Voices of Witness: Out of the Box
http://integrityusa.org/OOTB/index.html (http://integrityusa.org/OOTB/index.html)
"Voices of Witness: Out of the Box" is a groundbreaking documentary giving voice to the witness of transgender people of faith. Courageously inviting the viewer into their journeys, the film is ultimately a celebration of hope and the power of God's love to transcend even seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Produced by Integrity's Communication Director Louise Brooks, the film is being offered by Integrity USA as a gift to the Episcopal Church, as a resource for both teaching and transformation.
"Gender identity and gender expression are issues that can easily be misunderstood and cannot be wrapped up in a neat little box," said Brooks. "So the goal of 'Out of the Box' was to answer some of the most frequently asked questions. We have been blessed by a truly amazing cloud of witnesses who shared their stories and their lives with us. It has been a privilege to work with them to take this project from a dream to a reality as we offer their voices of witness to the church and to the world."
"I believe God is calling us into this conversation now," said New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson, one of the voices featured in the project. "It is an opportunity to get to understand another part of God's never-ending diversity and another way to live into our baptismal calling to love all God's children."
Hopefully this video will help get major language included in the Episcopal Church's governing documents to insure that Transgender people can fill ALL positions of ministry, both as lay ministers and clergy at all levels in all dioceses in the United States. The church is holding its National Convention the first two weeks of July, and while many dioceses of the church have Transgendered clergy, it is not yet a sure thing in all of the dioceses in the US. I know several people in the video this article talks about or shows, and they are wonderful examples of just nice people.