LISA SALAZAR — BLOG

Seen through glass, we mistake perception for knowing. I recently read a conference paper by  Ross Neir  titled  “Procreative Nationalism as an LGBTQ+ Hermeneutical Strategy.”  If you want to read the full text, you can find it here:  Procreative Nationalism  

Let me count the ways. But First, a Bit of Transphobia’s Historical Context Transphobia is deeply rooted in history, shaped by cultural, religious, and political forces that have long marginalized those who challenge traditional norms. Anti-trans feminism and religious conservatism have often intersected to form a formidable front against transgender rights. In the late 20th century, feminist movements seeking to dismantle patriarchal structures inadvertently gave rise to factions that excluded trans women from their advocacy. These factions perpetuated the notion that trans women, by virtue of their assigned gender at birth, could never fully understand or embody womanhood while failing to recognize the traumatic effect of having been socialized as their wrong gender and then having to dismantle and deconstruct years of internalized transphobia resulting from it. At the same time, religious institutions reinforced the binary understanding of gender as divinely ordained. Any deviation ...

Hundreds gathered at the Peace Arch Border Crossing Sunday afternoon, February 12, 2017, to express concern and opposition to recent American immigration policies and attitudes impacting immigrants and refugees. This peaceful demonstration was originally planned for February 5th but had to be postponed due to poor weather conditions. I was invited to say a few words; this was my text: I am an immigrant, first to the United States and later to Canada. I am Hispanic, I am Latina… I am white-skinned. I am a citizen of Colombia by birth—and a citizen of Canada by choice. I am a trans woman. I am a lesbian Like everyone who has ever lived, I had no choice in which country I'd be born in; Nor into which religious tradition. I did not get to choose my parents; I had no choice over my mother tongue. I had no choice when it came to the color of my skin. I did not choose my sexual orientation, and I did not choose to be transgender. Of all these things I have listed, only one I choose ...

Which Gospel do you profess? As Stephen, the author of the blog "Sacred Tension // A Story of Dissonance" powerfully expressed in his post today ( "The Cost of Words" ), "Most Christians believe they speak eloquently and wisely on this topic (homosexuality) , but as long as they fail to realize the cost of their words, they will be babbling uselessly to those who are practically dying to hear the gospel of love." As a transexual Christian woman, I can say that when it comes to reconciling our faith to our sexuality, all of us who are LGBTQI have experienced an internalized struggle and fierce debate that would make your dogma run for the hills.  Growing up in a time when the word “transgender” did not exist meant that I did not even have the ability to understand why I felt the way I did. As the fundamentalist Christian I grew up to be, there was only one explanation, I had a perverse bent that needed high spiritual maintenance. This w...

I was recently asked if I was happy (about having transitioned, making the change, paying the price, etc.). I wonder how many people who knew me before are equally curious?    One friend admitted that he prayed for me to fail in my efforts so I would change my mind and go back to living as a man, but that was a while ago. It's been five years since I started to disclose to my family and friends, and I was nearly paralyzed by the fear that my life would be over. I was also afraid for my marriage and hoped it would survive. It didn't. So how to answer the question? The truth is that the answer is not a "yes" nor a "no." It is both. I have never been as at peace in my own skin as I am today, but that does not mean I am happy with life. The loss of friends did not materialize as I had feared, or I should say, it didn't happen the way I feared it would. What happened with old friends is that after their initial expression of love and support for my decision,...