A Post-middle age transgendered Catholic

[Teresa Colleen]

Dear Soulforce community,
Thank you for welcoming me. I'm a pre (?)-op transgendered woman who is a Catholic. Now if that doesn't sound like a contradiction in terms, I don't know what does. Basically I hear god's call in all sorts of things: the faces of children, the eyes of homeless people, and all of them say to me "it is in the Catholic Church, with all its enormous flaws, glaring prejudices, blind spots and sins beyond number that you belong." Why? "Because the church needs GLBT people to be a leaven in the mixture. We've always been there and all of the sexual minorities bring a special witness to god's redeeming love.
May god, through Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Budda, Lao Tse and all god's children bless you,
Teresa Colleen

[Zerbie]

What a lovely note, Teresa.

Welcome. :)

[Pablo Rafael]

There are a few of us Catholics here. So from one Catholic to another I will say welcome.

I am a fairly new convert to the Catholic church. I really feel that God has called me to be in the church at this time. You are right, it does have many flaws, but I see a great emphasis on helping the downtrodden and reaching out to those in need. I also see the church as a place devoted to worship. Also I think that the Catholic church is more tolerant and affirming than its official stand would indicate.

I am glad that you are here. Please post and let us get to know you.

Tu Amigo, Pablo

[Gennee]

From one transgender to another, welcome to Soulforce Teresa.

Gennee

:)

[Megandy]

Welcome! Check out Kate Bornstein's work, if you haven't already. She's a transgender lesbian, and a wonderful advocate for the transgender population!

[u-dog]

Welcome! Check out Kate Bornstein's work, if you haven't already. She's a transgender lesbian, and a wonderful advocate for the transgender population!


Ok... help me out here. Transgender lesbian. A biological male who needs to love women as a woman? Or a biological woman who needs to love other women as a man? Jeez! do you ever just wish that God had just made the two genders who ONLY loved each other? You can sort of see why conservative Christians are so committed to the fantasy that God DID. :eek::confused::eek:

((:love:)))

[BrentRichards]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong: Kate is a M2F transgendered woman, and identifies as lesbian because she is attracted to women. Yes? The confusion comes, understandably, because saying one is transgendered doesn't tell you who one is attracted to (to whom one is attracted?) ... one could be a M2F attracted to M or a M2F attracted to F or a F2M attracted to M or a F2M attracted to F or ... it kinda does make your head spin a little, huh? I remember being quite confused with the first M2F transgender person I really knew, and others being equally confused, because she (formerly he) is and always was attracted to women... I personally had always (at least emotionally) figured a transgendered person was also "gay" in the sense that he/she must be attracted to the same sex as their birth gender ... what did I know?

[Megandy]

You are correct, Brent! I know, it takes all types! I look forward to her lecture series at my university in about a month!

[kara speltz]

Dear Soulforce community,
Thank you for welcoming me. I'm a pre (?)-op transgendered woman who is a Catholic. Now if that doesn't sound like a contradiction in terms, I don't know what does. Basically I hear god's call in all sorts of things: the faces of children, the eyes of homeless people, and all of them say to me "it is in the Catholic Church, with all its enormous flaws, glaring prejudices, blind spots and sins beyond number that you belong." Why? "Because the church needs GLBT people to be a leaven in the mixture. We've always been there and all of the sexual minorities bring a special witness to god's redeeming love.
May god, through Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Budda, Lao Tse and all god's children bless you,
Teresa Colleen

Welcome Teresa, what an absolutely beautiful introduction. I am also Catholic and while I can't fully comprehend all of the paradoxes, it is Eucharist and Liturgy that keep me here. All I can say is,

AMEN!

Kara

[Zerbie]

Ok... help me out here. Transgender lesbian. A biological male who needs to love women as a woman?

Ja. Simple.

Or a biological woman who needs to love other women as a man? Jeez!

That would be a heterosexual transman.

do you ever just wish that God had just made the two genders who ONLY loved each other? You can sort of see why conservative Christians are so committed to the fantasy that God DID. :eek::confused::eek:

((:love:)))

First trans person I ever met was a biological male who identified as a transgender lesbian. Although "he" (I only knew this person when male) always remarked that 'he' loved lesbians and thought "himself" as lesbian, I managed not to notice that s/he was trans, b/c I had transgender lesbians confused with lesbian-identified men, such as one of my best buddies from undergrad.

How's your head now, Dave?

[u-dog]

First trans person I ever met was a biological male who identified as a transgender lesbian. Although "he" (I only knew this person when male) always remarked that 'he' loved lesbians and thought "himself" as lesbian, I managed not to notice that s/he was trans, b/c I had transgender lesbians confused with lesbian-identified men, such as one of my best buddies from undergrad.

How's your head now, Dave?

You know how sometimes you twist something around and around and around and then it just sort of ... falls off? That just happened.

[Sherrie Z]

Welcome! Great to have you with us ... : )

[Jennifer5]

Welcome, glad to have you here :)