We Are A Beginning

My partner Sarah Dark more closely resembles her Bitmojis than most. This is the one she crafted when she issued a public word inviting friends, neighbors, colleagues, and co-conspirators to appear at Belmont’s Bunch Library multimedia hall tomorrow at 4:30 to listen to me talk about the revised, reframed, and repentant version of Life’s Too Short To Pretend You’re Not Religious. I’m moved by it. I feel seen. Maybe you do too. I’m hoping there will be more occasions (here, there, and yon) for urging my work upon people in an in-person setting in the weeks and months to come. But tomorrow’s the latest. Please tell your people.

Here’s a picture of the book. I’m relatively pleased with all my books, but I particularly like the look and feel of this one. If you get hold of one, please appear in public reading it as often as possible.

Here’s Jace Wilder and me having a public conversation on the subject of Transformative Justice at the Bunch Library just the other day. Luke Litz took the photo.

Jace is a recent Belmont graduate who’s currently enrolled at Vanderbilt Medical School. Jace is also the education manager for the Tennessee Equality Project. I’m proud to be associated with him. This is the kind of content Jace puts out there:

Jace Wilder is still trans despite TN SB1 and SB5 @WilderJace

It's a wonderful day to remind trans kids that the future will be just as wonderful as they are. Your future isn't a political gamble. Your future is yours. Your life is yours. You are more than the political game you didn't ask to be in. I see and hear you. You've got this.

“We Are A Beginning” is a lovely song Sarah wrote many years ago. I have a habit of saying the words—We are a beginning—many times as day as a way of calling in (rather than calling out) whoever I’m talking to and, I think, reminding whoever I’m around that we have the power to redeem the work of fools (Thank you, Patti Smith). We do and we are. Thanks for reading these words and considering them.