I was blessed to be interviewed for another cool article, this time by Crux Magazine following the RECon trans panel. Michael O’Loughlin wrote a very charitable piece and gave my co-panelist Mateo and I lots of space to share our thoughts
You can read the whole piece here: “Transgender Catholics hope to build bridges in the Church”In general I thought it was an excellent article and I’m blessed to be featured in it. My only minor quibble is on the issue of Pope Francis and gender ideology.
Pope Francis has spoken out repeatedly against so-called gender ideology, but Patti said she doesn’t interpret those comments as hostile to trans people. In fact, she thinks the pope’s remarks about gender not being just a social construct actually support the transgender community by pointing out that gender identity is innate.
The end of that sentence “gender identity is innate” isn’t exactly what I was going for. Unfortunately by the time O’Loughlin interviewed me I was tired, long-winded, and probably inane. For my full views on Pope Francis and gender ideology, read “What does Pope Francis actually say about transgender people?” and “What is gender?” The point I tried (ineffectively) to make is that gender, which is a complicated concept, cannot be reduced down to only a social construct. Our bodies matter, which is something trans individuals can attest to.
The main part I want to highlight though is something I can only hope to communicate more effectively on this blog, namely the all-importance of charity.
“You don’t have to be an expert to make a difference,” Williamson said. “We need all kinds of people, not just experts, but people who can just respond to families in supportive ways.”
Patti, too, said that there is room for experts, but that it’s really just about love.
“We are on the ground level,” Patti said. “There are theological discussions to be had, canonical issues to be considered, and even the trans movement itself is constantly evolving […] But as all that’s all developing, at the end of the day, it comes down to, are you willing to accept another human being, a child of God?”
If this is the only point that anyone ever takes away from my blog, then I’m a happy woman.
That small clarification and highlight aside, I’m as in awe of this article (that it could ever happen) as I am in the fact that our trans panel was so well received.
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for throwing your pneumatic curve balls left and right.
Catholic Trans* 