Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas to you all!!

Pictures from The First Congregational Church's Living Nativity in Riverside Last month at the Festival Of Lights - I was honored to be asked to be Mary that evening. I never expected that one day I would get to represent the Mother of God. Actually the kids in sheep-suits stole the show - they were too cute ba'a-ing at passers-by.
May you all find peace and be blessed this Christmastime.
Hugs,
Eva-Genevieve!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

New Transgender resources...

The HRC has announced two new transgender resources. I just read and listened to some of what they have posted and it is awesome stuff - just in time for the the holidays. They are especially appropriate for Pastors and Educators:

Out In Season: A Transgender Encounter with the Church Year.
and
Gender Identity and Our Faith Communities: A Congregational Guide for Transgender Advocacy
This second one has a downloadable PDF and Audio files.

Hugs,
Eva-Genevieve! Scarborough

Monday, December 22, 2008

When you got the rainy Monday morning blues...



... you need sombody to stand by you too.



A friend of mine just sent this to me this rainy, bluesy Monday morning. And as I was getting ready to walk to the grocery store in the muck I got to listen to the world singing and playing together and I got to thinking. wouldn't it be nice if we could all find a piece of that rhythm and harmony from time to time? Let everyone just be themselves in the big mix.




Thanks PJ! - Y'all have a blessed Monday!


Hugs Eva-Genevieve!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Lets promote a debate...

Greetings!

The Courage Campaign is now attempting to draw Rick Warren into a debate over marriage rights and there on their site is a way to post comments to him directly (presuming he actually reads them). Follow this link and post to him as I just did this evening:


Here is the text of what I sent to him verbatim, (though I have embellished it with some pictures from recent marriage Rights and Civil-rights rallies - and the one to the right is from Riverside CA's Pride Festival in Sept '08 and the last one is one I took today in Church):
Dear Pastor Rick,

I am born again and have been since May 4th 1980. I really wish you would come to an understanding of God that is bigger than the standard evangelical dogma about gender and one's personal gender orientation. I am transgender - I was born with outer male attributes but inner, female, "hard-wiring” that did not match the outer form from birth and so I see things through a different set of filters than you and most people do. God did this intentionally when I was fearfully and wonderfully made in the womb – I certainly don’t recall ever having a choice in the matter. Any choice I have in this as an adult is to either accept it and find a way to cope with it, or to deny it and throw it back in God’s face just as I tried to do for many painful years. Now I choose to repent and accept myself as created.


It turns out that being transgender is a wonderful gift from God because through this God-given necessity to cope with the way He made me, I have discovered His love and closeness in orders of magnitude more than when I tried and tried for those first 23 of the 28 years I have known Him, to conform to the tradition and dogma you staunchly represent. I also now can actually love my neighbors because I am no longer bound up in self-loathing.

Keeping this part of myself hidden and denied was the worst and most damaging thing I could have done to myself. I am still healing from the worst of that damage now that I have accepted myself as created. That self-denial was the worst form of religious self-abuse imaginable! My gender and presentation of it is not a choice for me any more than you being who you are a choice! It was not a mistake by God or by myself or by a
nyone in my family line – it was not sin (and I am not abusing this gift of God in sinful ways either, but use it to win people to the Lord by living for Him in and through it). It is not a curse and it has not made me apostate or evil or reprobate, but rather it makes me so close to, and joyful in the Lord that I would gladly rejoice as heartily and openly as King David did as he danced with reckless abandon before the Arc of the Covenant. I can now, as a woman of God worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! Exactly what He seeks, Right? If the Bible is true it is!

This transition of mine - to pursue it openly before God and man – is, for me, the way I tell the world about His abounding love. Because of this I can say boldly, "look at what the Lord can do for those that love Him and trust Him fully - He gives to the broken and abused and downtrodden deep-seated joy, hope and life abundant in spite of antiquated traditions” – in other words He gives me the desires of my heart just as He promised! I am a Miracle of God, but yet to follow what you represent would deny God and His wondrous and mysterious ways.

I am not saying you are bad or even denying what you stand for at the core because I believe The Gospel of Je
sus Christ too. But we diverge at the point of gender issues. Most of what you and your great Church do is wonderful!! But I ask you to please realize – even though it may be uncomfortable – that I am your sister in Christ. Even if you don’t want this part of the family over to your house for supper (and that is your choice alone to make), please allow us to be family through the Blood of Christ, just as you and many in your esteemed congregation are.

Even though you believe you have the best intentions of God for mankind at heart, do you not understand that to myself and to most of the GLBTQ community what you represent on these issues translates into intentional pain and hurt, and it fosters a lot of violence towards us? This is how we perceive your stand on marriage rights. Please don’t deny us the same rights and privileges under the laws of this great Nation as you and the majority of people enjoy. To continue doing so undermines the good of all people and weakens the foundations of The USA even farther at a time when we all need to join together to rebuild this Nation and save her from the present crises.

What I ask you to do here is to open-mindedly and prayerfully open a dialogue with us – those that like me that are somehow different than the norm – and begin to understand that we are just another part of God's mysterious ways in the scheme of his creation We are just the same as every other unique person on the face of the earth – and like everyone else we did not have the opportunity to choose how God created us who we are and our gender and internal preferences is no different than if I have hazel eyes and you perhaps blue. It is just that you do not know us and have been driving us away from, instead of closer to the Lord because of things we do not have any control over.


As the Gentiles were to the Jews in the early days of the Church, perhaps we of the GLBTQ… crowd are to you – the old-school evangelicals at least as it regards gender related issues – here to, by discomfort, jealousy or even by shock value, get you to open your eyes to the all-inclusiveness of God through Christ that you have not understood before. Can’t you at least be open minded enough in the Lord to look beyond the traditional limits and see what He is telling you? There sure is a lot of true Christian spirituality and love and compassion out here in our midst that can't be explained any other way.

Thank you sir, for taking the time to read this and to consider what I have said.

Regards in the Lord, and please have a Merry Christmas.
Eva-Genevieve! Scarborough

EvaGenevieve@yahoo.com
Human
Christian
Transgendered
Advocate for civil-rights and Faith without Prejudice
On Camera Host/Moderator/Coordinator - Living Transgender in American Society Today,
2008

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Marriage Rights - coming closer to reality

There is a great video on marriage rights produced by a group called Soulforce - they are a faith based GLBT group fighting the intolerance in some very unique ways. Check out http://www.soulforce.org/ if you are interested in learning more.



Tonight is the time to Light Up the Night! - if you are able please go to one of the local rallies. If you don't already know which rally you are going to attend, the location list is available at: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/

Victory for our rights may be much closer now that our AG has come around.

When you go out - go out in unity and peace! And may blessings abound.

Hugs,
Eva-Genevieve! Scarborough

Friday, December 19, 2008

Kudos to the California Attorney General!!!

Here is some breaking news from the AP I thought would be good to share here.

To us the issue seems to be such a no brainer - our rights were being trampled by the majority - that is wrong under the US Constitution and I think Jerry Brown is wise enough to see that, but whatever the reason for his change of mind it brings us one step closer to equailty.

Thank you Jerry!

Calif. AG urges court to void gay marriage ban
From Associated PressDecember 19, 2008 8:54 PM EST

SAN FRANCISCO - The California attorney general has changed his position on the state's new same-sex marriage ban and is now urging the state Supreme Court to void Proposition 8.

Jerry Brown filed a brief Friday saying the measure that amended the California Constitution to limit marriage to a man and a woman is unconstitutional. He says it deprives gay couples of a fundamental right.

After California voters passed Proposition 8 on Nov. 4, Brown said he would fight to uphold the initiative in his role as attorney general, even though he personally voted against it.


He submitted his brief in one of the three legal challenges to Proposition 8 brought by same-sex marriage supporters.

President Elect Obama's Inaguration choice

This was posted yesterday and I wanted to comment on it from my perspective:
"L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Calls on Obama to Disinvite Homophobic Rick Warren From Delivering Inaugural Invocation
President-Elect’s Big Tent of Hope Stretches to Include Bigotry

LOS ANGELES, December 18, 2008–In response to President-Elect Barack Obama’s selection of homophobic mega-church minister Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the presidential inauguration, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Chief of Staff Darrel Cummings has issued the following statement:

“If President-elect Obama’s selection of Rick Warren to give his inaugural invocation is intended to send a message to America that he will be an inclusive leader, then he has clearly made a decision that the exclusion of the LGBT community is acceptable.

Inclusion is generally a term referencing the involvement of those who have been historically underrepresented, the subject of historic discrimination, or unrecognized altogether. The inclusion of people with disabilities in public policy decision-making related to housing and building codes, for example, is vital and a relatively new trend. This kind of action not only sends an important symbolic message to people with disabilities and to the larger community, it contributes to better policy.

Mega-church multi- media stars and religious “leaders” like Rick Warren have been overrepresented in government decision making for many years and have brought their narrow, exclusionary brand of theology into the oval office, Congress and the Supreme Court. They amass great wealth, own powerful financial empires, and preach division on the public airways. Yes, they and their followers are part of America—a relatively large part—but they are redundant as messengers of inclusion since they have always had influence over government, especially since 1980.
The unfortunate consequence of this “big tent” approach is that Obama is not really sending a message of inclusion, at least not the kind that invites into the tent those who have been historically and intentionally locked out for so long. Instead, on the first day of his presidency, he plans to send a very clear message that LGBT people are only welcome if we are agreeable to our own oppression, as represented by his choice of spiritual leader on inauguration day.
Obama’s response to press inquiries on the subject rings hollow. He talks about others like Southern Christian Leadership Conference President Joseph Lowery who will share the spotlight and bring alternative views to the stage, as though it’s important to have “balanced” representation regarding the issue of our civil rights. Joseph Lowery does not represent an alternative viewpoint to Warren. He represents an ethical and just choice on behalf of people historically oppressed and left off the presidential stage. Is it important to “balance” the work of a person who has spent his life fighting racial bigotry and discrimination with someone who opposes those ideals? Are these the politics of hope we have heard so much about?

Continuing his defense, Obama spoke eloquently about his campaign’s support for full equality for lesbians and gay men as an indication of how he will govern. Unfortunately, he did not and does not now stand for our full equality since he has made it clear that he opposes marriage equality. In this regard, he walks in lock step with Warren, even though Obama opposed the passage of Prop 8.

Warren played an important role in helping to re-write the California constitution to eliminate our rights. So now it is clear. If President-elect Obama does not disinvite Rick Warren, then he is defining what inclusion in America will mean under his administration. It will mean that the practice of bigotry is acceptable, and that as president—in the name of “inclusion”—he will provide a place and platform for that bigotry to be expressed and grow. Apparently we are welcome into the big tent of hope, but if we choose to enter, we should do so knowing we are in hostile, yet “balanced” territory.”
___________________________________
Speaking as the transgendered woman I am, I would ask, why should The President Elect recognize us formally and consider us when he chooses a speaker for his inauguration? Rarely do T-people come out for public events, and virtually no one associates us or any of TBQGL people, for that matter, with mainstream evangelicalism (and we avoid them like the plague), so how are these prominent leaders and preachers supposed to know or care we exist or ever go beyond the limits of their antiquated dogma if they don't know us? But even in their ignorance, they have given us a way in and shown that they are, if we appraoch this right, willing to cease being bigots – “...we are welcome into the big tent of hope” and even if it isn't a particularly warm invitation, we must not miss the opportunity now though it is an uncomfortable and humbling one.

What would we have if McCain were coming in? Nothing! !
So lets take the angry tone out of our response and be a little more patient (yes – still we must bite our tongues and be patient even longer - please). Soon we will realize our rights fully if we don’t give in to hate and anger and if we stand in unity and work together peacefully. There is hope they will listen to us.

Rick Warren - he really isn't a bad guy, at least not intentionally - but he certainly does not understand or accept TBQGL people. This choice shows that President elect Obama really does not understand us either. But that is why we have to become a visible part of society - until we all get out of the closets, put aside our differences and stand together in unity we will always get run over by the well meaning but ignorant bulk of society. We have to educate them by being present and being involved in life.

I think the choice of Rick Warren isn’t necessarily a statement against us personally, and certainly does not indicate bigotry being sanctioned, but it certainly gives us a challenge to build up our unity in the TBQGL… community and reach out to the mainstream in love and kindness, with a friendly, team-building spirit to overcome the understanding gap.

So, Please post your comments and tell me what do you think about this.

Hugs,
Eva-Genevieve!

Human
Christian
Transgendered
Advocate for civil-rights and Faith without Prejudice
On Camera Host/Moderator/Coordinator - Living Transgender in American Society Today, 2008

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

By way of introduction: How I came to choose my name





I was talking to a friend recently and the subject of how I chose my new name came up and I thought it a good way to introduce myself to you here. As I go along with this “Living Transgender…” project, I think it is important that you know who I am and just how I came to be here. Eventually I hope to post my entire life story – likely on a different and more personal site because it is a very long and involved story -but I can from time to time share some of it with you all so you get a bit of insight into the life of one girl who is living transgender quite happily.

Obviously, when one begins crossing genders in earnest, a new gender-matched name is needed. I started out as Evan Kent Scarborough (that was him - over there on the right 10 years ago) and I love the name my parents gave me. I did not want to seem disrespectful so I tried to stay with as much of it as possible.

My first name was easy – the old name was Evan and almost the same sound is heard in Eva if both the “E” and “a” employ the short vowel sound. And so I wound up, symbolically too, chopping off the “n” and rolling with Eva, but instead of a Gaelic sort of sound it now seemed a bit French.


I fell in love with the name Genevieve when I heard what it means in a sci-fi book, by Elizabeth Bear, I was reading at the time I was making the decision to transition. The main character – that just happened to be a French-Canadian gal – was undergoing a transition of her own and I saw many parallels to what many trans-folk go through with all the medical procedures and emotional wrangling that accompanies drastic changes. Because of my revised first name I wanted to keep a French sort of sound too.

I just happened to need a replacement for my old middle name at that point too – I mean, really, what can one do to make Kent sound fem? (Kendra? Not)! I thought about Ruth too - I have loved that name longer than you can imagine, but it happened to be my ex-wife's middle name so that didn't work, but Genevieve fit my life perfectly (but please avoid all long vowel sounds when pronouncing it). It speaks of Genesis - God's creative work - in the "Gene", and of God breathing life into His creation in the "vieve". The "!" is my way of saying thanks to Him every time I write my name, and when I speak it you can hear it there too. That is also why you will see one even when I just use my initials – it is simply my way of giving credit where I believe it is due.

I now like the sound of the name when I put the first and middle together even better – Eva-Genevieve! It sounded like they way in my mind I imagined would fit the lady I was to become one day. Kind of sexy, flirty, haughty at times and a bit vain, but down to earth and serious when necessary - sort of the way I feel these days at about 2-1/2 years into transition.

And it even survives the yes-mother test... "Eva Genevieve Scarborough! You get down here this instant and take off those boy's clothes, right now!" "Yes, mother." You see - it sounds just right!


Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find this blog/vlog interesting enough to visit from time to time and to tell your friends about. We can swap links if you wish.

Hugs and blessings,
Eva-Genevieve! Scarborough
evagenevieve@yahoo.com
Human
Christian
Transgendered
Advocate for civil-rights and Faith without Prejudice
On Camera Host/Moderator/Coordinator - Living Transgender in American Society Today, 2008

http://www.veoh.com/channels/livingtransgender
http://livingtransgender.blogspot.com/


Saturday, December 13, 2008

Marriage Equality Movement Realization





Eva-Genevieve Introduces 'Living Transgender in American Society Today'
Eva-Genevieve is Transsexual. God made her that way. She is onsite today to cover the rally on the most controversial issues of our time regarding the LGBTQ community: the Marriage Equality Movement allowing same sex marriages to be viewed as legal and for 'us' to have the same rights as hetero couples here in California and many other states.





















Greetings,

On behalf of my producer/director, Randy de Troit, and myself I would like to thank each one of you for taking the time to speak with me and to some of you for active participation in the first taping for our new show "Living Transgender in American Society, 2008". Thank You very much!

My personal message to you all: Each one of us has a story to tell, and in the telling (and hearing) of them we all are enhanced. With some of you I could feel your passion on the marriage rights issue and for GLBTQ acceptance in our society so very strongly as we spoke, and for that shared taste of your passion I personally thank each of you too. I wish we had a way to share this passion-energy with those around us directly so that they too would understand and be infected and energized by it.



David Mehnert a Music Educator (Special Education) in Claremont CA

I know each of you in your own way are doing that and that is what we are attempting to to do with our Show and what I attempt to do by living my life so openly wherever I go. As a transgendered person, knowing that there so many of you coming out to support us, my hope is greatly increased. May God, in His/Her own unique way with each of you, bless you greatly for your compassion and your participation today.


Eva-Genevieve spoke to Adam Kalesperis, an outspoken actor, supportive member of the GLBT community
Adams Blog can be found at: http://blog.myspace.com/adamkalesperis




Mother Karen Macqueen, the Associate Rector at St. Paul's Pomona Church speaks at the Marriage Equality Movement rally


Adam Kalesperis speaks to the crowd solo here:
for the text version of Adam's speech: www.myspace.com/adamkalesperis



Marriage Equality Movement March in Claremont


As of now most of the content has been posted to the show social sharing website which is to be found at:
http://www.veoh.com/channels/livingtransgender

Thanks again and Warm Regards,
Eva Genevieve Scarborough-On Camera Host-Moderator

'Living Transgender in American Society Today'

evagenevieve@yahoo.com


Marriage Equality Movement


Greetings,

I am now working with a professional Director/Cameraman to make a documentary video series on Living Transgender In America. We are starting the taping for this tomorrow afternoon at the Clairmont 'Marriage Equality Movement' rally. We will be there all day starting sometime around 1:30 before the rally officially starts and are hoping to interview many people on camera for our project throughout the day. And where better to start than with a group of people that are already energized to take a stand on civil-rights issues for the GLBTQ community, but we need more of the trans-folk that generally keep to themselves to come out too.

You CAN make a big difference in your world - each and every one of you. You will see what just a little effort from a few dedicated people can do. Lets show the world that we are people too and that we can and want to be an interactive part of society. Help us with this new Project - there is amazing potential in this kind of exposure. (If you can't come out, or even if you do, can you help support this effort financially to get it off the ground? Please contact me directly if you can - thank you so much).

I would like to ask as many of you as possible to make the stretch and come out to Memorial Park 840 N. Indian Hill Blvd. Claremont CA 91711. I will be there all day and participating in the march in Memory of Harvey Milk and of the new Movie about him as well as moderating this new media project.
(Between 2pm and 5:30pm, we will gather by the out door performance stage; several guest speakers are scheduled to speak. Roughly around 6pm, we will march from Memorial Park and make our way to the Claremont 5 Laemmle Theatre in the Claremont Village. More details on this and other local events can be found at the following web sites.

Please come out and be a living part of your community! Show your support and make a stand for your rights too. I believe that until all people have equal rights realized under the laws of this Nation we are all diminished by the discrimination and hatred that it breeds. Gaining these equal rights will not happen until we have visibility and become familiar to many, so to further this cause I am promoting this Living Transgender project whole heartedly!

If you are willing, please forward the link in the address bar to other trans and ally groups, and people you know.

Thank you and Regards,

Soon this web site will be up and running for more info on this project: http://www.veoh.com/channels/livingtransgender
Eva-Genevieve! Scarborough - Host/Moderator
Lifestyles of a Transgender
evagenevieve@yahoo.com