Inclusiveness Ministry

Season 1: LGBTQIA+: More Than a Letter

E1: Definitely Not a Plant: Discovering what it means to be Ace

In our first episode we will speak with Libby Lorenson, one of our own here at Trinity UMC in Salina, KS. Libby will share her journey of how she came to realize she wasn’t somehow broken, just asexual, what that means and doesn’t mean, and how media is crucial to visibility.

“You get this analysis spiral of what’s going on and what’s different. And then, right about a year after discovering the word ‘asexual,’ I find, maybe this spiral has and end, and it just means I’m ace?”

Resources and Information:     

http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQIA+) young people. This website offers crisis support as well as advocacy, research, and education.

http://www.asexuality.org/

The Asexual Visibility and Education Network. AVEN hosts the world’s largest online asexual community as well as a large archive of resources on asexuality. AVEN strives to create open, honest discussion about asexuality among sexual and asexual people alike.

https://www.angelachen.org/ace

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dearlukeloveme/dear-luke-love-me-an-ace-feature-film

Dear Luke, Love Me.  The Kickstarter page where you can learn about this independent film, its evolution, and support its production.

Season 1: LGTBQIA+: More Than a Letter

E2: Transformative Privilege: Becoming fully oneself is not done alone

In our second episode we speak with Gabriel Padilla, a teacher, godfather, uncle, and a member of the trans community. Gabriel speaks to his progression through life as well as the transformative power of having someone in your corner, one of many privileges not afforded to all.

“The world’s not always kind to transpeople. And I’ve always pushed back on that. And I’m still going to push back on that. There are always people that, once they get to know you, they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re just Gabe. Yeah, you’re trans, but you’re just Gabe.’”

Resources and Information:     

• https://thesafezoneproject.com/resources/vocabulary/
  • An excellent resource for questions about terminology relating to LGBTQ+ identities & people, sexualities, and genders.
• https://sites.google.com/a/u.boisestate.edu/social-justice-training/about-us/our-training/privilege-checklist
  • A privilege checklist designed for use during training of consultants for the Boise State Writing Center. It is used to increase critical awareness of privilege and help equip persons to participate in conversations about social justice.
• https://thesafezoneproject.com/activities/privilege-for-sale/
  • This group activity helps participants investigate privilege by inviting them to identify what privileges they find personally important. The full activity with privilege list is viewed by clicking “Download Activity” or “View as Google Doc” under the activity description.
• https://translifeline.org/
  • Trans Lifeline is a grassroots hotline and microgrants 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis – for the trans community, by the trans community.
• www.thetrevorproject.org/
  • The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQIA+) young people. This website offers crisis support as well as advocacy, research, and education.
• https://www.glsen.org/
  • Every student has the right to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education. GLSEN is a national network of educators, students, and local GLSEN Chapters working to make this right a reality.
• https://pflag.org/
  • PFLAG ​is the nation’s first and largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them.

Season 1: LGTBQIA+: More Than a Letter

E3: The Fullness of a Human Being: Identity is more than sexuality.

In Season 1’s third and last episode, we speak with Joe McMurray: actor, international athlete, and ordained minister with the Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC). Joe has been an out and proud gay man for over 50 years, spanning the 1970s, the difficult early days of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, the advent of marriage equality, and on through today. Throughout, Joe reminds each of us about the importance of unconditional love and acceptance.

“So many people have suffered because their true identity has not been fully embraced because of the prejudices of the particular culture they’ve been exposed to.”

Resources and Information:     

https://gaygames.org/

Since 1982, the Federation of Gay Games have promoted equality, diversity and inclusion through sport and culture, bringing together people from all over the world.

https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/history/hiv-and-aids-timeline/

The HIV.gov Timeline reflects the history of the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic from the first reported cases in 1981 to the present.

https://www.cdc.gov/museum/online/story-of-cdc/aids/index.html

The David J. Sencer CDC Museum exhibit remembering The AIDS Epidemic in the United States, 1981-early 1990s. Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution.

https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/livinghistory/voices

The Ryan White CARE Act was first enacted in 1990 to create a federal program focused specifically on providing HIV care and treatment services to low income people with HIV who are uninsured or underserved.

https://visitmccchurch.com/

Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) is an international collection of churches and faith communities that was founded in 1968 in the United States by a brave out gay Christian pastor named Rev. Troy Perry.

https://thesafezoneproject.com/resources/vocabulary/

An excellent resource for questions about terminology relating to LGBTQ+ identities & people, sexualities, and genders.

www.thetrevorproject.org/

The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQIA+) young people. This website offers crisis support as well as advocacy, research, and education.

https://pflag.org/

PFLAG ​is the nation’s first and largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them.

Production Team:

• Project Manager, Writer, Audio Engineer, Graphic Designer, Assistant Administrator: Anne E.H. Hoekstra (she/her)
• Host, Guest Relations Manager: Stephanie Johannes (she/her)
• Outreach Management and General Support: Micah 6:8 Ministries Team

Sharing Our Stories is funded by:

• Trinity United Methodist Church in Salina, KS; and through a Social Justice Seed Money Grant from the Mercy and Justice Team of the Great Plains United Methodist Conference. Thank you!

Additional great big THANK YOUs go out to:

• Paul Green, Production Manager and Adjunct of Communication Studies for the Department of Communication Studies & Theatre Arts at Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina, KS
• Pastor Eric Meyer, Senior Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, Salina, KS
• The Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church