Nex Benedict died by suicide a day after a fight with bullies at their high school, according to a medical examiner’s report released March 13. The 16-year-old nonbinary student’s death has drawn international headlines for a month now, cited by…
God, sex, gender and politics
A redlight recently stopped my progress through snow falling heavily on the smalltown equivalent of Times Square. Gold letters across the courthouse façade proclaimed, “IN GOD WE TRUST.” Trusting both God and my all-wheel-drive Subaru, I felt awe and excitement…
Why can’t we just ‘BE KIND NOW!!’?
Thanks to a kindness art campaign going on at our local elementary school this month, I have received multiple notes from my youngest child with a rainbow drawing and one simple command: “BE KIND NOW!!” These BE KIND notes came…
On Nex Benedict, invisible students, Easter Sunday and Trans Day of Visibility
Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old nonbinary student from Owasso, Okla., died Feb. 7. The cause of death remains undetermined. While tragic that a teen died, many fail to see the significance of what occurred. The focus of numerous reports centers on…
Don’t sacrifice trans kids on a political altar
Many years ago, I read a comic novel in which one character’s hobby was described as “leaping to the defense of ….” We United Methodists are sometimes accused of the same predilection, of being theologically and spiritually wired to stand…
West Virginia bill would require ‘curing’ transgender people
In a season of extreme legislation against the transgender community, three West Virginia senators seek to up the ante with what has been called the “most draconian” legislation yet proposed against transgender identity. Senate Bill 194, would ban all gender-affirming…
Look for battles over transgender care for minors to accelerate in 2024
“At least 510 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in state legislatures across the United States last year — a new record, according to American Civil Liberties Union data as of Dec. 21. That’s nearly three times the number of such bills introduced in…
Three educators push back against Florida law targeting trans and nonbinary teachers
Three educators have filed suit against Florida over a 2023 law permitting the decertification and termination of nonbinary and transgender teachers who use preferred pronouns and titles in the performance of their jobs. The Southern Poverty Law Center and its…
Making sense of the senseless death of an Alabama pastor
I did not know F.L. “Bubba” Copeland, but I probably have more insights into his tragic story than most Baptist pastors. Copeland, mayor of Smiths Station, Ala., and pastor of First Baptist Church in nearby Phenix City, took his own…