Blessed Are the Binary Breakers
Religion & Spirituality
Andy Thornton (they / he, age 23, England) is an autistic artist and scholar, excitingly gendered, and passionate about expanding our inclusion within faith spaces and queer spaces ever wider. They became a Christian at 16 before realizing they were bi and trans, and despite queerphobic messages from church leaders, Andy received only messages of affirmation from God. Thus their love for a sassy, queer Jesus grew, and they eventually found a home in Quakerism, with its radical equality of all ages and genders and emphasis on activism.
Click here for an episode transcript.
Find Andy and his art and writing online:
@humansatsuma & @lesgetbetter on Instagram
medium.com/@andykt3 - blog
andythornton.work/ and behance.net/humansatsuma - art portfolios
Timestamps:
00:00 - 06:07 Avery rambles & introduces Andy
06:08 - 10:01 Andy talks about their art, how it interacts with their gender and emphasizes representation
10:02 - 17:10 How Andy came to Quakerism - interfaith, emphasis on activism, long support of gay rights, working on trans affirmation
17:11 - 25:40 Andy's family; "God is definitely queer"; "my non-binary gender is really holy"; Andy's journey from anti-queer churches to God's affirmation
25:41 - 32:25 Quaker's communalism, civil disobedience, vs. church hurt from "Hillsong churches" & "Instagram Christianity"
32:26 - 39:06 Bonding over being autistic, intersections with autism, transness, and activism + a queer and autistic, sassy Jesus
39:07 - 44:55 being excluded from others Jesus lovers because of being trans & relief of finding people like us; more on the journey to reconciling faith and gender, being a Stonewall person of faith
45:56 - 50:16 more on Quakers being interfaith, 3 pillars of Quakerism
50:17 - 55:00 wrapping up: you are enough, and God made you perfect
Sacred body, sacred space - stories of trans spirituality across faiths
Washing off Cisheteronormativity: Dr. S.J. Crasnow on centering LGBTQ persons in faith communities
Taylor's faith evolution into a seminary-bound Christian witch
"Start from a place of 'I don't know everything'": prabhdeep singh kehal on queerness, colonialism, and interfaith dialogue
Enrique is cultivating the fruits of the Spirit
"We just want to be heard": Dee on Chile, race, disability, and trans rights
How are trans people like Jonah? - A Jewish trans woman's perspective
Rev. Jo Inkpin is flourishing with a trans-ing God
Luca is making their community stronger
From End Times to a new beginning: Adi is reconstructing their faith
Alex is a Haitian Vodou Priest
When faith hurts: Sharing stories of transphobic violence
Hanka is a Polish cryptid
"God's not gonna leave you": Christian Witchcraft with Phoenyx
Eli and the prophet Elijah
Adam is a lifelong Methodist
Derek loves his family
The UMC General Conference: a nonbinary Methodist's hopes and fears
Willow errs on the side of grace
Avery’s genderqueer calling
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