My Body, Surgery and Gossip

Friends, followers, fans and congregants,

I'm writing to let you know that I'll be having a private outpatient surgery around 8:30am on April 29th.  I welcome your prayers and good intentions if that is a part of your tradition.

Some transgender educators talk about their body, surgeries and hormones in hopes that it will help people get their curiosities out, and the askees will refrain from asking inappropriate
 questions to their families and friends.

However, I've found over the years that when I've been candid about my body and identity as a trans person, that it has led to people oversexualizing me, bringing up my genitals in inappropriate public spaces and touching them without permission.  In fact google statistics reports that this month "megan rohrer nude" was the number one search topic that brought people to this very blog.

I ask you to respect my privacy and refrain from sharing with others the details of my surgery unless you have my permission to do so.

While other people may choose to share more information for the purpose of prayers, I believe God knows me inside and out and understands your prayers and good intentions for me - even if you don't know if my surgery is on my toes or my elbows.  My goal as a pastor is to help people to ponder the great mystery of God and our profound reconciliation to God, not to ponder the curves of my body.

For this purpose, I ask you to respect my privacy and avoid asking about or pondering about my upcoming surgery.  If you would like to help with my post-surgery care (providing food or other care) you may get in touch with my wife Laurel about what kinds of support I'll need over the two weeks I'll be off work and recovering.  

Here are a few do's and don'ts for those interested in supporting me before and after my surgery:

DO keep me in your prayers, send good intentions and/or cards to me at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3201 Ulloa St, San Francisco, CA 94116

DO NOT tell me or ask me to confirm that you've guessed my surgery correctly.  There is no comfortable way to have this conversation without it feeling like you've spent a lot of time thinking about my body.

DO help me take it easy after my surgery.  Particularly, I'll need help so that I don't carry heavy things for awhile.

DO NOT ask me about what surgeries and/or hormones I have or will have as a part of my transgender identity.  This kind of medical information is private and not something I discuss openly.

DO educate yourself on issues of gender and faith.  Here is a curriculum created by the Human Rights Campaign that is incredibly well done.

DO NOT gossip about my body or surgery.



Thanks everyone for your support!

Be well,

Pastor Megan Rohrer

In the News: Clark County Courier

April 9, 2104 Edition: Cover Story

Click on the photo for the article to become bigger.

Below are enlarged parts of the article to make it easier to read:

  

In the News: SF Weekly

National Day of Silence: LGBT Kids Say "No" To Bullying

By David-Elijah Nahmod Fri., Apr. 11 2014 at 12:02 PM

GLSEN (Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network)

Around the country today, LGBT students will take a 1-day vow of silence in order to protest bullying and harassment affecting their community.

Transgender kids have been particularly hard hit by bullying in schools, as evidenced by the stories SF Weekly recently ran about Jewlyes Gutierrez, an East Bay Trans teen who was charged with assault after she defended herself against her attackers.

Clair Farley, a transwoman who currently serves as the LGBT Community Center's Associate Director of Economic Development, told SF Weekly how serious this problem is.

"It is alarming that 80 percent of transgender students don't feel safe at school," she said. "The Day of Silence allows students around the world to stand up against violence and create more solidarity with our allies."

The Day of Silence was launched in 1996 by students at the University of Virginia, which included around 150 participants in the inaugural event. In 2001, the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN, ) became the official sponsor of the Day of Silence. The event has grown to include participant students from more than 8,000 schools.

"Angel VanStark, 21, understands all to well the importance of the day. The 21 year old, who recently started a new job and just moved into his first apartment, was once homeless because of his sexuality."

"To me, the Day of Silence isn't just about the bullying or the suicide," he said. "To me it's the lives lost to bullying and suicide. During my government and economics class, the teacher had me come up and had one of the students read my sign. While she was reading she began to cry. I knew that everyone in that classroom agreed that bullying isn't right. That people dying for who they are isn't right. Everyone is important and amazing, and this brief moment of silence serves as a reminder that everyone's voice matters."

The Day has expanded to include adults. Rev. Megan Rohrer, who identifies as transgender, was recently installed as Pastor for Grace Lutheran Church in the Outer Sunset. Roher (who prefers the pronoun "they") is now in their 30s and continues to participate in the event. They recalled their initial commemoration and explained the significance of remaining involved.

"It helped me mourn the death of Matthew Shepard and to be out without participating in arguments about how I loved," Roher said. "Now, as a pastor, I participate for the hurt faith communities have caused the LGBT community and to make it possible for younger generations to live and love without fear. As someone who is called to preach from pulpits, I know that a few words can transform lives. In order to heal and .protect others we must use both our speaking and our silence to support those who are vulnerable and have not yet heard that our LGBT identities make us beautiful."

For more information, please visit GLSEN:

In the News: South Florida Gay News

Pastor Megan Rohrer: Trans Pastor Reaches Out to All

 

Pastor Megan Rohrer

 

On Feb. 22, Grace Lutheran Church in San Francisco installed Pastor Megan Rohrer as its new spiritual leader.

It was a history making service. Dubbed “Beatles Mass,” the congregation sang praise music (with lyrics written by Rohrer) to the tune of Beatles classics like Hey Jude and Let It Be. It was a joyous celebration.

What made the service so groundbreaking is the fact that the pastor, who prefers to be referred to by the pronoun "they," is Transgender. While ministering to Trans people is obviously a big part of the mission, Rohrer embraces all. The well attended installation included LGBT people of all types — and heterosexuals — in the pews.

As congregants lined up to receive Holy Communion, Rohrer held up the bread and wine for all to see. The look of joy and peace on Rohrer’s face, and in the faces of all those present, was infectious.
A few days after the service, Rohrer spoke to SFGN about the journey.

How would you describe the Beatles Mass to the uninitiated?
The worship that we used at the installation was created for an evening worship service at St Aidan's Episcopal. In the hopes of attracting young people and those new to the church, I created a Lady Gaga Mass. The service gained a lot of attention and I was able to share it at congregations around the country. However, Lady Gaga's music is very complicated and much more difficult to sing than what you'd expect from a pop song. Many of the young people knew the tunes, but the older generation had a difficult time. I created the Beatles Mass because the tunes were recognized by both older and younger members and participants often leave the service feeling uplifted.

When did you come out and what led you to ministry work?
I grew up in South Dakota and went to a Lutheran college where I was out and encouraged to pursue my gifts for ministry. After enduring some hate crimes and religious abuse during the time following the death of Matthew Shepard, I thought it wouldn't be possible to become an LGBT pastor in the Lutheran church. Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif. encouraged me to continue my studies and I moved to the Bay Area in 2002. In June of that year I began working as the executive director of the Welcome Ministry where I continued to support, feed and find creative ways to help the homeless and hungry improve their quality of life. With programs at Lutheran congregations around San Francisco we've created community gardens that have given away over 5.4 tons of produce. Through partnering with Project Homeless Connect, we've given away almost 200 pairs of glasses in the past five months and provided groceries for HIV positive individuals.

Many people seem to be unaware that Trans people work in ministry. Can you talk about that?
I meet annually with a group of about 150 Transgender pastors and faith leaders from diverse faiths at a retreat hosted by the Center For Lesbian and Gay Studies in Berkeley, Calif. We talk about how we can show support and learn from each other, and the best practice for sharing our stories, advocating for Trans individuals, and our own employment needs. There may be many more than that, but some people choose not to be open about their Transgender status after they Transition. This is why I use the words openly Transgender in my identification.

What are the issues that Transgender pastors face in finding congregations they can lead?
Many Transgender pastor faith leaders work in specialized ministry to support vulnerable populations. When it comes to faithfully serving LGBT individuals or the homeless, being Transgender is often an asset. Very few openly Transgender pastors are able to find work leading a congregation. I believe this will change as society becomes more welcoming and understanding of Transgender issues.

Will you be doing Trans outreach at Grace Lutheran?
We take the name Grace seriously, so we will be doing outreach to people of all shapes and sizes. The congregation is enthusiastic about welcoming everyone, particularly those of us who have been lied to and told that they're not good enough to be part of a faith community.

Can you talk about what life is like for many Trans people?
People who live outside of society's cultural gender norms have experienced violence, arrest and loss of jobs for centuries. I have personally been yelled at in bathrooms and inappropriately touched by people who think my gender identity means that my private parts are up for grabs. I've also provided pastoral support to Transgender youth who've been kicked out of their homes, set on fire, sexually or physically assaulted, robbed or arrested. Many others live in fear that this violence could come at any moment.

Has any headway been made in changing the plight of Trans people?
As Transgender issues gain more attention in the media and with LGBTQ church groups who are educating congregations, society is beginning to understand the diversity of experiences Transgender people take. Within most faith and Christian denominations, there are groups of Trans individuals working to help their branch of faith become aware of the issues that affect Transgender people. The Human Rights Campaign's Religion and Faith Department has excellent resources for faith communities and I have worked with them and other Trans pastors to create preaching reassures for pastors to use with their congregations.

Lutherans have a group called Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries who have been very helpful for my journey and advocate not only for LGBTQ pastors, but also those in school training to become pastors as they go through the church credentialing process.

You looked so happy at the installation. Can you describe your feeling that night?
My tears of weeping have turned to tears of joy. Many people were surprised that Grace called me because they weren't at the forefront of gay pride parades or lobbying for LGBTQ folks at the church. They did not call a Transgender pastor to make a statement, they called me because they like my sermons, bible study and ideas for growing the congregation. This is the future I want for the church and the world, a vision that sees beyond color and identity and embodies the all encompassing love of God.

To read more from Pastor Megan Rohrer, please visit her blog at: RevRohrer.blogspot.com