Even our most prominent transgender religious history is often obscured by our culture’s (and the LGBT movement’s) overwhelming emphasis on the politics of sexual orientation. Yet transgender religious folk have been making history for quite some time.

There are so many ways the world organizes to erase us–to pretend that we don’t exist, to forget about us. Remembering our histories is one small, but important way that we can claim our identities and our agency as sacred. We can honor our own elders and ancestors. We can celebrate all of the times that we have come through, somehow, when away was made out of no way.

To address this gap, I have started compiling relevant timelines. They can at least help us gather the threads of the tapestry that is our movement:

• United Church of Christ
• United Methodist Church
• Catholic and Orthodox Church
• Transgender Spring

If you would like to help me develop a timeline for your denomination or movement, please be in touch!

Meanwhile, the LGBT Religious Archives Network has a helpful gallery of profiles, which is a simple way to make sure that we have a record of our folk. To add yourself (or someone else), all you need to do is be in touch with LGBT RAN with a picture and a biographical statement. There is a significant gallery of transgender-related profiles, but it is most certainly less than a complete picture. It’s not just for Christians!

Compiled by Mx. Chris Paige on September 12, 2019.

Note: This blog is intended to be an on-going work in progress. Please contact us if you have corrections or are able to contribute further context or reflections.