Who we are |
TransEpiscopal is a group of transgender, nonbinary, and allied Episcopalians dedicated to fostering the full embrace of trans and nonbinary people, and our loved ones within the Episcopal Church and to inspiring faith-based advocacy for trans and nonbinary justice in the wider world. We are an informal group and though many of us are affiliated with the Episcopal Church we have no official relationship to the Episcopal Church.
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Our History |
TransEpiscopal had its beginnings in 2004 with informal online contacts between a few of us. In 2005 we began a listserve which allowed us to build more community and begin organizing ourselves. After connecting online, we began to meet sporadically in small, in-person gratherings around the country. We held our first retreat in New Jersey in December of 2005. We also began working with other peace and justice groups in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, adding our voices into the Church's ongoing conversation about gender and sexuality.
In the late 00s and 2010s we focused our energy on advocating for legislation within the Episcopal Church, including resolutions that call Episcopalians into advocacy for trans justice beyond the church's borders. We joined the intersectional peace and justice coalition called The Consultation in 2007. Two of us attended the decennial Lambeth Conference in England in 2008, and after having very little representation at the Episcopal Church's triennial General Convention in 2006, we sent delegations of 5-10 people to the Conventions of 2009-2018. Both at the Lambeth Conference and at the 2009 and 2012 General Conventions we received support from Integrity USA, sharing a booth, and contributing some of our stories to the 2012 film Voices of Witness Out of the Box. We also received support from the Chicago Consultation which published this essay in preparation for the 2012 General Convention. Our advocacy at the General Conventions of 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2022 met with significant legislative successes. See our Policies and Legislation page for a detailed list. See our blog for accounts of these successes, stories of our experiences, insights, analysis, and prayers. Since 2004 we have seen tremendous changes in the Episcopal Church in its awareness of the trans and non-binary community. At the same time, the journey to fully embracing us is far from finished. We are called to lift up the dignity of all human beings, to safeguard and celebrate the life that God has given us in all its rich variety. And so we continue this journey together with determination and hope. We invite you to join us. |