Thank you for your expert handling of the topic of religion in our forum. I imagine you may have known that many of our members would be distrustful of anyone talking "religion" in a transgender forum.
We have been persecuted and marginalized by many of the self-righteous religious folks. Yet, there is a group of believers who don't rush to judgment -- who support us. Their voices often can't be heard over the ruckus created by the zealots. But, there are religious people who support LGBT rights and who don't rush to judgment.
I believe we need to be careful not to characterize all religious believers as zealots. Many of them are kind, decent people. When we hear someone talking about their religious beliefs, and instantly lash out at them, I think we run the risk of losing an ally in our attempts to be accepted into the mainstream of society.
Although I'm not religious, I have many friends who are. I respect them and their right to believe as they wish. Some of them are among my very best friends. They have supported me and I love them.
As if I didn't have enough already!
