call for trans/nb people for a podcast on faith & gender
Are you a trans and/or nonbinary person with some sort of relationship (positive, negative, neutral, messy) to faith (e.g. Muslim, Pagan, Christian, Jewish, Hindu...any!)? Are you interested in appearing on my podcast Blessed Are the Binary Breakers, which is all about trans and nonbinary people’s experiences with faith and gender? Well, I’d love to hear from you!!
I already have a call out for full-ep interviews -- check out this post to see if your story sounds like the kind I’m currently looking for.
Now I’m also opening a call for stories for a “special” episode:
Faith and Violence: a special episode focusing on the harm religion has inflicted on trans and nonbinary people
Rather than a single interview, this episode will feature all stories submitted on this topic -- please submit by April 15.
Religious trauma/pain (often called “church hurt” in Christian circles) can come in many forms -- being invisiblized, excluded, or otherwise pushed out; being told that you are sinful or sick or that your god(s) don’t accept your transness; being subjected to conversion therapy; being emotionally, verbally, or physically manipulated or abused...
If you have been hurt in any way by a faith community (or individuals in it) / by theology you’ve been taught, you are invited to share your story if that violence is related to being trans and/or nonbinary.
I know this is a heavy topic, so please only share your story if you are emotionally ready to do so and have a support system you can lean on if needed. Also, if you are struggling with religious trauma or pain, I implore you to seek help. You are not alone, you are good, and you deserve to find healing.
You’ll find instructions for what to include in your recording and where to send it under the readmore. (One thing I say below is that you can send me a written version of your story if you don’t want to do audio.) Please contact me with any questions!
And whether you’re planning on submitting a story or not, I’d love for folks to reblog this so it can reach more people. Thanks!
Instructions for recording yourself talking about your experience:
The recording should be under 8 minutes. (And it can be way under -- even just a minute, if you only want to say one quick thing.) If you have trouble with this time limit, contact me and we can discuss options.
Try to find a relatively quiet place for recording! Smaller spaces + fabrics tend to be better for reducing echoes and stuff :)
Start the recording with your name (can be your first name or your full name, or a pseudonym or “anonymous" if you prefer), your pronouns, and any other general info about yourself you want listeners to have right off the bat (about your gender, your faith, your age, your hobbies or country or job, whatever you want).
Your story can have a neatly-wrapped ending or it can be something you’re still struggling with. It can be hopeful or angry or a mix of emotions, whatever is true for you.
Also, swearing is fine (I mean. don’t be swearing like a sailor for no reason and don’t use slurs against other people, but using, like, the s word or f word a few times is fine.)
Send this recording to [email protected]; if the audio file just doesn’t want to send for whatever reason, reach out to me via email or direct message here on tumblr! There are other options we can figure out together.
If you prefer that I read your story aloud so that you don’t have to record it / so your voice won’t be in the episode, you can send a written form of your story to [email protected] and I’ll read it on the episode for you.
Suggestions for what to talk about:
When did the religious hurt start and how long did it last? (or is it still ongoing)
How has this harm impacted your faith / your relationship to the divine?
Has this harm impacted other areas of your life?
Who or what has been a help to you in the midst of religious hurt / in efforts to heal?
If you still have a faith of any kind, what keeps you going? If you have left faith entirely, has anything replaced it? Either way, where do you find connection and fulfillment in your life?
What are your hopes and fears for the future?
If you could share some advice with anyone going through what you’ve gone through, what?
Feel free to share poetry or music you’ve written that relates to this topic instead of / in addition to telling your story!
