Blessed Are The Binary Breakers

In saying yes to bearing God Themself outside of marriage, Mary said yes to disgrace in the eyes of the world — not unlike the rejection LGBTQA+ persons can face when we accept God's call to live into our full, beautiful, queer selves. In this short story from Squirrel House Publishing's 2021 anthology Reconstructing Christmas, the Mother of God emboldens a nonbinary college student to take a courageous step. Click here for an episode transcript. Talking Points: - 0:00 - Exploring the queerness of Mary in Luke 1, as well as in her apparitions to marginalized persons across the ages - 9:50 - "Joe and Our Lady Defiant" — short story reading _______ Blessed Are the Binary Breakers is part of the Rock Candy Podcast Network. Find more shows at www.rockcandyrecordings.com. This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Let's Just Get through Christmas" by Doctor Turtle.

K Kriesel (they/them or she/her) is not afraid of "messy," with a spiritual life that blends Catholicism and Wicca, and holds space for time adrift.  K has broken away from a variety of groups that proved too limiting to uplift the most marginalized, including any feminism that prioritizes white, cis women. As they search for a spiritual community built with people like them in mind, K serves as a chaplain and creates the kind of queer Catholic art they want to see in the world. You can contact K and view their work at kkriesel.com or @kkrieselart on Instagram or Facebook. Click here for an episode transcript. Click here for K's Google Doc of Nonbinary spiritual resources. Talking Points: 0:00 - Intro material 4:01 - K's youth: moving from an abusive Catholicism to a more open version, with room for Wicca 9:34 - Studying feminist & queer theologies; grappling with the limitations of feminism — too white, cis, upper class 21:42 - K's gender journey — comfort characters as a kid; claiming lesbian as th

After growing up Southern Baptist and pressured to conform to gender norms, it took time for Ynza Morgan Star (she/her & zey/zeir) to live fully into her genderqueer, agnostic, pagan, game designer self. In this episode, Ynza shares how neurodivergence and the power of story have shaped her journey; how zey crafted zeir own name; how zey joined zeir local Unitarian Universalist fellowship; and so much more! Content warnings: lots of discussion about conservative Christianity and transphobia, including the intense policing of a child’s self-expression. There are also brief mentions of dementia and parent death. Click here for the episode transcript, which includes links with info on various discussion points throughout. Talking Points: 0:00 - Intro, including Avery's visit to Ynza's UU fellowship 6:54 - Overview – gaming, pagan-inclined Unitarian, didn’t realize trans till 40s 18:20 - Earliest memories – gender policed by adults; refuge in stories with gender transformation 23:56 - The Oz stories – queer i

This episode is a slightly abridged version of part 1 of the Neuroqueer Joseph series over on The Autistic Liberation Theology podcast. Be sure to visit Laura's podcast for parts 2 & 3 once you've finished this episode! My friend Laura and I explore all the queer + autistic elements of Joseph's story, starting with Genesis 37. Joseph wears makeup and the colorful dress of a princess, toe-walks, and dreams dreams that threaten the status quo — a queer and neurodivergent figure if there ever was one. Content warnings: discussions of transphobia & anti-autistic ableism, bullying, familial violence, hate crimes. Click here for an episode transcript. ______ Timestamps: (0:00) Introducing the episode (4:24) Introducing Joseph of Genesis, term "neuroqueer" (9:00) Rabbi Ruttenberg's article; Midrash about Joseph & Dinah (12:05) Genesis 37:1-11 & Joseph's neuroqueerness — Joseph's coat; Joseph as "na'ar" or youth; naivety, dreams... (27:31) Genesis 37:12-36 & Why the brothers can't tolerate Joseph

Avery reads more passages from Leslie Feinberg's 1996 work Transgender Warriors — this time ones that respond to the same tired arguments people have been making against the trans community for decades now. How do you respond when someone insists that women's spaces shouldn't include trans women, that drag queens make a mockery of femininity, that trans women have male privilege? Feinberg offered concise, helpful answers years ago that can help us continue the good fight today. Click here for an episode transcript, which contains source links. Talking Points: (0:00 - 4:30) Call for stories + introducing the topic (4:31 - 10:14) Resisting biological essentialism when defining womanhood – "biology is not destiny"; no universal experience (10:15 - 13:14) Masculinity isn't inherently toxic + drag queens don't make a mockery of womanhood (13:15 - 20:23) Do trans women have male privilege? — Laverne Cox's view + Feinberg's additions (20:24 - 25:14) Making women's spaces safe for all women — there are no high-risk g

Avery reads excerpts from Leslie Feinberg's Transgender Warriors. Though the book was first published in 1996, the history it relates could not be more pertinent. In the shared passages, Feinberg emphasizes how we must not only demand and win but also defend our human rights. The fight isn’t over until systems that deny us our rights are also overthrown, and every single person is free. Click here for an episode transcript. You can read Transgender Warriors for free online. Talking points: (0:00 - 4:48) Introducing Leslie Feinberg and Transgender Warriors (4:49 - 15:42) Resisting divide-and-conquer tactics, fighting to win and keep trans rights and all rights 15:43 - end) Wrapping up — send Avery your thoughts, fears, responses to current events

UCC pastor Rev. Krissy imagines a Body of Christ that moves beyond the institutional Church. We are called to confront corruption and power, and to unite in solidarity with all who work towards liberation. This is a bonus clip from a larger conversation; check out episode 54 — “Coming Back to Life: Rev. Krissy is a Politically Queer UCC Pastor" — for more of Krissy's story and wisdom. Find Krissy at rev-krissy.tumblr.com; or visit their church website: www.epiphanyucc.org Click here for an episode transcript.  Talking Points: (0:00 - 3:45) Intro material (3:46 - 7:30) Pushing congregations to reimagine belonging — uncertainty is welcome; all who will work with us for liberation are welcome (7:31 - 12:40) "You want to know why people are leaving the church?" — church as an institution isn't what matters (12:41 - end) Resisting fundamentalism, literalism, and biblical translations that uphold empire ______ FURTHER READING - Interfaith Worker Justice - "Labor Rights in the Jewish Tradition" - “What is bibli

In Jesus, God rose with wounds that would have impaired his mobility and fine motor skills. In John 20, Jesus allows his disciples to gaze at his impaired body, and even lets Thomas touch his wounds. Let's explore how this story connects to the complications of marginalized bodies being put on display for public consumption — of being made into a spectacle. Is it possible for marginalized persons to have any agency in how our bodies are viewed and interpreted? How does Jesus model possibility for his disciples, similar to what Laverne Cox calls trans possibility models? How have marginalized persons identified with the wounded Christ across the centuries? Content Warning: brief, undetailed mentions of hate crimes, transphobia, ableism, antiblackness, fatphobia ___ Part of this episode explores an art piece by Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin — a photograph of Jesus with top surgery scars — that you can view here. Or view it and other images, with image descriptions, in the episode transcript. The episode also draws fr

Now are the days that God lies dead — the God who, in dying, expressed ultimate solidarity with all who have been unjustly killed across the ages. Let's explore how various queer theologians between 1993 & 2006 — plus some trans poets more recently — have connected Jesus's Passion, death & burial, and resurrection to LGBTQ experiences. CONTENT WARNING: graphic depictions of hate crimes, including the murders of Matthew Shepard & a (fictional) Argentinian trans woman; deaths of gay men with AIDS; uses of dated LGBTQ+ language; mentions of religious homophobia Click here for an episode transcript (works cited at the end). Avery invites you to check out their YouTube video exploring theologies of the cross; and to revisit last year’s Good Friday and Easter eps: they’re episodes 39 and 40 here. Talking Points: - (0:00 - 4:35) Intro: different theologies of the cross; connecting Jesus’ Passion to contemporary LGBTQ experiences - (4:36 - 6:01) A poem on the cross by Slats Toole - (6:02 - 10:30) Queerin

For Holy Week, Avery joined Laura Sommer on their Autistic Liberation Theology Podcast to discuss two Gospel stories through a disability theology lens — with some trans theology sprinkled in: John 12's account of Mary of Bethany anointing Jesus; and Mark 14's telling of Jesus' Agony in the Garden. Our world does not teach us how to face discomfort and pain healthily: we avoid, dismiss, or deny it; or we blame the one suffering; or we jump to action even when there are no easy fixes. In Bethany, Mary teaches us the art of simple affirmation and tenderness in the face of another's suffering. In Gethsemane, Jesus shows us the power in taking time to lament, to complain, to rage, to question — to feel whatever emotions come — when we are the ones in pain. Read along with the episode transcript here. For the unabridged episode, listen on Laura's podcast here, where the episode is titled "The Gethsemane of things." Talking Points: - (0:00 - 4:52) Introducing the topics – making space with Jesus for fear and grief;

Avery brings their wife on to reminisce about Avery's name journey — from picking out Avery several years ago, to choosing new middle & last names in time for the legal name change process. Why is that process so dang complicated and expensive? Why was "Banana" ever on the table for surname options? How does Avery honor their family & faith roots with their new name? And what do Avery, Cher, & Sasquatch all have in common??  Listen — or read along with the episode transcript — to find out! Talking points: (0:00 - 7:11) Introducing Leah, Avery's new full name; discussing Avery's nicknames growing up (7:12 - 10:20) When a family member chooses a new name; advice for any parents about their kids' names (10:21 - 20:27) Picking the name Avery, process of telling it to Leah, family, church, teachers (20:28 - 24:45) Picking a new last name (Banana??!) (24:46 - 30:16) Why Raphael for a middle name — archangel, name of Avery's church growing up (30:17 - 37:16) A little rant about deadnames getting sha

In O Beautiful Dust, RW Walker explores what difference traditional, queer, and Christ-centred common prayer might make in a chaotic and divided world. Avery had the honor of narrating the audiobook put out by Squirrel House Publishing — and they're offering A FREE COPY of that audiobook to the first 10 people to email them for it! Listen to the episode (or read along in the transcript) for more details. In this episode, Avery shares 6 of the over 40 prayers contained in O Beautiful Dust — and offers some cultural context behind one of those pieces, which explores the story of the gender non-conforming water bearer to whom Jesus sends his disciples shortly before the Last Supper. Visit https://obeautifuldust.carrd.co/ for all the links for where to purchase RW Walker's book, as well as for info about the author, narrator, and publisher. (This page is still being updated as more purchasing links go live in the coming days.) And if you want to watch Peterson Toscano's film Transfigurations: Gender Outlaws in th

Like Lazarus resurrected by Jesus, Rev. Krissy has moved from a stifling tomb — a church where they could not be openly queer & politically active — into the abundant life of authentic self and fighting for the liberation of all. Krissy is a pastor and chaplain in the United Church of Christ who loves their supportive spouse, children, and church; and who sees a message of good news for all whom the world calls shameful in the parable of the father with two sons (i.e. the parable of the prodigal son). Click here for an episode transcript. Talking Points: (0:00 - 4:54) Introducing Krissy — UCC pastor and chaplain in St. Louis (4:55 - 8:36) Krissy's family: a supportive spouse who doesn't get gender in general; supportive adult children (8:37 - 11:08) The United Church of Christ: variety of beliefs; full participation of neurodivergent persons & people with mental illness (11:09 - 14:50) Past work at a conservative suburban church where they couldn't be out; seminary friend who affirmed Krissy's queerne

I sit down with my fellow seminary grad Eric Sharp (degree in Marriage & Family Therapy) for the story of how he came to call himself a Pluralist Agnostic who draws from Womanism and Postmodernism. On the way, we also discuss: the power of swearing and of playfulness; appreciating many truths in place of one Big Truth; and bringing healing into a broken world — with plenty of laughter as we go. Click here for an episode transcript. Content Warning: swearing; discussions of mental illness, addiction, and suicide ideation; of abuse and neglect and trauma, including among children; of sex; and mentions of the Holocaust, hell, and religious homophobia Talking Points: (0:00 - 8:00) Introducing Eric: Systemic therapist; cis, white, with gay as his "teeny-tiny window of oppression" (8:01 - 14:25) Eric's childhood: crushing on his best friend & on Jesus; pressure to choose between gay and God; lonely (14:26 - 18:20) Meeting our spouses; Eric's college experience — befriending atheists who seem to live love be

Sometimes the stories we think we know by heart are the ones most worth revisiting, and examining from new angles. In this episode, Avery focuses on a version of the Nativity that will likely be new to many of you: one in which the Greek of Luke 2:7 is translated differently to imply that Jesus was not born in a stable because Bethlehem's inn was full up, but rather was born right in the heart of a peasant home. As they explore the Nativity from different angles, Avery shares several poems that invite the reader into various versions of Jesus's birth, familiar and unfamiliar alike. Their hope is to help us all learn how to embrace the beads of truth within each different telling of the tale, discovering how contradiction need not mean conflict. Click here for an episode transcript. Talking Points: (0:00 - 7:46) Introducing versions of the Nativity story — listening for what's actually in Luke 2 (7:47 - 11:18) Questioning the Greek word kataluma in Luke 2:7 — an inn, or a guest room? (11:19 - 19:15) Cultural c

I was honored to be invited onto Kings and Queens, a podcast hosted by Joseph & Nicole Peterson, to talk about Jesus through a trans lens! The full episode is over on their podcast and includes more of my own personal story as well.  For more about the Petersons, visit www.thepetersons.cc. For a transcript of this episode, click here. Talking Points: (0:00 - 3:30) Intro (3:30 - 11:28) Pastoring people into conversations about trans Jesus — why does the idea shock or offend many people? Normativity conflated with morality (11:29 - 14:18) Ideas of gender in Jesus's time and place; Jesus's gender nonconformity: no wife and kids; Mother Hen (14:19 - 19:35) Jesus closeted, coming out; his deep desire to be known by those he loves (19:36 - 23:40) Eunuch Jesus! — happily accepts association with those his world called sexually deviant; reclaiming slurs like eunuch or queer (23:41 - end) Jesus's transition story: genderless divinity entering finite humanity, assigned male at birth Further Reading: - blesseda

Let's hear some stories from various people — trans & cis, Jewish, Christian, & Sikh — about how gender, faith, and culture have played a role in the names they use. How do names isolate us, or connect us; harm us, or heal us? And what does religion teach us about honoring one another's chosen names? Click here for the episode transcript. Talking Points: (0:00 - 6:40) Introducing the topic; part of Avery's own experience (6:41 - 9:45) Judaism: biblical name changes, honoring new names (9:46 - 18:03) Eli's story: how the prophet Elijah helped Eli choose their name (18:04 - 22:36) Adrian's story: finding the right name; "dark richness" (22:37 - 26:19) Mychel Vandover's story: a renaming ceremony in a supportive church (26:20 - 30:16) Name changes in religious orders: Buddhism & Catholicism (30:17 - 33:40) Sister Jean Ann's story: how a nun got her name (33:41 - 39:14) Khalsa names in Sikhi: names that remove caste & resist injustice (39:15 - 48:21) Pauahi's story: a fiery name b

A clip from a full episode of Laura Sommer's Autistic Liberation Theology podcast in which Avery and Laura discuss John the Baptist and his parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah. The two friends connect John's joyful leaping in the womb to Laura's coined term "magnAUtism" — the way autistic persons are drawn to and connect with one another. They also discuss how Mary, Elizabeth, and Zechariah are impacted by the autistic joy & defiance of their children even before and just after birth — especially how Zechariah's insistence "his name is John" makes him a patron saint of the parents of trans children today. Episode transcript. Content Warning: brief discussion of ableist violence, antiblack violence. Talking Points:  (0:00 - 9:14) Introducing the topic; MagnAUtism, "autistic oxygen" (9:15 - 15:17) Autistic gifts to the whole community: joy, defiance, questioning the status quo (15:18 - 18:04) The wrong and right ways to react to an autistic child — "be your child's first ally, not their first bully" (18:0

The spiritual landscape of nineteenth-century rural Russia blended native traditions and beliefs with Christianity; this is the world in which Black Book, an independent video game produced by Russian studio Morteshka, is set. In this episode, Avery shares some of what Black Book taught them about this syncretism of belief (without spoiling the game, don't worry!). Then, they bring in Leslie Feinberg's 1996 text Transgender Warriors to discuss similar tensions between indigenous and Christian traditions in medieval Western Europe. What happened to other gods and spirits after the rise of Christianity? How did sorcerers like Black Book's young woman protagonist navigate this spiritual blend as they either helped or cursed the peasants who both revered and feared them for their knowledge? What's all this got to do with trans folk? Read along with the episode transcript here. _______ Talking Points: (0:00 - 3:50) Introducing Black Book: playing as Vasilisa, a young sorceress in a world where people believe both

Brigid's intimate relationship with a fellow nun is not the only queer thing about her — her story also transcends any one religion, period, or place. How did a Celtic deity of forge and hearth transition into a fifth-century Catholic nun? How did devotion to Saint Brigid extend from Irish immigrants to enslaved Africans in Haiti and New Orleans? This mysterious figure revels in interweaving apparent opposites, in justice for outcasts, and in...a heavenly lake of beer?? For devotees of many faiths, Brigid's perpetual flame continues to light the way to wisdom and holy joy. Find the episode transcript here. Talking Points: (0:00 - 6:00) Syncretism: the merging of multiple cultures and beliefs; introducing Brigid (6:01 - 10:25) Brigid the Celtic Goddess — artist, warrior, and healer; three-in-one according to Celtic Imagination (10:25 - 21:25) Brigid the Catholic abbess — a miraculous cloak, a miraculous abortion, and heaven's lake of beer (21:26 - 25:59) Darlughdach, sapphic soul-friend; Brigid's syncretic fes