2nd annual Fat Activism Conference (2015) #FatActCon

The Con's website and Facebook header image.

The second annual Fat Activism Conference (#FatActCon) was this past weekend (Friday October 9^th through Sunday October 11^th, 2015) -- and I was on the keynote panel Fat And Faith! 

The conference was again virtual – you could listen live or later, on your phone or computer.  And one of the great – and alas, all too rare – things about it was that presenters were paid, through profit-sharing, as well as having the option to earn money through an ‘affiliate’ program, where we received a percentage of the registrations of those who used our personal link. 

My fellow panelists were Rev. Gina Pond and Rabbi Minna Bromberg.  And we pretty much did what it said on our tin:  "This panel will look at the places where body size and various faiths collide, including ways that faith is used as a tool of fat oppression, as well as ways in which faith can provide a platform for size diversity activism for those who are interested.”  Or at least made a good start at it.  We were introduced and facilitated by Con organizer and tech guru Jeanette DePatie and moderated by Gina.  We pre-recorded the panel, and then added a live intro and Q&A (where Jeanette read us a few of the questions that had been submitted by attendees) after it was played during the Con; this was all done by conference call. 

It definitely wasn’t my best work, but I certainly learned a lot, and made some important connections in all senses. 

The collage the Con made for their website out of our panel's submitted photos (top to bottom it's Minna, myself, Gina).

My bio for the Con:  “Mycroft Masada is a faith leader who moved to the Washington DC area from hir lifelong home of Boston MA a year and a half ago.  Zie is a Community Engagement Adviser at TransFaith, a member of TransEpiscopal, and maintains the online presence of the Interfaith Coalition for Trans Equality.  Mycroft is called to fat justice, and is a writer and artist; hir piece “Good News: A Sermon On Fat Justice” appears in the current issue of Fat Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Body Weight and Society (the Special Issue on Religion and Fat).  Zie is partnered with JuliaMcCrossin, the Fat Studies scholar, and their dogter Ursula is named after the flabulous Little Mermaid character.  More at http://MasadArts.blogspot.com/.”

Gina’s:  “Rev. Gina was initiated into an Alexandrian-type coven in 1999, and received her Third Degree on Beltane of 2010 as co-founder, along with her wife Sarah Thompson, of the Circle of Cerridwen (http://st4r.org).  In November 2013, she was approved for ordination in the Progressive Christian Alliance, and had her ordination ceremony on March 15, 2014. She graduated from Pacific School of Religion with a Masters of Divinity in May 2014. Rev. Gina also served on the Minister’s Board at City of Refuge, UCC, which is a radically inclusive Christian congregation, until the summer of 2015.  Rev. Gina is the host of the This Week In Heresy podcast (http://www.thisweekinheresy.com). This Week In Heresy is a weekly interview podcast where Rev. Gina interviews those who are exploring the boundaries of progressive thought, religion, and social justice. She is also a writer, yarn spinner, soaper, tech geek, and volunteer for her local Democratic party.”

Minna’s:  “As a singer, songwriter, rabbi, and voice teacher I use the tools of singing and songwriting to help people bring more of their inherent wholeness into the world. My fat activism began in 1989 when, as a 16 year old, I decided to give up dieting. Once I began connecting with the larger world of fat activism and fat feminism I brought what I was learning into my singing and songwriting (as exemplified in The Bathing Suit Song). My approach to voice teaching is deeply body positive and infused with knowing singing as an inherently integrative practice that brings together body, heart, mind, and soul. My fat Torah draws on the understanding that every human being is created in the image of the Divine and that every unique body is thus deserving of kavod (respect and honor) just as it is. I live in Jerusalem with my husband, Alan (who is also a rabbi as well as a supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education — he teaches people to be better spiritual caregivers). I am inspired in my work by this verse from the Song of Songs: “Let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet!” Indeed, the world is listening for your voice, your unique contribution to the weave of creation. You can learn more about my work at minnabromberg.com.”

Happy National Coming Out Day (2015) #NCOD

TODAY -- MA LEGISLATURE HEARING -- HEIGHT/WEIGHT + GENDER IDENTITY/EXPRESSION ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BILLS!

The Massachusetts legislature’s hearing on the height/weight and gender identity/expression anti-discrimination bills is TODAY!  At 1:00 p.m. EST at the MA Statehouse -- and your testimony is needed, online and off.

Weight-based discrimination is legal in all but one state and three cities; for more, contact David VanderWoude in the office of Majority Whip Byron Rushing -- who is also a sponsor of the trans bill.  MA passed the Trans Equal Rights Law in 2011, but it didn’t include public accommodations – hence this Trans Equal Access Bill; for more, see Freedom Massachusetts.  #MApoli  #fatjustice  #TransMA  #FreedomMA

I actually didn’t get David’s e-mail yet, but those who did quote it as follows:
“I am writing with an update. The Joint Committee on the Judiciary will be holding a hearing on the height and weight discrimination bill, H. 1764, next Tuesday, October 6, at 1:00 p.m. in Gardner Auditorium. This will be a very long and busy hearing due to the number of bills on the agenda and the topics being discussed, so I can’t predict when this bill will come up during the hearing. Additionally, Judiciary Committee hearings regularly run late into the night.
As such, I’d highly recommend submitting written testimony to the Committee. Testimony should be address to the House Chair, Representative John Fernandes, and the Senate Chair, Senator William Brownsberger. Written testimony can be submitted to the Committee via email to Gretchen.Bennett@MAhouse.gov.”

Here is my testimony:

October 6, 2015

Representative John Fernandes
Senate Chair, Joint Committee on the Judiciary
State House, Room 136
Boston, MA 02133

Senator William Brownsberger
House Chair, Joint Committee on the Judiciary
State House, Room 504
Boston, MA 02133

Via email:  Gretchen.Bennett@MAhouse.gov

Dear Senator Brownsberger and Representative Fernandes --

My name is Mycroft Masada Holmes, and I lived in greater Boston for more than 37 years, from my birth until last January, when I moved to Maryland to begin living with my partner.  I love and miss Boston and the rest of Massachusetts; our great city and state have always truly been my home and I hope they always will be.

I write to you today primarily as a faith leader – my roles include being a Community Engagement Adviser at TransFaith and a member of TransEpiscopal.  Before my move, I was the Chair of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition’s Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality, and a board member of Congregation Am Tikva.  I’ve been one of the leaders of the faith campaign for Massachusetts’ Trans Equal Rights Law, passed in November 2011, and the Trans Equal Access Bill (SB 735 / HB 1577), which is also part of today’s hearing, and which I also support.

Today, I testify in support of House Bill 1764 -- An Act Making Discrimination on the Basis of Height and Weight Unlawful, as I have done in person and/or in writing for the last few legislative sessions.  At one hearing, I also read the written testimony of attorney Sondra Solovay.

Section 4 of Chapter 151B and Sections 92A and 98 of Chapter 272 of the Massachusetts General Laws currently state that persons cannot be discriminated against in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, or ancestry.  HB 1764 would amend these statutes to include height and weight to the list of unlawful forms of discrimination, providing a legal remedy to those who have experienced discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on their weight or height.  As you know, this bill was approved by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development last session but did not come up for a vote before the House of Representatives and had to be re-filed for the current session.

In my personal and professional life, I have experienced and witnessed and a great deal of discrimination – especially in employment.  Much of it has been based on physical appearance and information, including height and especially weight.  This discrimination is wrong, profoundly damaging, and pervasive -- in our state and the rest of our society.  It must be ended as soon as possible, and HB 1764 will help to end it.  The bill is also an critical educational tool – its implementation process will help dispel the widespread and ever-increasing ignorance, misinformation and phobia about height and weight.  You will be given expert testimony about these issues today and during the rest of this session – ample evidence of the significant and urgent need for this legislation.

My faiths teach that like Adam, the first human being, all people are made b’tzelem Elohim – in the image of God -- people of all sizes, shapes, weights and heights.  Our infinite diversity of bodies and their changes over our lifetimes are gifts and blessings -- meant to be lived and shared with happiness and pride.  God creates and loves all of us, equally, in body and spirit.  And all of us should be equally recognized and protected by the law.

And as much as I speak to you as a person of faith, I also speak as a life partner.  My wonderful partner of six years, Julia McCrossin, and I are the same height, and she weighs well over twice what I do; I’ve always been thin, she has always been fat.  Julia is a native and lifelong resident of Maryland and Washington DC, and visited me in Massachusetts several times.  After her father passed away, I moved to Maryland to begin living with her, largely so that we could help care for her disabled mother and the family dog.

We are privileged to live in Maryland and near DC; both have trans-inclusive civil rights, and DC’s Human Rights Laws includes height and weight in “physical appearance”.  We are unusually privileged in other ways as well – as much as we and those like us struggle, daily life is far more challenging for those who have other intersecting oppressions, such as racism, classism and ableism.  At the same time, we worry about moving to and through places where we are legally unprotected, which we often need and want to do.  We and so many others need An Act Making Discrimination On The Basis Of Height And Weight Unlawful to pass into law as soon as possible.

We want to visit Massachusetts, have our wedding there, make our home there someday.  And we have much to offer my great state.  I want my partner to have full civil rights wherever she is.  I want her to be able to continue to live, work and play better than she has done, contributing even more to our communities than she already has.  I want this for all residents of and visitors to Massachusetts.  I don’t want anyone to experience discrimination – and yet I know that some will, and I want them to be able to take appropriate action.

I urge you to do everything you can to further this vital and long overdue legislation so that it can be passed into law this legislative session.

Thank you,

Mycroft Holmes
{my home and e-mail addresses}

Cc:  David VanderWoude
Office of Majority Whip Byron Rushing
State House, Room 235
Boston, MA  02133
Via email: David.VanderWoude@mahouse.gov

Shana tova 5776!!!

Shana tova 5776!!!  May this be your best year yet.

Our Rosh Hashanah became super old school when we met this baby Eastern Kingsnake (?) during our family's Tashlich at Lake Needwood.  Zie was less than a foot long and half an inch wide, and we found them just a few inches from the shore of our private beach! Resting on the bottom and/or floating just above it, with just hir head above water, like a turtle or frog, flicking hir tongue in and out sometimes. As we followed, zie swam back and forth along the shore, not seeming to notice us, the minnows or Canada geese, but eventually sometimes partly hiding under rocks.

2nd annual FAT ACTIVISM CONFERENCE #FatActCon

THE FAT ACTIVISM CONFERENCE (RE)LAUNCHED AT 12M PST / 3AM EST! Registration is open!!! The 2nd annual #FatActCon is Friday October 9th through Sunday October 11th and is virtual – you can listen live or later on your phone or computer; there will also be some pre-submitted and / or live Q&A.

And I’m going to be on a panel about faith! And if you register through this link -- or through the ads here on my blog or on Julia’s Tumblr --  http://affiliate.realbigpublishing.com/registration-fat-activism-conference/?ap_id=Mycroft -- I get 20%.

Generally it’s best to support fat fat-activists before thin ones like myself. And I will also be paid something for speaking, through profit sharing. At the same time, when you support me, you support my flabulous underemployed family – my fat fat-activist partner, our retired mother-in-sin / mother, and our dogter / grandogter Ursula...who is too spoiled to work.
‪
#‎FatActCon‬  ‪#‎fatactivism‬  ‪#‎fatjustice‬

Rainbow Connections

Look what two of our friends found for us at the University Park MD town yard sale in May! A JanSport Trans backpack in rainbow tie-dye and purple (and the colors are even better in person). I know!!

And they gave it to us today, the day it was announced that a colleague became the first trans staffer at the White House (and a colleague I'd worked with back in MA, especially through the MA Trans Political Coalition and the Jewish community).

I actually remember when JanSport came out with the Trans line – especially because some of my queer colleagues were among the early adopters – and I’ve always wanted one.

DMV Fat-Friendly Community Clothing Swap

The photo used for the Facebook event.

Alas, we missed the DMV Fat-Friendly Community’s latest clothing swap today, at a Community member’s home (thanks!). But the people who went sound really pleased, yay.

And as always, if you desire fat-friendly community in the DMV (DC / MD / VA), come on down. Or up, or over, or whatever, depending upon where you live. We have more plans being planned, and are open to questions, suggestions and more -- but it's also more than okay if you need to just "lurk" and/or be online-only. My Julia founded the DMV FFC a few years ago, and we have almost 90 members in the Facebook Group now! And we do have a good amount who actively participate online and off – but the more the merrier.

A waist is a terrible thing to mind

Waist not, want not.

"A waist is a terrible thing to mind."

My flabulous little find at Goodwill of Greater Washington (Gaithersburg) today. Plastic keychain, about 1” x 2”, same design both sides -- and it never wears off, because it's actually a little sign sandwiched in clear plastic. And at twenty-nine cents, it may well be my thriftiest thrift yet.

Though it is based on the United Negro College Fund's "a mind is a terrible thing to waste".

‪#‎fathrifting‬ ‪ #‎sharetheGood‬ ‪ #‎myGoodwillfind‬  #waistnotwantnot

MA HEIGHT/WEIGHT ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BILL HEARING TOMORROW TUESDAY 7/21!

REMINDER:  MASSACHUSETTS' HEIGHT/WEIGHT ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BILL'S HEARING IS TOMORROW TUESDAY JULY 21ST AT 12:30 P.M. AT THE STATE HOUSE!  Click here for more details about the bill and hearing.  My testimony is here and will be there, and yours is needed.

July 21, 2015

Senator Daniel A. Wolf
Senate Chair, Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development
State House, Room 405
Boston, MA 02133

Representative John W. Scibak
House Chair, Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development
State House, Room 43
Boston, MA 02133

Via email:  Daniel.Wolf@masenate.gov | John.Scibak@mahouse.gov

Dear Senator Wolf and Representative Scibak --

My name is Mycroft Masada Holmes, and I lived in greater Boston for more than 37 years, from my birth until last January, when I moved to Maryland to begin living with my partner.  I love Boston and the rest of Massachusetts; our great city and state have always truly been my home and I hope they always will be.

I write to you today primarily as a faith leader – my roles include being a Community Engagement Adviser at TransFaith and a member of TransEpiscopal.  Before my move, I was the Chair of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition’s Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality, and a board member of Congregation Am Tikva.  I’ve been one of the leaders of the faith campaign for Massachusetts’ Trans Equal Rights Law, passed in November 2011, and its bill An Act Relative to Transgender Anti-Discrimination, currently in progress.

Today, I testify in support of House Bill 1764 -- An Act Making Discrimination on the Basis of Height and Weight Unlawful, as I have done in person and/or in writing for the last few legislative sessions.  At one hearing, I also read the written testimony of attorney Sondra Solovay.

Section 4 of Chapter 151B and Sections 92A and 98 of Chapter 272 of the Massachusetts General Laws currently state that persons cannot be discriminated against in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, or ancestry.  HB 1764 would amend these statutes to include height and weight to the list of unlawful forms of discrimination, providing a legal remedy to those who have experienced discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on their weight or height.  As you know, this bill was approved by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development last session but did not come up for a vote before the House of Representatives and had to be re-filed for the current session.

In my personal and professional life, I have experienced and witnessed and a great deal of discrimination – especially in employment.  Much of it has been based on physical appearance and information, including height and weight.  This discrimination is wrong, profoundly damaging, and occurs many times every day in every part of our state.  It must be ended as soon as possible, and HB 1764 will help to end it.  The bill is also an critical educational tool – its implementation process will help dispel the widespread and every-growing ignorance, misinformation and phobia about height and weight.  You will be given expert testimony about these issues today and during the rest of this session – ample evidence of the significant and urgent need for this legislation.

My faiths teach that like Adam, the first human being, all people are made b’tzelem Elohim – in the image of God -- people of all sizes, shapes, weights and heights.  Our infinite diversity of bodies and their changes over our lifetimes are gifts and blessings -- meant to be lived and shared with happiness and pride.  God creates and loves all of us, equally, in body and spirit.  And all of us should be equally recognized and protected by the law.

And as much as I speak to you as a person of faith, I also speak as a life partner.  My wonderful partner of six years, Julia McCrossin, and I are the same height, and she weighs well over twice what I do; I’ve always been thin, she has always been fat.  Julia is a native and lifelong resident of Maryland and Washington DC, and visited me in Massachusetts several times.  After her father passed away, I moved to Maryland to begin living with her, largely so that we could help care for her disabled mother and the family dog.

We are privileged to live in Maryland and near DC; both have trans-inclusive civil rights, and DC’s Human Rights Laws includes height and weight in “physical appearance”.  We are unusually privileged in other ways as well – as much as we and those like us struggle, daily life is far more challenging for those who have other intersecting oppressions, such as racism, classism and ableism.  At the same time, we worry about moving to and through places where we are legally unprotected, which we often need and want to do.  We and so many others need An Act Making Discrimination On The Basis Of Height And Weight Unlawful to pass into law as soon as possible.

We want to visit Massachusetts, have our wedding there, make our home there someday.  And we have much to offer my great state.  I want my partner to have full civil rights wherever she is.  I want her to be able to continue to live, work and play better than she has done, contributing even more to her society than she has.  I want this for all residents of and visitors to Massachusetts.  I don’t want anyone to experience discrimination – and yet I know that some will, and I want them to be able to take appropriate action.

I urge you to do everything you can to further this vital and long overdue legislation so that it can be passed into law this legislative session.

Thank you,

Mycroft Holmes
{my home and e-mail addresses}

Cc: Dave VanderWoude
Office of Majority Whip Byron Rushing
State House, Room 235
Boston, MA  02133
Via email: david.vanderwoude@mahouse.gov

MA HEIGHT/WEIGHT ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BILL HEARING NEXT TUES. 7/21!

HEARING ON MASSACHUSETTS HEIGHT/WEIGHT ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BILL NEXT TUESDAY JULY 21ST AT 12:30 P.M. AT THE STATE HOUSE! PLEASE NOTE THAT EVERYONE CAN SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY -- I will be doing so, as I've done for the past few sessions; I've also testified in person twice. Just got this e-mail; will put more info on my blog and post that:

Hi All,

As past supporters of Representative Rushing’s legislation regarding height and weight discrimination, I am writing to let you know that the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development has scheduled a hearing for the bill (H. 1764,An Act Making Discrimination on the Basis of Height and Weight Unlawful) on Tuesday, July 21, which begins at  12:30 p.m. in Gardner Auditorium in the State House.  I apologize for the short notice; I just found out about the hearing.

This bill would amend the state’s anti-discrimination laws to add height and weight to the list of protected categories, which currently include race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, or ancestry.  It would provide a legal remedy to those who have experienced discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on their weight or height. 

As you may remember, this bill was approved by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development last session but did not come up for a vote before the House of Representatives and had to be re-filed for the current legislative session, which began in January 2015.  Also, please note that the House has a new Chair of the Committee this session who is likely unfamiliar with the issue.

As you may know, many legislative committees limit spoken testimony to approximately 3 minutes per person.  However, you can submit both written and verbal testimony, and are encouraged to do so, if you are worried about conveying your full message within the three-minute timeframe.  If you would like to submit testimony but are unable to be in attendance, you can submit testimony via email to Daniel.Wolf@masenate.gov orJohn.Scibak@mahouse.gov, or via the mail to the following addresses:

Senator Daniel A. Wolf

Senate Chair, Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

State House, Room 405

Boston, MA 02133

Representative John W. Scibak

House Chair, Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

State House, Room 43

Boston, MA 02133

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Best,

Dave

Dave VanderWoude

Office of Majority Whip Byron Rushing

State House, Room 235

Boston, MA 02133

(617) 722-2783

david.vanderwoude@mahouse.gov

Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 4:07 PM
To: HOU-DL - HOUSE STAFF; HOU-DL - HOUSE AIDES; HOU-DL - HOUSE REPS; SEN-DL-ALLSTAFF; SEN-DL-SENATORS
Subject: Notice of Public Hearing (With Changes): Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development hearing on Workplace Discrimination and Workplace Safety -7/21 in Gardner Auditorium from 12:30-5

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts JOINT COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT STATE HOUSE, BOSTON 02133

Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

Rep. John W. Scibak	Sen. Daniel A. Wolf
House Chairman	Senate Chairman

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

Date of Hearing: Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Time: 12:30 PM-5:00 PM

Location: GARDNER AUDITORIUM

Workplace Discrimination and Workplace Safety

Bill No.	Sponsor	Title
H1682	Benson, Jennifer E. (HOU)	An Act relative to discrimination in the workplace
H1687	Brady, Michael D. (HOU)	An Act requiring health care employees to develop and implement programs to prevent workplace violence
H1689	Calter, Thomas J. (HOU)	An Act relative to needle stick injuries suffered by first responders
H1728	Kocot, Peter V. (HOU)	An Act prohibiting the bullying of public school employees
H1733	Livingstone, Jay D. (HOU)	An Act to establish pay equity
H1736	Malia, Elizabeth A. (HOU)	An Act regulating the use of credit reports by employers
H1756	O'Day, James J. (HOU)	An Act to further define standards of employee safety
H1757	Orrall, Keiko M. (HOU)	An Act relative to non discrimination training in the workplace
H1764	Rushing, Byron (HOU)	An Act making discrimination on the basis of height and weight unlawful
H1769	Story, Ellen (HOU)	An Act establishing the Massachusetts pregnant workers fairness act
H1771	Story, Ellen (HOU)	An Act addressing workplace bullying, mobbing, and harassment, without regard to protected class status
H1781	Zlotnik, Jonathan (HOU)	An Act Relative to Non Discrimination Training in the Workplace
H1783	Zlotnik, Jonathan (HOU)	An Act Relative to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
S123	Barrett, Michael J. (SEN)	An Act regulating the use of credit reports by employers
S954	Barrett, Michael J. (SEN)	An Act providing fair chances for employment
S956	Brownsberger, William N. (SEN)	An Act establishing the refusal to provide certain records as an unfair labor practice
S960	Chang-Diaz, Sonia (SEN)	An Act ensuring uniformity in education discrimination complaint procedures
S970	Donnelly, Kenneth J. (SEN)	An Act requiring recordkeeping at public construction worksites in order to protect first responders
S983	Jehlen, Patricia D. (SEN)	An Act to establish pay equity
S984	Joyce, Brian A. (SEN)	An Act preventing discrimination based on veteran's status
S986	Joyce, Brian A. (SEN)	An Act relative to health and safety on public construction projects
S988	Keenan, John F. (SEN)	An Act relative to electrical panels and workplace safety
S989	L'Italien, Barbara (SEN)	An Act relative to nondiscrimination regional advisory boards
S991	Montigny, Mark C. (SEN)	An Act relative to fair hiring practices
S999	Pacheco, Marc R. (SEN)	An Act to further define standards of employee safety
S1007	Spilka, Karen E. (SEN)	Resolutions to encourage equitable and diverse gender representation on the boards of companies in the Commonwealth
S1020	Timilty, James E. (SEN)	An Act relative to equity in the workplace

Please be advised that the schedule and agenda are subject to change at the discretion of the chair per committee rules. Due to the expected number of attendants, testimony will be strictly limited to 3 minutes. Panels will be limited to a size of four individuals or fewer, and each panel will be ask to keep their testimony limited to ten minutes.

DMV Fat-Friendly Community field trip to Curve Appeal

Sadly, we missed the DMV Fat-Friendly Community field trip today to Curve Appeal Full Figured Consignment Boutique (Millersville MD), and lunch – and thus we missed Curve Appeal altogether, because that was actually their last day in business, alas. But we are hearing good things, about them and the trip.

And it reminded me to tell / remind you that if you’re looking for fat-friendly community in the DMV (DC / MD / VA), come on down. Or up, or over, or whatever, depending upon where you live, ha ha. We have a clothing swap scheduled for next month, and some other things being planned, and are always open to suggestions, members, etc. My Julia founded it just a few years ago, and we have almost 90 members in the Facebook Group now! And we do have a good amount who actively participate online and off – but again, the more the merrier.

Ramadan 2015

Tonight we went to one of the American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA)’s Iftar dinners for the second year in a row; last year we were invited by Episcopal Church of the Ascension and went to one at ATFA’s Rockville space, this time Ascension hosted one and we went to that.

A few of our ATFA hosts spoke, as well as our rector Rev. Randy Lord-Wilkinson, Rev. Mansfield “Kasey” Kaseman, and one of U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski’s staffers – the senator couldn’t attend, but sent quite a letter. Randy is also the convener of the Gaithersburg Interfaith Alliance, and Rev. Kaseman is the Interfaith Community Liaison of the Office of Community Partnerships. And we had a pretty large and diverse group of guests, from Ascension and elsewhere.

We watched Terry Spencer Hesser’s documentary Love Is A Verb, about Turkish Muslim leader Fethullah Gülen and the Gulen movement / Hizmet / Cemaat; narrated by Ashley Judd. And then The Islamic Institute’s “The Journey Of Fasting”, an 8-minute film about Ramadan.

Pictured:
+ One of Ascension’s signs – I especially like the font choice, which I would have made too
+ Apricot nectar and water
+ Soup with chicken, rice, spices…?
+ Rice; ground meat / potato / eggplant / tomato / ?; bread; salad; falafelish thingies?
+ ? with pine nuts; cookies topped with walnuts; cookies topped with with cinnamon / powdered sugar; rice custard squares topped with cinnamon

I didn’t get a picture of my outfit, oops, but I did a post about it anyway.

P.s. If you use the hashtags ‪#‎Ramadan‬, ‪#‎Iftar‬, ‪#‎EidMubarak‬ and/or ‪#‎Eid‬ on Twitter, it automatically adds an icon to each, also known as a hashflag.
‪#‎RamadanMubarak‬ ‪#‎RamadanKareem‬

P.p.s.

Back And Fourth Of July

Tomorrow is my 6th anniversary with Julia, and I have to give GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders) credit for making an e-card that also works for that. They have three others, too – they don’t really do it for me, but they have their points, and you can see and send them here.

Much more importantly, Byron Rushing reminds us that and why the the Episcopal Church's Collect for July 4th isn’t right – primarily, it forgets slavery – and gives us two better options.

Byron is the Vice President of the Episcopal Church’s House of Deputies, and a MA state Representative. I first met him when I was a high schooler in the early 90s and he was advocating for the Gay & Lesbian Student Rights Law (yes, it’s been updated since!). He has continued to be an amazing LGBT ally, including with the Trans Equal Rights Law and current trans rights bill – see more at Freedom Massachusetts. And he has been advocating for the bill to include height and weight in MA’s anti-discrimination law for years as well!  #fatjustice

I saw it this via his Facebook post.

"My annual 4th of July collect e-mail:

Let me take this opportunity to remind Episcopalians in the United States that many of us do not consider the words--"the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us"--in the Independence Day collect
to be accurate. Look around your congregations and reflect if all the ancestors of the "us" got their liberty then.

Listen to the words of Collect (BCP, p.242) for Independence Day July 4th

Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

This phrase is only possible because slavery was forgotten—or the “us” was not meant to include me.
A better and approved BCP collect for the 4th is "For the Nation" (p.258 or 207):

Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Also the Canadians’ Canada Day collect (July 1) also works for us in the USA and all the other countries in which TEC is.

Almighty God,
whose wisdom and whose love are over all,
accept the prayers we offer for our nation.
Give integrity to its citizens and wisdom to those in authority,
that harmony and justice may be secured in obedience to your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

--Byron"

I Do...And I Don't

(...Or, I Do(n't); "if you want to do it the academic way", as J says.)

Julia McCrossin and I at the end of our first in-person visit – September 15th, 2009; our 6th anniversary is July 5th.

Long story short, for now….

Not a fan of legal marriage, or much of the “marriage equality” movement, and their roles in oppression, in this country and the rest of the world. But that’s the thing – legal marriage is a necessary evil for many, including us -- especially as we live and are the primary caregivers with my mother-in-sin -- and probably will be for years, and I’m glad that we can now legally marry in all the States instead of just our home ones (MA and MD).

Big fan of faith-based and other non-legal / other-legal marriage/partnership rituals, including those involving more than two consenting adults.

I’ve always wanted to have an engagement, wedding and marriage, and Julia is my Bashert in that way as well. We don't fully qualify for marriage in either of my faiths -- Judaism or the Episcopal Church – and that may not change in time, but we plan to have some sort of Trewscopalian and otherwise interfaith wedding anyway. And then again, queer/trans/fatphobic discrimination in employment needs to change enough for us to afford even the thriftiest wedding.

Thanks to the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts’s “E-News for June 2015”, I saw and found very helpful this interview with Rev. Cameron Partridge about his membership in The Episcopal Church’s Task Force on the Study of Marriage -- "Why the church cares so much about marriage: A General Convention interview with Cameron Partridge".

Cameron is also a fellow member of TransEpiscopal, and part of TE's team at the Episcopal Church's 78th General Convention. And he’s one of the faith leaders we want to be part of our wedding ceremony.

My favorite answer:

“I would love for more people to think about marriage as a vocation, one among several--not the only relational vocation there is, by any stretch, but one to be discerned carefully, and when discerned as your vocation, to be lived into joyfully.

As I’ve interacted with some of the provincial meetings, I’ve had some questions bubble up around the role of procreation and marriage. There are lots of really interesting angles on that. I really emphasize the rubric of adoption. That is the mechanism of our baptismal incorporation into Christ’s body. It’s adoption--choosing God and being chosen by God and choosing one another--through which we create family as Christians. When you look at family, and you look at marriage, and you look at having children through that lens, it’s all adoptive. And if it happens to be biological as well, wonderful, fabulous—and it’s adoptive. We have to choose one another again and again and again over the course of our lifetime. I notice that has come out in some of the questions where people have wondered if somehow marriage equality would undermine a place for procreation in our understanding of marriage, and my answer is, not at all. In fact, it really underscores the adoptive mechanism through which we choose one another, whether we discern a call to have children or not.”

And thanks to TransEpiscopal, I also saw and deeply appreciated Iain Stanford’s “A Crack in Our Current Practice: A ‪‎Trans‬ Angle on ‪‎Marriage Equality‬ in The ‪Episcopal‬ Church."

Iain too is a fellow member and leader of TE and part of our team at #GC78‬.

My favorite part:

“The shift here is not a theological one. It is not about Augustine’s theology of the goods of marriage or even Elizabeth Stuarts’ theology of gay and lesbian relationships as “just friends.” The shift is my physical body. My negotiation of gender has shifted from the outward and visible sign of a woman to that of a man, more specifically a trans man. My own sense of gender exceeds binary definition. I own my full gender history. My story, while common in trans communities, is not as well known outside of those circles. I am proud of the ways I participated in breaking down barriers for women in the 1980s, even if only in small ways. I was one of the few women who studied engineering in those years, and the first to be elected president of my university’s engineering honorary. Today, I live and move mostly as just another short white guy. To know me is to understand that I am the sum of all my years.”