Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitiness

You may have missed it in, you know, a fit of fascistic transgenderphobia, but November 15 was the National Transgender Day of Remembrance. And who did Integrity USA, the famous LGBTQ advocacy group, remember? Leslie Feinberg, of course.

Sam Peterson, Integrity's Development Director, writes about Feinberg's influence:

"Leslie Feinberg’s seminal memoir Stone Butch Blues changed the lives of many of my friends. They were excited to read a book about the experiences of someone whose gender was resolutely masculine, despite the seeming conflict of their body; it was their experience."

I'm sure it was. Sam gets all spiritual in the end, as you'd expect from a spokespirsin of a religious organization like Integrity USA.

"To be transgender can mean being loving, lively, creative, and connected. To be transgender in situations that diminish our worth is painful, depressing, and soul-destroying. All of us know this—as gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans*gender, as intersex and as queer people we’ve all experienced some flavor of the diminishment of who and what we are. On this day of gravitas and difficult reality, I’m going to remember those who came before me, who made my new life possible through their lives and work. I renew my commitment as a transgender spiritual human—a Transgender Warrior, in the language of Feinberg--to speak up and out, and to share the love that was so generously given to me. Our strength comes from that absolute understanding: we are a part of God, and therefore magnificent and holy beyond human reckoning."

Minnie

But how did Transgender Warrior Feinberg die? According to hir obit:

"Leslie Feinberg, who identified as an anti-racist white, working-class, secular Jewish, transgender, lesbian, female, revolutionary communist, died on November 15. She succumbed to complications from multiple tick-borne co-infections, including Lyme disease, babeisiosis, and protomyxzoa rheumatica, after decades of illness."

Written by hir spouse, Minnie Bruce Pratt.

Of course. But what God do you think these people are a part of?

You can read the whole thing hir, in case you think I'm lying.

LSP

Nativity of John the Baptist

Today's the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Christ by preaching repentance. Part of that included attacking Herod for his sexual profligacy, which ended in the Baptist's martyrdom. 

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone

We saw a similar kind of witness the other day, when Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco was vilified for daring to stand up publicly and defend marriage as something that only occurs between men and women. This, according to Nancy Pelosi and a host of other government officials, to say nothing of Episcopalian church leaders, was tantamount to hate speech. 

Nancy Pelosi Space Creature

You get the impression that the advocates for tolerance and inclusion would have liked nothing better than to have delivered the Archbishop's head on a platter to the nearest Integrity office. Despite that, Cordileone didn't stand stand down and delivered his message at the National march for marriage. 

John the Baptist

I suspect that John the Baptist would have used stronger language, but still, well done Archbishop. Predictably not well done, Pelosianites.

Here's the Collect for the day:

ALMIGHTY God, by whose providence thy servant John Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Saviour by preaching repentance; Make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless,

LSP