Blessed Are the Binary Breakers

I offer up some reflections moving from Jesus's path to the cross into those twilit hours before he rose. I interweave my own story of deep trauma and hope of healing on the way. After church hurt and religious trauma, how do we rise to new spiritual life?Content warning: discussions of religious trauma and queerphobia; brief, non-specific suicide mention.Click here for an episode transcript.Click here for the article mentioned in the episode (cw anti-trans violence).Taize music: "Within Our Darkest Night," performed by UUSantaMonica.

Avery and Micah offer a conversational primer in queer theology — from its origins in queer theory, to distinctions between queer and simply affirming theologies, to fabulously queer passages from scripture. This episode was originally published on The Word in Black and Red, a podcast moving chapter by chapter through the Bible with co-hosts offering perspectives informed by anarcho-communism, queerness, disability, class, and more. Find the podcast, its discord, and more here: https://linktr.ee/twibar Check out the Llama Pack's Facebook here (Micah's online faith community for people wary of church.) ___ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn.

John Hamilton is a non-theist pastor whose lifelong search for transcendence has taken him from altar boy to rock-and-roll musician, from preaching with certainty into embracing the unknowable nature of God. In this episode, John and I discuss his upcoming memoir, Honest to God, which comes out September 15. Get book info at Wildhouse Publishing here. Click here for an episode transcript. Content warning: alcohol & addiction (from 19:00-24:35). Talking Points: (0:00) Introducing John Hamilton’s memoir Honest to God (5:00) The inspiration and publication process (11:00) Reaching ego death through transcendence; transcendence in Catholic worship (16:13) Finding transcendence as a rock-and-roll musician (19:00) Years of keeping a panic disorder secret; getting in and out of alcohol dependence (24:35) Becoming a pastor, coming to understand that God is unknowable (36:10) Looking to humanity's future — more divisions, dying churches; what do we hold onto? (44:00) Finding "hard hope" while pastoring dying churches (47:30) Hoping for deeper and more honest conversations; wrapping up Where to find John: therealjohnhamilton.com John's substack John's music on Spotify John's playlist for Honest to God ____ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also made use of "At Home," "Sunrise, St. Chapelle," and "Closing Time" by John Hamilton, with permission.

How can we use this last week of Disability Pride Month to celebrate the unique insights into human and divine nature that disability can bring? For starters, we can learn from the wisdom of disabled activists and theologians, which is what you'll find in this episode. Click here for an episode transcript. Talking Points: (0:00) Intro + Eli Clare on intersectional pride (5:35) Pastor Lamar Hardwick: ableism = the fear of being human (9:10) Letiah Fraser: our fragile, mortal bodies are where we meet God (12:15) Rabbi Julia Watts Belser + Laura Sommer: disabled bodies' unique insights into the divine (22:00) John M. Hull: encountering God beyond light and dark (25:50) Bekah Anderson's meditation on the Body of God, "with every ability and every disability in the world"; wrapping up Other episodes that dig into disability: Our Pride Is Not a Sin: A disabled and Christian lens No End to Transphobia without Uprooting Ableism: Exploring embedded forms of oppression Goodness Embodied: An intersex, nonbinary first human and a disabled risen Christ Marginalized Bodies as Spectacle & the Good News in Jesus’ Disabling Wounds Making Space for Gethsemane: Two trans & disabled theologians discuss what people in pain actually need How Shiva Gave Rudra Their Name: The life of a disabled nonbinary Fijian Canadian “We just want to be heard”: Dee on Chile, race, disability, and trans rights Eli and the Prophet Elijah ____ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Flies on the Prize," "Beaconsfield Villa Stomp," "I Snost, I Lost," and "His Last Share of the Stars" by Doctor Turtle.

In 2017, Kate Davoli (they/them, MDiv) was dismissed from the ordination process for being polyamorous. In spite of this heartache, they have remained steadfastly part of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Listen — or read along in the transcript — as Kate recalls the events leading up to & following their dismissal; ponders what we learn about God through polyamorous people's lives & callings; and balances the heartache of being denied ordination with the queer gift of how their liminal status facilitates ministry to church-hurt people. Talking Points: (0:00) Intro: as Pride month ends and the PC(USA)’s General Assembly begins, we remember the work still to be done to achieve full and equal access for all (6:50) Kate’s dismissal from the ordination process over being polyamorous – living with and raising children with two life partners; how being open has allowed them to find support, and be support (34:00) Kate’s thoughts about getting polyamory into the Book of Order — unintended consequences; the path to ordination continues to be inequitable for queer folks, disabled folks, etc. — hence things like the Olympia Overture (46:21) What Kate’s unordained ministry looks like: working within Presbyterian institutions, and outside them; able to serve people hurt by the church who might not trust an “official” minister (54:20) What does it mean for the church, and what does it say about God, that polyamorous people are being called to ministry? — re-shaping relationship to be more communal, less nuclear (60:44) A historical role model? — Karl Barth’s own complex polyamorous experience (64:36) God is not a jerk; you are not alone; wrapping up ____ Get info about Kate's ministry at www.davoliconsulting.com, or find books they've written at kdavoli.gumroad.com. Check out LGBTQIA+ Affirming Ministries of Pittsburgh (LAMP) at lampgh.org. Learn more about the Olympia Overture being voted on this week here. Learn more about polyamory: www.morethantwo.com/. ____ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "The Ants Built a City on His Chest" and "Know No No-Nos" by Doctor Turtle.

First Laura Sommer and then Rowan share their experiences at AutScape, an annual meeting of autistic folk of all ages in England. Both discuss how AutScape has given them glimpses of what it would be like to live in a world where autistic culture is celebrated, diverse communication styles and sensory needs are accommodated, and special interests received with joy. Be sure to check out ⁠Laura's Autistic Liberation Theology podcast⁠ for a companion episode that centers around this question: how can various marginalized groups resist the world's assumptions that we have no place in any positive future — be it the immediate future, the speculative futures of science fiction, or the Kin(g)dom of heaven? ⁠Click here for an episode transcript⁠! Talking Points: (0:00) Introducing AutScape and the need to imagine futures for ourselves that the world claims we don’t fit into (4:38) Laura’s AutScape experiences — a glimpse of what socializing & community could be like an an autistic-centered world (11:15) Prophetic promises and “making a way out of no way” (13:00) Introducing Rowan; gently ribbing neurotypicals (17:50) How AutScape helped Rowan embrace the autistic identity; AutScape as a space to try out new things (28:12) Communication badges; universal design; wrapping up This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also made use of "At Home," "Sunrise, St. Chapelle," and "Closing Time" by John Hamilton, with permission.

Listen or read along in the episode transcript for two reflections kicking off the Lenten season: Ash Wednesday coincides with Valentine's Day this year — what can Ash Wednesday + the story of Saint Valentine teach us about facing our own mortality and resisting the pressure to put romantic love on a pedestal? Next, let's connect the glowing coal touched to the prophet's lips in Isaiah 6 to the ashes we wear on our foreheads today. Why are physical signs of spiritual truths important? How does acknowledging our limitations open us to divine blessing? Announcement: The Blessed Are the Binary Breakers podcast will likely be updating more sporadically this year! To keep up with all that I'm up to, visit linktr.ee/queerlychristian. Interested in hiring me to workshop with your faith community? Learn more here. Talking Points: (0:00) Housekeeping — my plans for 2024 (2:51) Connecting Ash Wednesday and the legend of Saint Valentine of Rome (4:30) Resisting amatonormativity on Valentine's Day and throughout Lent (6:50 - end) Connecting Isaiah 6's glowing coal to Ash Wednesday Resources: Sign up for Daily Ripple⁠! Resources to learn about Palestine and ways to get active Learn more about amatonormativity and how it's harmful QSpirit's article reading Saint Valentine's story through a queer lens ___ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "His Last Share of the Stars" and "Reality Cartwheeled" by Doctor Turtle. Find more episodes & resources at blessedarethebinarybreakers.com.

Listen to — or read along in the episode transcript — Jewish, Christian, and Muslim poems by Palestinians and their supporters. Poetry empowers us to imagine liberation that we can then work towards, together. Some pieces explore the Nativity story through this lens: Christmas joy must break bread with pain, birthing solidarity with all oppressed peoples. Talking Points: (0:00) Ross Gay on mixing pain and joy to birth solidarity; poetry as resistance (7:11) Aurora Levins Morales on the history of antisemitism + envisioning solidarity & interdependence in “Red Sea” (12:30) Najah Hussein Musa dispelling anti-Palestinian myths in “Bethlehem” (14:42) Avery Arden — “Christ is Barred from Bethlehem”  (17:48) Basman Derawi — memorializing a fun-loving friend killed in an airstrike in ”His Name Was Essa” (19:52) Hiba Abu Nada, killed in an airstrike, longs for safety in “I Grant You Refuge” (23:30) Rev. Munther Isaac & Avery Arden — Christ born into rubble (28:10) Refaat Alareer & Ibtisam Barakat — poetry helps us imagine the liberation we can then fight for (33:36) Avery Arden & Ainsley Herrick — “O Come O Come Emmanuel” rewritten for Palestine’s plight Visit the episode transcript for all links to the various poems; here are some key resources: Rev. Munther Isaac's sermon "God Is under the Rubble in Gaza" Aurora Levins Morales' article "Latin@s, Israel and Palestine: Understanding Antisemitism" Fady Joudah's article "A Palestinian Meditation in a Time of Annihilation" The "We Are Not Numbers" project Refaat Alareer's lecture on poetry For shareable versions of my poems / song, visit binarybreakingworship.com. This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. Find more episodes & resources at blessedarethebinarybreakers.com.

I sit down with public historian Emma Cieslik (she/her) to hear all about her Queer and Catholic Oral History Project, supported by the Pacific School of Religion. For Emma, the word catholic is truly "universal" — she's interviewed Roman Catholics and folk Catholics, ex-Catholics and "it's complicated" Catholics, queer religious and lay folk. In documenting these diverse perspectives, Emma is preserving the beautiful breadth of queer Catholic stories and gifts so that no one can claim they don't exist. ⁠Click here to view the project's webpage⁠. For links to other articles and projects Emma mentions in her interview, as well as for resources on current events in Palestine, visit the episode transcript. Find Emma on Twitter or Instagram @eocieslik. Reach out to her at eocieslik@gmail.com or queerandcatholicoralhistory@gmail.com. ___ Talking Points: (0:00) Opening remarks (2:27) Emma's background: Raised Catholic with Purity Movement influence; museum studies focused on accessibility and storytelling (7:44) The draw to oral history — prioritizes telling marginalized people’s stories in their own words (11:04) Support from Bernard Schlager and the Pacific School of Religion; interviewing ex Catholics, a seminarian and a trans priest, members of various ethnic Catholic churches… (27:22) Outreach Conference panel: highlighting the unique experiences of queer Catholic women (29:30) More on emphasizing the many ways one can be Catholic; Catholic influences in mainstream culture (35:15) Appropriation vs. appreciation vs. reclaiming Catholic imagery & traditions (42:52) Queer Catholics drawn to Santa Muerte — knowing what it’s like to live with death (51:25) Wrapping up __ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. Find more episodes & resources at blessedarethebinarybreakers.com.

Isaiah 56:1-8 shares God's message of not only tolerance but radical welcome for the ultimate Others of the biblical world: eunuchs. How did Isaiah 56's author come to understand Divine affirmation for this denigrated group, when Deuteronomy 23's author had offered only rejection? And why does this scripture resonate deeply with many transgender persons of faith today? Click here for an episode transcript. For my Isaiah 56 translations notes, click here. For other thoughts and resources on Isaiah 56 and biblical eunuchs, scroll down to "Better Than Sons or Daughters" on this webpage. Talking Points: (0:00) Message from a listener — Rowan brings news of London Pride, finds blessing in their daily work (4:28) Introducing my sermon on Isaiah 56:3-8; reading the scripture passage (7:30) My personal story — realizing my church's promise of unconditional welcome was conditional, after all; finding solace in God's good news for eunuchs and foreigners in Isaiah 56 (11:53) Eunuchs as the "Ultimate Other"; differences from and resonances with today's transgender community (16:28) Historical context — how Judah's traumatic exile moved rejection of eunuchs from the political to the personal (19:55 to end) The challenge to faith communities today — to live into Isaiah 56's radical welcome, we must ensure trans folk are not merely tolerated, but fully belong ____ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Green-Fields" and "Arrival" by Scott Holmes via Free Creative Commons (CC-A-NC) License. Find the songs at scottholmesmusic.com.

Jayne X Praxis (she/they) is many things — she’s Buddhist and a tantric witch; she’s an ordained minister and a Satanist; she’s a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence and a licensed therapist — but above all, Jayne is forever becoming more and more their authentic self, and they invite you to do the same through curiosity, humor, and embodied self-exploration.Content Warning: swearing and sex talk; religious trauma; mentions of childhood sexual trauma.Click here for the episode transcript.Talking Points:(0:00) Introducing Jayne(2:05) Growing up with a conservative minister father, anti-sex views; coming out as bisexual in college and engaging in gender-fuckery(6:30) Adding Jayne to their name, rolling it back after getting married, returning to gender fuckery and embracing nonbinary identity after divorce(12:49) Exploring spirituality: DnD; Wicca and paganism; ordination in the Universal Life Church; Shambhala Buddhism and embodiment(22:43) Tantric practices help Jayne recover her body, discover the connections between sexuality and gender(26:06) Resisting imposter syndrome to find political and spiritual meaning as a witch; discovering the magic in simply living as trans(34:22) The power in naming, sigils, storytelling; sex as spiritual; unlearning sexual shame(43:03) Satanism and Lucifer as queer rebel; shock can wake people up!(47:17) Sacred clowning: get people thinking by making them laugh; joining the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to spread joy and challenge guilt(1:06:00) Wrapping up: embrace authenticity and ask lots of questions ___Visit Jayne's blog: https://paregoric.wordpress.com/Jayne's Resource Recs:Becoming Dangerous: Witchy Femmes, Queer Conjurers, and Magical Rebels by Katie West and Jasmine Elliott (find⁠ here⁠)Witches, Sl-ts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive by Kristen J. Sollee (find ⁠here⁠)Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chogyam Trungpa (find ⁠here⁠)__This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Know No No-Nos" by Doctor Turtle

June was Queer Pride Month, July is Disability Pride Month, and that means it's the prime time of year for certain people to remind us that "pride is a sin, didn't you know?" So I called up my dear friend Laura, a fellow disabled trans Christian, to discuss how the kind of pride that marginalized communities use as an antidote to shame is not sinful, but indeed essential in our pursuit of justice and abundant life for all! Listen as Laura and I — interspersed with excerpts from Eli Clare's 1999 text Exile and Pride — contrast marginalized pride with nationalist, supremacist pride; explain why "awareness" and "acceptance" aren't enough; and emphasize the need to join pride with witness. Click here for an episode transcript. Hear more from Laura on their podcast, the Autistic Liberation Theology Podcast. Click here for their website of essays and biblical Playmobil art. Talking Points: (0:00) Intro to the topic, Laura, and Eli Clare's book (4:37) Disabled & queer pride as an antidote to internalized ableism (12:40) Why awareness & acceptance aren't enough (17:48) Pride in the essential gifts we bring (23:47) Pride as sin — opposite of humility vs. opposite of shame; "the last will be first" (34:50) We need to join pride with witness, remember our history and those we've lost (44:45) A Christianity we can be proud of? Reclaiming the cross; Autistic Jesus (52:00) Wrapping up — a final excerpt from Eli Clare ___ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "His Last Share of the Stars" and "I Snost, I Lost" by Doctor Turtle.

Matthew 25:31-46 is sometimes misused to preach hellfire & brimstone, but its focus is on compassion & community, mutual aid in the here & now. In this sermon, minister Avery Arden explores how the Divine identification with the world's outcasts has empowered disenfranchised Christians to envision Christ as Black, disabled, gay, trans, and more. Click here for an episode transcript. Talking Points: (0:00) Invitation to sign up for daily text prayers for July's Disability Pride Month; introduction to the sermon (4:00) Reading the Matthew 25 text (7:00) It's not about threatening or bribing us into good works; establishing this text's context (12:00) Moving beyond a focus on the individual to a communal focus: we are one big flock of sheep-goat hybrids, called to practice mutual aid! (18:49) Jesus's intimate identification with the outcasts; subverting the text's kingly imagery; Christ is Black, disabled, gay, trans (25:25) How do you experience Christ in your hunger, your suffering? ___ Resources for Disability Pride Month: Sign up for daily text prayers written by disabled people of faith here: https://mlp.salsalabs.org/july2023disabilitytextprayers/index.html Listen to episode 37, "No End to Transphobia without Uprooting Ableism" Check out my Disabled AND Blessed YouTube series Check out Laura's Autistic Liberation Theology podcast Masterpost of disability theology & ministry resources ___ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Reality Cartwheeled" and "The Ants Built a City on His Chest" by Doctor Turtle.

Água (they/them) shares the story of their lifelong relationship with Weelaunee Forest, whose leaves form the second half of the lungs that begin in Água's own body. After discussing the Stop Cop City movement's past and present, Água guides us through abolishing the cop in our own head; recognizing the interconnectedness and sacredness of all bodies; and breaking down binaries of "us" versus "them." Check out Água's own podcast, The Somatic Scribing Podcast, ⁠here or wherever you get podcasts⁠. Click here for an episode transcript. Click here for information about the call to gather at Atlanta City Hall on May 15. Find out about the new, nonviolence-focused Stop Cop City movement space here. Consider donating to the Atlanta Solidarity fund here. ____ Talking Points: (0:00) Call to action (2:10) Introducing Água: a queer, Chicanx, trans parent who's spent most of their life in Atlanta on Muscogee territory (7:10) Água's intimate relationship with Weelaunee Forest; burnout from organized activism that has little room for spirituality (14:54) Personal spiritual journey; the principles of healing an individual body can be used to heal communal bodies & cultures; the root of Cop City conflict is a disregard for the sacred of Black & Indigenous bodies and of the ecosystem (22:30) Where does abolition live inside your body? How do you remove the cop in your head? (26:45) Discussing current ongoing with Cop City — forest entry blocked, clear-cutting; history of the Atlanta Way (33:14) How and why to get involved (40:07) How queerness manifests as a liberation practice; nature is really gay; interconnectedness of all life (43:35) How do we break down binaries built from trauma in our activism? Rehabilitating ex-police? (50:44 - end) Água's closing blessing; Água's podcast ___ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Lullaby for Democracy" by Doctor Turtle.

For Shining Oak (she/her), activism and queerness have been catalysts for reconnecting to her Jewish faith. Learn about Shining Oak's experiences with the movement to Stop Cop City, from organizing a kid-friendly event for a 2021 Week of Action to attending a powerful Shabbat service in Atlanta's Weelaunee Forest. Click here for an episode transcript. Find out about the new, nonviolence-focused Stop Cop City movement space here. Consider donating to the Atlanta Solidarity fund here. Talking Points: (0:00) A new nonviolent movement space; introducing Shining Oak — queer Jewish forest defender (3:30) First week of action in spring 2021; organizing a kid-friendly event (9:10) Comparing then and now — larger numbers, more widespread, clearing begun (15:00) The power of a diverse movement — Jewish members, queer members, BIPOC members, and more (19:53) Shabbat in the forest (24:55) Growing up Jewish in a white Christian suburb — pressure to assimilate (30:45) Get involved with the movement in your own small way; honor Tortuguita's memory (36:20 - end) Wrapping up with a Jewish rabbi's story of Purim in the forest ___ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "The Ants Built a City on His Chest" by Doctor Turtle.

Learn about the Movement to Defend Atlanta's Forest through the stories of forest defenders for whom queerness and faith intertwine with activism. In this episode, Tov shares the dream that drew them to March's Week of Action, discusses Weelaunee's history and the environmental threat Cop City poses, and uplifts the power of humor in the face of police intimidation. Click here for an episode transcript. Support the fight to Stop Cop City by donating to the Stop the Swap lawsuit fundraiser, or to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. Click here for information about getting active this upcoming Earth Week, which is also Tortuguita's birth week. Tov's recs: a zine about Weelaunee Forest; another zine about the Atlanta City Prison Farm ___ Talking Points: (0:00 - 5:10) Intro: some history Weelaunee forest — millennia of Muscogee stewardship followed by colonialism, enslavement, and Black prison labor (5:11) Getting involved after getting informed; the power of a common cause (9:00) Tov’s spirituality: a baby mystic who finds a lot of meaning in dreams, accountability to ancestral history (11:15) The dream that inspired Tov to attend March’s Week of Action: Mother Earth imprisoned  (15:00) The healing power of community working towards a common goal; the threat of police intimidation (19:10) Tov's advice: get informed, look to movement elders, assess your risks, laugh at our enemies (27:20 - end) Wrapping up ___ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Lullaby for Democracy" by Doctor Turtle.

Coal (he/they) is organizing a solidarity group in Springfield, Illinois, for the Movement to Defend Atlanta's Forest and Stop Cop City. He understands that what happens in Atlanta will have wide-reaching impacts — from environmental devastation to the way such a huge, hyper-militarized police training facility would set a precedent for similar projects across the nation. In this second episode in the Stopping Cop City series, Avery deconstructs "outside agitator" rhetoric, while Coal offers their insights on how to support the movement from afar. Together, they also discuss trans intersections and the power behind being able to laugh at our oppressors. Check out Coal's Springfield Stop Cop City group @217dtaf on Instagram. Click here for an episode transcript. __ Talking Points: (0:00) Avery delves into the rhetoric of "outside agitators," and how it has been used to repress revolution in the US South from the pre-Civil War era, through the Civil Rights Movement, and now with Cop City. (6:35) Coal discusses his Springfield solidarity group and why everyone should care about the movement to Defend Atlanta's Forest (12:40) Finding out about the movement through music (14:33) Coal's visit to Atlanta for March's Week of Action — a concert derailed; protests with passion (18:30) Connections between the forest movement and movements for trans rights (22:24) Maintaining energy for the fight — self-care, camaraderie, the power of memes & humor (29:20 - end) Wrapping up — what's going on right now with forest clearing ___ Further reading: ⁠Click here for the article Coal recommended⁠ on how Cop City opposition has spread beyond Atlanta. ⁠For more on the history of rhetoric about "outside agitators," click here⁠. Finally, ⁠find ways you can help Stop Cop City here⁠. ___ This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Beaconsfield Villas Stomp" by Doctor Turtle.

Learn about the Movement to Stop Cop City and Defend Atlanta's Forest through the stories of forest defenders for whom queerness and faith intertwine with activism. In this first episode, Siihasin describes their experiences as a Diné nádleehi, frontliner, and land defender. Siihasin was one of around 20 Indigenous two spirit persons invited to the latest Stop Cop City Week of Action to facilitate conversations around Indigenous sovereignty, land rights & protection, and Black liberation & solidarity. How can activist movements work to protect and center their most vulnerable members? Click here for an episode transcript. Click here for more information about the Movement to Defend Atlanta's Forest. Support the fight to Stop Cop City by donating to the Stop the Swap lawsuit fundraiser, or to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. __ Talking Points: (0:00 - 8:50) Avery offers a basic introduction to the Movement to Stop Cop City and Defend Atlanta's Weelaunee Forest. (8:51) Siihasin is a two spirit nádleehi of the Diné nation; invited to Weelaunee Forest to help facilitate conflict management among defenders (15:00) Navigating connection and tension — diversity of the forest defenders; Muscogee ceremonies surveilled by police (23:00) The Week of Action showcased a wide spectrum of action, from camping & skillsharing to youth marches — all recognizing that all forms of life are under attack from Cop City (25:38) What it’s like to be Native while camping in the forest — targeted by police; remembering Tortuguita (32:30) The myth of “outside agitators”; recognizing Afro-Indigenous solidarity as central to all our liberation (41:32) What it means to be two spirit — an Indigenous umbrella term; targeted by colonizers (48:00) Siihasin’s personal experience as a nádleehi centered on protecting their people — growing up problematized by Western medicine; learning they are not broken from Diné family (57:45) Intra-movement conflict management and respecting intersections is crucial to liberation This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Reality Cartwheeled" by Doctor Turtle.

The world is a scary place right now — particularly for trans people. Our youth are being targeted. Our bodily autonomy is under threat. We are made into scapegoats by extremists who want to eradicate us. In these tumultuous times, where is the hope? In this special episode, you'll hear from people of various genders and faith experiences about what keeps them going — from Higher Powers to the power of storytelling; and from friendship & solidarity to the natural world. Click here for an episode transcript. Talking points: (0:00) Complicating hope — not to be confused with toxic positivity, and not at odds with hopelessness (4:30) Naiomi Gonzalez (she/they): hope in lamentation and bringing fears & pain to God (10:40) Avery (they/ze): hoping against hope that Cop City will never be built (15:29) Amir (he/him): chronic pain & the power of a friend who shares your experience (17:05) K Kriesel: (they/them): When an old support system ceases to support you — K’s journey from white feminism into “the chaos of the physical world” (20:50) Avery: the power of rallies – even when they “fail” (24:40) Eric Sharp (he/him) rewatches The Good Place for encouragement and reminders that there are no easy answers (28:12 - 34:22) Rosie’s (she/her) temple is nature and scripture is poetry; ending with “Good Bones” by Maggie Smith __ Where to find some of this episode's guests: - Naoimi Gonzalez is on Instagram and Substack @faithfullyradicalchristian, on Tiktok @faithfullyradical, on Twitter @faithfullyradi1. - K Kriesel is at kkriesel.com and on Instagram and Facebook @kkrieselart. Click here for K's Google Doc of Nonbinary spiritual resources. Listen to episode 65 for a full conversation with K. - Eric Sharp practices therapy at Best Life Mental Health Services in Louisville, Kentucky. Listen to episode 53 for a full conversation with Eric. — Learn about and Support the Movement to Defend Atlanta's Forest & Stop Cop City: - https://defendtheatlantaforest.org/ - This Twitter thread contains basic 101 in the form of shareable infographics. - The Atlanta Solidarity Fund helps pay for lawyers and bail for arrested defenders. __ Blessed  Are the Binary Breakers is part of the Rock Candy Podcast Network. Find more shows at www.rockcandyrecordings.com. This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "The Encouragement Stick" and "Reality Cartwheeled" by Doctor Turtle.

In the anti-trans flood, I don't want my anger and hurt to wither into bitterness; I want to channel it into planting a garden of trans joy, queer rest, intersectional justice. Click here for the episode transcript. Content warning: anti-trans rhetoric & legislation, swearing. Talking points: (0:00 - 2:07) Garden dreams (2:08) The frustrations of seeking healthcare while trans; finding trans joy where it is (5:43) Despair over Tennessee's anti-drag bill; hope in the defiance of drag performers like Bella DuBalle (12:42 - end) We will resist — but I dream of rest. How do each play our part in cultivating rest and wholeness for all? _______ Blessed  Are the Binary Breakers is part of the Rock Candy Podcast Network. Find more shows at www.rockcandyrecordings.com. This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Beaconsfield Villas Stomp" and "The Ants Built a City on His Chest" by Doctor Turtle.