Pray God you can cope.

I know you have a little life in you yet

I can't really remember when I 'found God' anymore than I can truly remember when I 'lost God'. Interestingly enough, I hold a somewhat buddhist conception of my previous christianity. It's not important to remember when and how it began or ended -- it just was and now it's not. But seeing as I was going to church from a very early age, my knowledge of religion was more of a conditioning process than a spiritual one. My spiritual life probably grew slowly out of the behavioral patterns, maybe around the time I was starting to think more independently about politics and people and life. Maybe around the age of 11.

I should be crying but I just can't let it show

There are certain traditional and heritage aspects I miss about going to church and studying the bible and viewing the world through a christian lens. I suppose nowadays I view the world through a queer lens. And I even went through a period of collecting a sort of gay heritage and history to replace what went missing. For me, I didn't leave christianity because I was gay -- I spent awhile try to reconcile the two. But I was failed too many times by one which drove me into the others. It's not so much that being queer drove me away from Christ. It's more that religious tradition failings drove me into a more full submersion of queer life. But it wasn't the same -- organized religion has cultural spheres and spiritual spheres. The pride parade isn't exactly a temple of true spiritual enrichment.

Give me these moments back Give them back to me

Nowadays I don't know what boxes I check on the census regarding religion. I read tarot cards. I believe in archetypes and engage in dream interpretation, also working towards lucid dreaming as spiritual and meditative exercise. I've been studying the general branches of buddhism. But I can't ever imagine going back to where I came, in a spiritual sense. Nothing about Christianity feels right at all. Even though I can still recite the language and deconstruct the theology and maybe even know the answers to the cards in Bible Trivia, it's completely outside of me.

Oh, darling make it go away

Sort of like being a woman. Or more explicitly, a non-trans person. Was I ever non-trans? I don't think it really matters at this point. I'm here now, and defining the beginning and the ending doesn't really change anything..

blah blah blah blah blah.

Okay. One more time. I'll keep at it until everyone gets it right. I'm not giving up on you cause I'm not giving up on me!

from HERE

ten ways to tokenize or alienate a non-white person around you
(or, ten examples of the racism we witness on a regular basis)

by basil and billie--with a little help from our friends.

1- walk up to that black girl you barely know in the co-op and say "what do you think of the new (insert hip-hop artist here) album."

2- ask one of the only arabs in your community to write the article for your newspaper on the situation in palestine.
2a- then, after they write it, take their research, re-write the article and sign your name to it.

3- in a big group of many activists, say "how can we bring more people of color into our struggle."

4- in a big group of many activists, say "black people don't have the time to care about trees".

5- go up to the Makah woman at the unlearning racism workshop and say "I saw a program about Crazy Horse on PBS, he did alot for your people."

6- act like the only people of non-white ancestry in your community are the ones visible to you. 6a- assume that light skinned people around you are white without ever knowing their ancestry.

7- talk about race as if the only groups are black and white.
7a- talk about race as if the only groups are black, white and hispanic.
7b- talk about race as if the only groups are black, white, hispanic and asian.
7c- talk about race as if the only groups are black, white, hispanic, asian and native american.

8- picture a violent, irrational arab everytime the word "terrorist" is mentioned. ignore the arabs who do not fit into this stereotype.

9- look to a non-white person in the room everytime racism is brought up.
9a- make sure they have the last and most defining word on the subject.
9b- sympathetically and silently agree with everything they say.
9c- thank them profusely.

10- fearfully avoid assertive non-white people in your community.

And Raybear would like to add a number 11 way for white folks to alienate non-white folks: start any sentence with "That's not racist, because __________" or "I'm not into being politically correct."

Lather. Rinse. Repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

(And go HERE for tools for white guys (and grrls) working for social change.)