Transgender Day of Remembrance 2019

The summary of the recording titled "Transgender Day of Remembrance 2019" captures the essence and atmosphere of a service held at St Andrew's on the Terrace in Wellington to honor the 20th anniversary of the Transgender Day of Remembrance. The service featured contributions from Bronwyn White, Frances Porter, Rev Dr Susan Jones, and The Glamaphones.

The event began with a welcoming message emphasizing the intrinsic value and respect due to all human beings, regardless of their understanding of each other or their differences. The service's tone was one of inclusion and acceptance for all orientations and genders, with a celebratory feel for the freedom and love shared within the space, contrasting with the somber remembrance of those who experience fear and danger due to their identity.

There was a participatory aspect where members of the congregation, including children, engaged in prayer and the lighting of a rainbow candle, a symbol of inclusivity. The service incorporated traditional elements such as the Lord's Prayer, while also including reinterpreted versions that reflected a broader sense of spirituality and inclusivity.

The service addressed the pains and struggles of the transgender community through readings and reflections. One reading highlighted that 80% of hate crime murder victims were people of color, with a significant number of transgender women of color being disproportionately affected by violence, discrimination, harassment, and police brutality. The service underscored the importance of remembering those lost to anti-transgender violence and the urgent need for acceptance and understanding.

A crucial theme of the service challenged dualistic thinking—the stark categorization into opposites, which is not intrinsic to Christian thought and counter to Jesus's teachings. Jesus's inclusive approach, breaking societal taboos and embracing outcasts, was held as a model to aspire to, advocating love and respect beyond binary constraints.

While the service celebrated advances in acceptance and empathy in locations like New Zealand, it also indicated that much work remains globally to protect and respect transgender individuals. It invoked the spirit of love to transcend social barriers and dualisms, urging unconditional acceptance.

Reflective prayers underscored the service's message, calling for inclusion, safety, and recognition of the full spectrum of humanity. The congregation was encouraged to extend love unconditionally, in solidarity with those who have suffered from exclusion and violence. A reminder to embrace love both within and towards others was conveyed, with an emphasis on love's power to transcend differences and transform lives and societies.

The service closed by highlighting the importance of love in creating a safer, nonviolent world for all. It was an affirmation of the healing and transforming power of love, and an exhortation to love "everybody to bits" because that is how much God loves all. The event concluded with the note to carry that love out into the world.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Bronwyn White Frances Porter Rev Dr Susan Jones The Glamaphones

2010s, bronwyn white, frances porter, knox church (lower hutt), leonard bernstein, rev dr susan jones, st andrew's on the terrace, the glamaphones, trans, trans awareness, transgender, transgender day of remembrance, transgender flag, transphobia, transphobic violence

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