Living Transgender In American Society Today: November 2009

Monday, November 30, 2009

The TDOR Service video

Hi everyone,

I now can post the entire sermon from the Transgender Day of Remembrance service Safe Haven hosted at the Pastor's home here in West Covina.

I must apologize in advance because the Video Server (VEOH) inserts commercials during the playing of the video. But free comes with a price-tag these days. Today this stuff is billed as a feature of the program rather than a nuisance, but that just shows you how "old school" I really am.

Sorry - the embedded video is temporarily unavailable. VEOH the video server has dumped it and I am searching for a new and more reliable host.

OK here's the fix - using Blip TV now the following 3 links are for the entire service - the Sermon starts in Part 2 and continues into part 3. Many thanks to Randy Detroit for the camera work, editing and the help getting this back up. I apologize for the commercials on Blip TV but it's the price one pays for "free" these days.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

I hope you all had great Thanksgiving

Hugs and Blessings,

Eva-Genevieve!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Blank Spaces and Thanksgiving

Greetings everyone,

I must apologize for being so silent this month and leaving a big blank space. I have been so busy with everything I'm involved in and then I had a very bad cold for several days and now the rush to get things done for the holidays has it's hooks in me. The turkey is in the oven now with apple-pecan stuffing and all the fixings.

I just wanted to say the TDOR service went very well and I will post the video as soon as it is edited. If anyone is interested in the text of the sermon e-mail me at evagenevieve@yahoo.com and I will gladly send it to you.

This picture is of me laughing while trying to swallow too big a piece of the communion bread. Having never actually prepared a communion service all by myself before I thought it would be nice to use bigger pieces of bread -- you know, making it seem a bit more substantial than just a tidbit. Well, I broke it up into fairly big pieces but the bread turned out to be quite tough and chewy. By the time we were all served we were all chewing and chewing and chewing and chewing and chewing and chewing and... Until we were all busting up. So it is back to tidbits or wafers this Saturday. You live and learn and sometimes you just gotta laugh about it.

I wish everyone the best Thanksgiving possible. One thing I am thankful for is the freedom we are gaining to be ourselves openly, and I am thankful for all of my T-sisters and T-brothers who are out and making their way in the world and I am thankful for all those who have suffered and died in order that we are better able to stand - let us never forget them.

Thank You all very much!!

Hugs and Blessings,

Eva-Genevieve!

Monday, November 2, 2009

Day of Remembrance to be Celebrated in Church Service

Greetings everyone,

I have recently been invited to be the guest speaker and host for a Saturday Church Service in West Covina on November 21st. Seeing as how this is the day after the Transgender Day of Remembrance I thought I would put out feelers for a few very short stories about transgender folk that you have personally known to include in the Service. I really would like to touch on the personal connections we have with our trans-sisters and brothers who have gone before us to blaze the trail. (If you send me any stories please put in the subject line "D.O.R. story" so I don't miss it - thanks).

This Service is part of the ministry of Safe Haven Community Christian Church and it will be held in the Pastor's Home at 2 PM - please contact me for the address if you would like to attend (contact info below). You are welcome to come dressed according to your preference and there is (limited) space if you need to come early to change. This is a totally safe "trans-ally" space and all are welcome.

Please feel free to pass this request and invitation on to others in Southern California. If anyone has the ability to video tape this service I would like to be contacted regarding this too.

There is a good web site regarding the Day of Remembrance at:

http://www.transgenderdor.org/

Hugs and Blessings,

Eva-Genevieve! Scarborough

Human

Christian

Transgendered

Freelance Advocate for Human / Civil-Rights and Faith without Prejudice

http://livingtransgender.blogspot.com/

evagenevieve@yahoo.com

(619) 495-6229

Any Body, Everybody, Christ’s Body…

…was the theme at this years National Gathering of the UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns this year in San Diego (July 14 –17). There were about 125 attendees from all across the US and we even had folks from other countries. Several topics were discussed including ways to make Church accessible to all – many physical and mental challenges were included in this discussion as well as LGBT concerns, Mentoring Queer youth – the emphasis being the need for all of us to be mentors as we are able and that we all have something to teach others, Advocacy & Empowerment, OnA Next Steps: Telling Our Stories, and also a panel discussion on including “transgender” and gender expression more specifically in OnA statements, and immigration issues too – far more issues and information than one person could take in or even list here.

Starting Wednesday afternoon we jumped right in with a very lively worship service with wonderful music and through the course of the gathering we heard many inspiring speakers and participated in several “breakout” workshop sessions. We broke into small discussion groups daily, heard many points of view on important topics, and made many friends in the process. On our last evening the General Minister and President of the UCC, the Revered Geoffrey Black was the keynote speaker at the banquet. My favorite speaker at the conference was Felix Carrion who often contributes to the UCC’s “Stillspeaking” on-line daily Devotional. We ended the conference Saturday morning with another lively worship service and dismissed just in time for several of us to rush over and march in San Diego’s Pride parade with the Mission Hills UCC Church and Bloom in the Desert Ministries (also UCC affiliated). I brought back lots of things to discuss in upcoming Mission Board meetings, but more than anything else it is the personal connections that made the conference very worthwhile. I feel a part of something much larger now – there was so much positive, hopeful energy shared there. I felt so very warmly welcomed by everyone and I believe that my input there was greatly valued as well. And, of course, I made an impression with my array of colorful dresses and hats too! (Would you expect anything less)? I was so blessed for being allowed to represent First Congregational Church in Riverside at this Gathering.

Follow this link to pictures from the event -the photos are in no particular order and a few shots of the fire that broke out behind the motel where I was staying.

Hugs and Blessings,

Eva-Genevieve!