If you’d like to go straight to CB Beal’s response to the UU World’s harmful article about a cisgender woman’s interactions with trans and non-binary people, click here.

Today, I will lift up the voice of CB Beal, a non-binary member of the Unitarian Universalist educator and consultant focusing on consent and sexuality ed, and inclusion and equity for all ages/all bodies. In the article linked below, Mx. Beal discusses the harm done by a recent article in the UU World, and some other choices that could have been made, rather than publishing the chosen article.

As a cis-gender woman, on the axes of gender I am born both into privilege and into struggle. I am born into a world rife with misogyny and patriarchy, and yet also have privilege based on the fact that the sex I was assigned at birth and the gender I am are the same. This past week, the UU World elected to publish an article focusing on the experience of a cis-gender woman writing about her experiences of causing harm to trans and non-binay (enby) people. The World did not choose to write an article by a trans/enby person. And when the editors were told by a non-binary UU that the article was harmful to per and would be to other trans/enby people, as well, the editors nonetheless went ahead and published it.

The writer, Kimberly French, also did not elect even to acknowledge that her choices, actions, and words were indeed harmful. Instead, she describes herself and her community as understandably confused and utterly unaware of causing harm.

The UU World article, “After L. G, and B” was harmful. And Mx. Beal eloquently explains why in the article linked below. If you are a Unitarian Universalist or if you are a cis-gender person who wants to understand the experience of trans/enby people, I urge you to read the article linked below. If you are a trans or non-binary person who has been hurt, yet again, by our Unitarian Universalist faith and you want support in your anger, this article may also be good for you. Then again, you may also just want to be with other trans and non-binary or genderqueer folks and grieve the ways in which the world and this faith tradition have let you down again.

The article from Medium by CB Beal is here. Maybe, like me, you will read it and weep tears of frustration and anger and sadness for the ways in which Unitarian Universalism, that supposed exceptional beacon of justice-making, is hurting trans and enby people, hurting trans/enby people of color, hurting trans/enby people with disabilities… hurting them all so much. Causing so much harm.

Here is the link to the article again.

Any errors in this blog post are my own. I welcome discussion on this topic, but no comment that diminishes or dismisses the lived experiences of non-binary, trans, or genderqueer people will be approved.

Blessings and lamentation – Catharine