Trans 101
Remember the ad that said, “Kamala Harris is for They/Them; Donald Trump is for You”? If we thought that rhetoric would recede after it served its purpose in the 2024 campaign, we were wrong. Since Trump’s inauguration, his administration has targeted transgender Americans with surprising intolerance, even considering the source. He seems to be saying that transgender people are illegitimate and do not have a right to live in our country.
Non-trans gay men, such as most members of the Mary Renault Society, are likely to be horrified at such bigotry. But the truth is, most of us don’t understand the lives of our transgender neighbors much better than the average heterosexual.
That’s why our program for April 2025 is so timely. We are honored to have as our speaker Angel Collie. He is the Director of the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity at Duke University. Before Duke, he wore another shade of blue as the Assistant Director of the LGBTQ Center at UNC-CH.
His talk to MRS will be what he calls “Trans 101.” He will give a brief overview of the history, talk about the current landscape politically, talk about some terms and definitions, and give some action items.
Angel grew up in rural Eastern N.C. and a Southern Baptist Church, so his transgender identity was put to a hard test. He received his BA in Religious Studies with minors in both Women’s Studies and Sexuality Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill and obtained a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. Most recently, he graduated from the Doctor of Ministry program at Duke Divinity School where his focus was on providing spiritual and pastoral care within queer and trans communities.
He holds a 1st degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and spends all his free time traveling the world!
The meeting will be on Sunday, April 27, 2025. We will gather at 7 p.m., eat a potluck dinner at 7:30, and begin the program at 8.