Showing posts with label RMN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RMN. Show all posts

10/2/08

RMN Voter Guide: Employment Non-Discrimination


RMN Voter Guide: Employment Non-Discrimination

We seek, in short, full civil equality, defined as: the right to live and work free from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, to be evaluated on merit, to be free of unfair discrimination by our government (Adapted, Vaid 376).
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What I find as the essence of my heart is the life's work of the Reconciling Ministries, ~Kelli Busey.

10/1/08

Rambling to a far lef T/Stepping UP/an Invitation




Bishop Robinson Stepping UP/an Invitation

Letters and petitions were sent to the Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Bishop, New Hampshire the only openly gay Bishop in the Anglican communion, asking him to consider how his attendance at certain social organizations fund raiser might affect transgender people. It is the belief of many transgender people that the exclusion from the national human rights movement was inhumane and his attendance would validate a sense that Transgender people were somehow less than Gays and Lesbians.

Our petitions and protests are without constraint from political and religious influence.

The response we received from Bishop Robinson took us completely off guard. Bishop Robinson asked to meet us, anywhere anytime! Well, how dare he? A religious leader of the Anglican communion willingly stepping up and taking this risk to meet? I was astounded and had to rethink how could we best respond to such a offer.

I went back to my roots at the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN), and what I have learned of philosophy and faith. I considered what could be the most important out come of such a meeting?

In response to Bishops Robinson's invitation we formed the Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies from previously friendly but separate people.

We all realized our need to be cohesive yet diverse and to respect each other for our common goal of lifting up the Transgender, Queer, Intersexed, Asexual and Questioning people from the sense of despair, frustration and anger we have found ourselves in since our exclusion from the national Gay and Lesbian human rights movement.

Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies are now extending our hand in friendship and welcome to all. We are everything, from radical to conservative and there are no guarantees. It is a leap of faith.

Come and be part of the Conversation with Bishop Robinson on November 22 in Dallas Texas.

We are so different yet so much the same. This realization of our humanity is due to Bishop Robinson "Stepping UP!"

7/2/08

Reconciling Ministries New Blog Proactive Radical Inclusion



By Kelli Busey
July 1, 2008

The Reconciling Ministries Network is launching a new blog in accordance to it's mission of bringing ALL of God's children home. In following the teachings of our lord, this vision of radical inclusion has been shaped into action by Antony Hebblethwaite and the staff of of the RMN. Among the writers who are contributing are people who have known personally Dr Martin Luther King's struggle, people who have experienced South African apartheid, pastors who are living with the denial of their Church to minister because of sexual affinity and teachers who have dedicated their lives to the good of human kind. All are human rights activists who are now deeply involved with bringing us together in peace. And one transgender truck driver, thats me. I was so inspired to by what I saw in General Conference 2008 that I self promoted my application to contribute to this blog and to my amazement, was accepted. But I got cold feet after reading the biographies that the other writers submitted. I questioned myself about my abilities. How could I ever write on the level as these educated and wonderful people. And lets face it, I'm not the most pious of people. I'm more akin to the 250lb hot dog with mustard and relish eating 9th inning self appointed 3rd base coach! Antony wrote back to me and said "easy girl". This is what reconciling means. Inclusion. So we are all here. And this is the scoop of my life! This world is after all a place for me.

Reconciling Ministries Network is a national grassroots organization that exists to enable full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life of the United Methodist Church, both in policy and practice.

http://www.rmnetwork.org/