Being Transgender and a Person of Faith

Martina G. Ramirez, PhD is Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and Professor of Biology at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). Her areas of research are conservation biology, population genetics and evolutionary biology of spiders. Prior to LMU, Dr. Ramirez was a professor at Pomona College, CA (1991-1993); Bucknell University, PA (1993-1996); Denison University, OH (1996-1998); and East Stroudsburg University, PA (1998-1999). Dr. Ramirez received the Rudinica Award for Student-Faculty Research from LMU’s Seaver College of Science and Engineering (2012); a Biology Mentor Award from the Council on Undergraduate Research (2013); and an LGBTQ+ Mentor Award from LMU’s LGBT Student Services Office (2016).

CENTERING WISDOM

1. Reflection: Have you been in spaces that discuss faith and gender identities? If so, what has the narrative been? If not, why might that be?

2. Reflection: What does your spiritual or faith tradition tell you about gender?

3. Activity: In small groups discuss questions you wish people would ask about one of your identities, or discuss things you would like to share about your experiences in regards to one of your identities.

CHECK OUT THESE LINKS

The Gender Gap in Religion Around the World Links to an external site.

Listen to the L.G.B.T. person: a response to the Vatican’s gender theory document Links to an external site.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans are less religious than straight adults by traditional measures Links to an external site.