Week Two

Trans People Are Divine

Trans people are divine. This profound truth, first gifted with the world by J. Mase III and Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi in their Black Trans Prayer Book, is not just a statement but a powerful declaration of sacredness and resilience. It reminds us that trans and nonbinary existence is ancient, predating the oppressive systems of colonization, white supremacy, imperialism, and patriarchy that seek to erase or control it. Last week, one of the first actions of the current administration was to enact executive orders that limit the ways trans and nonbinary people can legally identify in our country. It was the latest effort in an ongoing campaign to legislate these divine beings out of existence.

It will not work.

Trans and nonbinary people have always been here. Acknowledging this calls us to honor them as vital and irreplaceable members of the human family and essential threads in the divine tapestry of creation. We affirm this not just as a response to oppression, but as a truth that has always existed. Their presence is a testament to the enduring power of transformation and creation, defying the forces that seek to constrain them and teaching us all how to manifest a more liberated future.

Watch/Listen

Family Activities

"Everybody Deserves to Be Free"

Deva Mahal with The Resistance Revival Chorus

Read/Watch Together

Calvin

Written by J.R. Ford Vanessa Ford and illustrated by Kayla Herren

Body Practice

Ritual: “a cleansing ritual after an experience of racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic speech” 

by Audria Byrd from The Black Trans Prayer Book (co-edited by J Mase III & Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi)

  • Time Needed: 5 minutes

  • Items Needed: fragrance oil*

  •  Ritual (as formatted in book)

apply a fragrance oil to the wrists

hold your wrists up to your nose and inhale

breathe deeply in

hold the breath for a beat

and exhale fully

allow the scent to fill your lungs

let the violent speech dislodge from where it has taken

unwelcome residence in your mind

and leave your body on the wind of your breath

then recite the words,

“your ignorance has no power over me”

and once more breathe deeply in

hold the breath for a beat

and exhale fully

move on in your freedom

engage your mind with other matters worth your time

continue to inhale the scent when the violent words

whisper in your mind

if it will not leave you still

call upon the counsel of someone you trust

and tell them of the violent speech you witnessed

and allow them to carry the burden and dispose of it for you

*Individuals with scent sensitivities are invited to adapt this practice by focusing on the coolness of the air they inhale, as it replaces the encountered speech

Sing Together

“Let’s Sing about GENDER!”

Created by Lindsay Amer

Do Together

Build a Free Little Diversity and Justice Library in front of your house or congregation! Use these resources for ideas: The Children's Diversity and Justice Library, Start a Little Free Library on a Shoestring Budget

Creative Practice

Work through the “Symbols of Support” portion of Session Three from the UU Common Read Resource Kit for Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families

Alternative prompt possibility: Create an expression of “the sacredness of expansiveness” of gender through collage, music, sculpture, fashion, etc.

Journal Practice

Alok Vaid-Menon reminds us:

“The beauty of being nonbinary is that we are limitless.”

Reflect on how binary thinking in general limits our collective freedom. How can you embrace the sacredness of expansiveness you learn from your Trans and Nonbinary siblings in yourself and others?

Take Action