With the disproportionate rate in which trans people experience violence in America, the Trans Defense Fund Los Angeles is working to help get self defense kits into the hands of trans women living in the Los Angeles area. Through donations, they have been able to supply over 3,000 individuals with safety kits to date!
Trans Lifeline connects trans people to the community support and resources we need to survive and thrive, working to envision a world where trans people have the connection, economic security, and care everyone needs and deserves – free of prisons and police.
Started as a joint effort between Q Christian Fellowship and The Trevor Project, the Good Fruit Project aims to do important work in helping to end the torturous practice of Conversion Therapy. Included in their site is a resource guide that helps parents, ministers, and the general public understand the importance of this work and give a Biblical answer against this practice and towards inclusion.
What if the word "homosexual" had never been put into the Bible? The question isn't as far-fetched as you might think. Kathy Baldock and Ed Oxford set out on a quest to discover how the Bible was translated to include homosexuality in 1946 - and the results call into question a large amount of the rhetoric and hatred that has been thrown towards LGBTQ+ people since. This film has the potential to correct a major sin that has been perpetrated by the church - a must see!
Author and speaker Austen Hartke has created an amazing online community for the trans and gender non-conforming Christians looking for a place to belong. Free membership allows access to an online Discord server where all aspects of life are discussed privately, as well as access to teaching, study, and online support groups led by Austen and his leadership team.
If you identify as LGBTQ+ or are simply looking for a church that is affirming, the folks at Church Clarity have done a great job of putting together a ever-growing database of different churches across the United States and where they stand on different issues such as LGBTQ+ inclusion and leadership to women in ministry, etc. This site is a life-saver for so many people who simply want a safe space to worship in as they are. If that's you, I highly recommend this site.
In January 2020, the church I was attending, City Church of Long Beach, hosted a one day seminar to open the conversation and explore the differences of how conservative and progressive Christians understand the Scriptures and experience surrounding human sexuality and gender identity. This is a great stepping stone for those who aren't sure what the different viewpoints are and why we hold to them.
Austin Hartke, creator of the Transgender & Christian YouTube Channel, has managed to condense his immense knowledge of the Christian transgender experience into this book, "Transforming: The Bible & the Lives of Transgender Christians." While much of today's study materials surrounding faith and the LGBTQ+ community centers around the LGB&Q experience, Austen, who is a transgender male, explores the intricacies surrounding the trans community & faith.
In 2019, friend and fellow Reformation Project Leadership Cohort alum Justin Hershey began interviewing and posting stories and resources of other LGBTQ+ Christians as a way to help bring awareness of our stories to those who may not have a personal understanding of what we face. This site is a great way to bring the human experience to what is often an academic study.
When I went through the leadership cohort program for The Reformation Project in 2019, one of the textbooks that we worked with a lot was James Brownson's study on Bible, Gender, and Sexuality - and this text laid much of the groundwork for us as we began studying in-depth how Christianity CAN exist with our identities in the LGBTQ+ community. A must-read for anyone who wants a good academic framework about the Biblical case for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church.
In this book, Kathy Baldock does an amazing job of exploring the historical, cultural, medical, and political issues surrounding discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. In her studies she gives compelling arguments against the Christian ideology that pervades much of today's church when it comes to LGBTQ+ issues and inclusion. Kathy is one of the most well-respected researchers and well-known presenters in LGBTQ+ Christian circles, and this book is a must-read.
In this book, author, speaker, and teacher Matthew Vines explores the theological and Biblical arguments against same-sex monogamous relationships and gives compelling counterarguments. A must read for anyone wanting to delve deeper into their understanding of Biblical Christianity as it relates to the LGBTQ+ community.
**Side note: Over the years, Matthew Vines has taken a very conservative approach to sexual ethics, resulting in the further marginalization of those who believe otherwise. While this work is useful in helping to give a Biblical defense of LGBTQ+ identities, his recent stances should be taken into consideration while reading this book and are not endorsed by this ministry.
