Courageous Conversations: Spiritual Violence Against LGBTQ People
Spiritual violence against queer people is so pervasive it is almost hard to see. These sessions will explore what spiritual violence is, why it hits queer souls so hard, and what faith communities can do about it. Join community experts from Anti-Violence Project (AVP), Trinity Church Wall Street, and our partners for this in-depth two-part conversation.
In case you missed either session or want to watch them again, recordings of both sessions are now available:
September 23: Naming Spiritual Violence and its Impact
Moderator: The Rev. Liz Edman, Anti-Violence Project (AVP) board member.
Panelists:
- J. Mase III, Black/trans/queer poet and educator
- Lisa Stuart, Advocate for the transgender community and educator
- Darlene Torres, Director of Client Services, AVP
If you missed this event, you can watch it here.
Learn more about the September 30 event here.
The Rev. Elizabeth M. Edman
Liz Edman is an Episcopal priest and political strategist. She is the author of Queer Virtue: What LGBTQ People Know About Life and Love and How It Can Revitalize Christianity (Beacon Press, 2016). Liz has lived and worked on the front lines of some of the most pressing issues where religion and sexuality meet, serving as an inner-city hospital chaplain to people with HIV/AIDS from 1989 to 1995 and helping craft political and communications strategies for marriage equality efforts. In 2017, she partnered with Parity to create Glitter+Ash Wednesday, a project to increase the visibility of progressive, queer-positive Christians and to explore Christian liturgy through a queer lens.
J Mase III
J Mase III is a Black/Trans/queer poet and educator based in Seattle by way of Philly. As an educator, Mase has worked with community members in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada on the needs of LGBTQIA+ folks and racial justice in spaces such as K-12 schools, universities, faith communities, and restricted care facilities. He is founder of awQward, the first trans and queer people of color talent agency. J Mase is author of And Then I Got Fired: One Transqueer’s Reflections on Grief, Unemployment & Inappropriate Jokes About Death as well as White Folks Be Trippin’: An Ethnography Through Poetry & Prose. His work has been featured on MSNBC, Essence Live, Everyday Feminism, Black Girl Dangerous, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, Blavity, the Root, the Huffington Post, TEDx, and more. Currently, he is head writer for the theatrical production "Black Bois" and is co-editor of the Black Trans Prayer Book.
Lisa Stuart
Lisa is a 38-year-old Christian trans woman who came to northwest Arkansas from south Mississippi 10 years ago seeking a safe place to begin her transition. Here, she has found a home and a community. Lisa currently works as a sous chef for River Grille Steakhouse in Bentonville. Outside of the kitchen, she has been very involved in advocacy and education for the transgender community. She has served as a volunteer facilitator for a transgender support group at NWA Equality, as well as helping to found Transgender Equality Network, the first trans-centric non-profit organization in northwest Arkansas. In the past few years, Lisa has occasionally served as a model for Interform Fashion and other local projects. In this, and all things, Lisa hopes to spread a message of love, positivity, and the beauty of being true to oneself.
Darlene Torres
Darlene S. Torres (she/her/ella), LMSW, is the Director of Client Services at the New York City Anti-Violence Project. Darlene identifies as a Queer LatinX activist, social worker, and educator, with more than 20 years in the intersecting fields of anti-violence, economic, and disability justice work. Darlene has extensive experience working with survivors of all forms of violence who identify as queer, trans, non-binary, and HIV affected, providing trauma-informed, survivor-centered services that address and challenge intersecting issues of power, privilege, and oppression, and promote social justice and equity.
Spiritual violence against queer people is so pervasive it is almost hard to see. These sessions will explore what spiritual violence is, why it hits queer souls so hard, and what faith communities can do about it. Join community experts from Anti-Violence Project (AVP), Trinity Church Wall Street, and our partners for this in-depth two-part conversation.
In case you missed either session or want to watch them again, recordings of both sessions are now available:
September 23: Naming Spiritual Violence and its Impact
Moderator: The Rev. Liz Edman, Anti-Violence Project (AVP) board member.
Panelists:
- J. Mase III, Black/trans/queer poet and educator
- Lisa Stuart, Advocate for the transgender community and educator
- Darlene Torres, Director of Client Services, AVP
If you missed this event, you can watch it here.
Learn more about the September 30 event here.
The Rev. Elizabeth M. Edman
Liz Edman is an Episcopal priest and political strategist. She is the author of Queer Virtue: What LGBTQ People Know About Life and Love and How It Can Revitalize Christianity (Beacon Press, 2016). Liz has lived and worked on the front lines of some of the most pressing issues where religion and sexuality meet, serving as an inner-city hospital chaplain to people with HIV/AIDS from 1989 to 1995 and helping craft political and communications strategies for marriage equality efforts. In 2017, she partnered with Parity to create Glitter+Ash Wednesday, a project to increase the visibility of progressive, queer-positive Christians and to explore Christian liturgy through a queer lens.
J Mase III
J Mase III is a Black/Trans/queer poet and educator based in Seattle by way of Philly. As an educator, Mase has worked with community members in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada on the needs of LGBTQIA+ folks and racial justice in spaces such as K-12 schools, universities, faith communities, and restricted care facilities. He is founder of awQward, the first trans and queer people of color talent agency. J Mase is author of And Then I Got Fired: One Transqueer’s Reflections on Grief, Unemployment & Inappropriate Jokes About Death as well as White Folks Be Trippin’: An Ethnography Through Poetry & Prose. His work has been featured on MSNBC, Essence Live, Everyday Feminism, Black Girl Dangerous, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, Blavity, the Root, the Huffington Post, TEDx, and more. Currently, he is head writer for the theatrical production "Black Bois" and is co-editor of the Black Trans Prayer Book.
Lisa Stuart
Lisa is a 38-year-old Christian trans woman who came to northwest Arkansas from south Mississippi 10 years ago seeking a safe place to begin her transition. Here, she has found a home and a community. Lisa currently works as a sous chef for River Grille Steakhouse in Bentonville. Outside of the kitchen, she has been very involved in advocacy and education for the transgender community. She has served as a volunteer facilitator for a transgender support group at NWA Equality, as well as helping to found Transgender Equality Network, the first trans-centric non-profit organization in northwest Arkansas. In the past few years, Lisa has occasionally served as a model for Interform Fashion and other local projects. In this, and all things, Lisa hopes to spread a message of love, positivity, and the beauty of being true to oneself.
Darlene Torres
Darlene S. Torres (she/her/ella), LMSW, is the Director of Client Services at the New York City Anti-Violence Project. Darlene identifies as a Queer LatinX activist, social worker, and educator, with more than 20 years in the intersecting fields of anti-violence, economic, and disability justice work. Darlene has extensive experience working with survivors of all forms of violence who identify as queer, trans, non-binary, and HIV affected, providing trauma-informed, survivor-centered services that address and challenge intersecting issues of power, privilege, and oppression, and promote social justice and equity.