in the order that they appear in the image above:

1. Exclusion and Embrace by Miroslav Volf (more)
2. transforming: the Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians, by Austen Hartke (more)
3. God is a Black Woman, by Christena Cleveland (more)
4. Unclean: Meditations on Purity, Hospitality, and Mortality, by Richard Beck (more)
5. Where the Edge Gathers: A Theology of Radical Inclusion, by Yvette A. Flunder (more)
6. Grace (visual edition) by Philip Yancey (more)

In keeping with my late father's saying that "to read a good book only once is laziness," I have read each of these books at least twice and have read sections of three of them multiple times.

[an excerpt from "a booklet of uncommon prayer: collects for the #blacklivesmatter movement"]

Christians for Social Action has published A Booklet of Uncommon Prayer: Collects for the Black Lives Matter Movement—and Beyond, by Kenji Kuramitsu. 

This is an excerpt from the poem a prayer against the marginalization of queer people:

Triune God,

You exist beyond categorization and beyond the limits of what we can understand.

Reveal to us the fluid, all-embracing community of love and light that is at the heart of your character in three persons.

End all oppression and indignities...

---

Read the whole poem: https://christiansforsocialaction.org/resource/a-prayer-against-the-marginalization-of-queer-people/

Find out more about and order the Booklet of Uncommon Prayer: https://christiansforsocialaction.org/resource/booklet-of-uncommon-prayer-prayers-for-the-black-lives-matter-movement/

land and water, only!

You may have heard the saying that there are two kinds of people in the world—

those who divide people into two kinds,

 and those who don’t...

We love categorizing things, especially into opposites: land and sea, sun and moon, day and night, light and dark, male and female. And it's easy to read a passage in the Bible and assume that this is how things are. For example, that when God made humankind and it says, "male and female he created them", that this is all there is. There are men and there are women.

Let's step back and take a look at some earlier verses in Genesis 1:

 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:9-10 NIV)

God took one thing (the water under the sky) and divided it into two things. Land. Seas. That's all there is.

But that's not all there is. Land meets sea and sea meets land, and where they do, there are things like marshes, which are not land and not sea. Oh, oh. They are in between, sort of land and sort of water. They don't fit the creation story. Are they bad? Evil? The result of the fall? Or a natural part of God's creation? And what about swamps and bogs?

marshes and transgender folx

 

This cartoon will make more sense to you if you read my other post.

I want to focus on one key part of what God says above: "... that people would take everything so literally and unkindly..." 

Why do we take things so literally and unkindly? Why do we default to suspicion over grace, to being right over relationship, to not giving the benefit of the doubt?

Isn't this the opposite of grace, the opposite of Jesus?

strategically inclusive leadership #3: the table I long for....

[core topic]

This is part of an ongoing series 
on strategically inclusive leadership. 
Read the introduction here.

You may be familiar with some sayings about "if they don't give you a seat at the table… then _______”. For example: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring your own chair.” or “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, build your own table."

In the context of such sayings, “table” is usually the conference table, the executive decision-making table. 

I'd like to share a quote with you from Jeff Chu. Jeff is Chinese American, a journalist and author of Does Jesus Really Love Me? A Gay Christian’s Pilgrimage in Search of God in America. Here’s what he said:

"The Table I long for...

is one where all are not just welcome

but desperately & fiercely wanted."

Isn’t that amazing? Wouldn’t that be the table to beat all tables?

reflect

Before we look at this in the context of strategically inclusive leadership, let's take a moment to reflect by ourselves. We won’t be asking anyone to share, or to draw pictures of what you thought about, or any of that. Let’s just close our eyes, slow down our breathing, and reflect: are there or have there been times and places where I am desperately and fiercely wanted? 

(Pause again to let people reflect)

That’s the personal backdrop… 

While Jeff  said this in the context of the communion table in his faith tradition, you as the leadership of a community organization or ERG could explore what this might look like by thinking of "the table" as your organization or ERG. 

[Happy International Women's Day!]

 

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 

sil #2: Indigenizing the academy (part 2: exercises)

[core topic]

This is part of an ongoing series 
on strategically inclusive leadership. 
Read the introduction here.

The purpose of this exercise is to explore the ideas presented in part 1 of Indigenization of the Academy in the context of your organization. The exercise presumes a larger organization at which you are part of a smaller part. For example, the following types of situations:

• A company or institution where you are involved in an Employee Resource Group
• A religious institution or faith community where you provide leadership in one particular location or sub-community
• A municipality where you are involved in a community association or cultural organization

getting practical with your team

part 1 - what the broader level is currently doing 

Draw the following chart on a whiteboard or large chart.

	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

As a group, use sticky notes or just write down what your larger organization -- the company, government, etc. for which you work, is doing that matches each of the three categories on the left.. Additional thoughts which do not fit the three main categories can be put in the lower row.

[supporting Black lgbgtq+ communities - resources]

Coming Out: Living Authentically as Black LGBTQ People

For those who identify as Black LGBTQ people, the coming out process can be complex to navigate. Coming Out: Living Authentically as Black LGBTQ People is designed for those embarking on their own coming out journey at the intersections of LGBTQ and Black identities. This guide aims to recognize the unique experiences Black LGBTQ people have in coming out, while understanding that coming out is a personal choice and the lifelong coming out experience is different for everyone.

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

[braves wear braids documentary]

 If you are a TEACHER, this is a must-watch video!

Direct link to 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.

sil #2: Indigenizing the academy (part 1: concepts)

[core topic]

This is part of an ongoing series 
on strategically inclusive leadership. 
Read the introduction here.

Before COVID, I went to MacEwan University on several different occasions to attend seminars and symposia. Outside, they fly the Treaty 6 flag. On the way in, I noted that each entrance has a land acknowledgement posted in both English and Cree, on a formal plaque.

There is a wonderful Indigenous Student Center with several staff, a resident Elder, cultural ceremonies, tutoring and other educational supports. There are introductory Indigenous awareness courses.

Allard Hall, the university's new Arts and Culture Building, has an atrium named after Elder Jerry Woods, who served as an elder for MacEwan and other institutions for many years. A display on the second level of the atrium commemorates him and his legacy at the school. It has a plaque with his picture and a statement in the middle, with a picture on one side and a framed ribbon shirt on the other. MacEwan also commissioned Christi Belcourt and Isaac Murdoch to create a mural for the university.

Today, these kinds of things tend to be fairly common for many post-secondary educational institutions in Canada. Thirty years ago, were educational institutions doing anything of the sort that I shared about MacEwan?

Not in the slightest…

The foundation of education institutions here in Canada, whether at an elementary or high school level or post secondary, is a Western colonial cisgender heterosexual patriarchal one. Did I miss anything in that description? This includes a denial of what happened to indigenous peoples in Indian Residential Schools, and an insistence on conformity to the dominant culture. This education acts as if Indigenous people were from long long ago and ignores their present reality.

We are going to look at some important concepts  of indigenization and the academy related to the above example. Then we will see how these concepts could apply in a roughly parallel way to other organizations and businesses. Finally, a few comments on what we as strategically inclusive leaders can - and cannot - readily do about this, as people involved in ERGs or community organizations.