“I’m trans and Christian, ask me anything” street preaching

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” ― Shirley Chisholm

Not your typical street preaching. Basically, just me holding a sign and saying nothing… until someone approaches me. I recently did this at UClifex O-Week Market Day, UNSW O-Week and ANUSA’s Market Day. It was a shame that Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras’ Fair Day got cancelled. It’s a continuation of my “love of Jesus at Mardi Gras” ministry last year. Here are some of the reactions I’ve gotten so far:

• A young Christian lady approached me to challenge me kindly. I asked her what her branch/denomination was, I suspected that she was Coptic Orthodox, and I guessed right. I understood why she may have been hesitant to open up at first, given the long history of persecution of Copts. And not my worse reaction, I think my worse reaction was a Catholic schoolboy assertively challenging me.
• Several short-lived conversations, curious about general reactions, whether I needed a chair after standing for so long, and why I’m holding up the sign. One of them kinda went off-topic: she was a trans woman asking me about my experience with bottom surgery because hers was coming up.
• Given that at O-Week at any given university, clubs and societies come out in full force, some of my longer conversations were with those associated with the Christian groups on campus. There were questions of how do I reconcile being trans with being Christian. I gave them succinct answers from my blog — no escalating arguments.
• Several people wanted to know the parish/es that I attend, and several people were bold enough to ask me about my life story.

Yesterday, I turned up to Vine Church again during the Mardi Gras Parade, for round two of the “love of Jesus at Mardi Gras”, this time though for the purposes of holding up my sign outside:

• There were lots of hugs offered without prompt from me, it is a very festive event after all, in addition to less overt body language of encouragement.
• A woman who grew up in the Southern US told me that she had a conservative Baptist upbringing, then another compatriot (wearing a ‘Jesus loves this lesbian’ t-shirt) who walked by overheard our conversation and jumped in, in excitement.
• A transmasculine-looking person approached me, told me that they are Catholic and gender-questioning, and asked me for advice I could give.
• Several Vine Church volunteers approached me and we had some lengthy conversations. After all, man cannot live by Vine Church pancakes alone.
• Someone approached me (unlikely media) to record an interview with me so that he can show his trans Christian friend who was shy to approach. Some wanted selfies with me.

Why does any of this matter? Check out this latest sermon from my priest at around the 30 minute mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtFuQkEn6sg. More to come for my newfound ministry, no doubt ;)