Blessed Are the Binary Breakers

Jayne X Praxis (she/they) is many things — she’s Buddhist and a tantric witch; she’s an ordained minister and a Satanist; she’s a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence and a licensed therapist — but above all, Jayne is forever becoming more and more their authentic self, and they invite you to do the same through curiosity, humor, and embodied self-exploration.

Content Warning: swearing and sex talk; religious trauma; mentions of childhood sexual trauma.

Click here for the episode transcript.

Talking Points:

• (0:00) Introducing Jayne
• (2:05) Growing up with a conservative minister father, anti-sex views; coming out as bisexual in college and engaging in gender-fuckery
• (6:30) Adding Jayne to their name, rolling it back after getting married, returning to gender fuckery and embracing nonbinary identity after divorce
• (12:49) Exploring spirituality: DnD; Wicca and paganism; ordination in the Universal Life Church; Shambhala Buddhism and embodiment
• (22:43) Tantric practices help Jayne recover her body, discover the connections between sexuality and gender
• (26:06) Resisting imposter syndrome to find political and spiritual meaning as a witch; discovering the magic in simply living as trans
• (34:22) The power in naming, sigils, storytelling; sex as spiritual; unlearning sexual shame
• (43:03) Satanism and Lucifer as queer rebel; shock can wake people up!
• (47:17) Sacred clowning: get people thinking by making them laugh; joining the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to spread joy and challenge guilt
• (1:06:00) Wrapping up: embrace authenticity and ask lots of questions

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Visit Jayne's blog: https://paregoric.wordpress.com/

Jayne's Resource Recs:

• Becoming Dangerous: Witchy Femmes, Queer Conjurers, and Magical Rebels by Katie West and Jasmine Elliott (find⁠ here⁠)
• Witches, Sl-ts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive by Kristen J. Sollee (find ⁠here⁠)
• Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chogyam Trungpa (find ⁠here⁠)

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This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Know No No-Nos" by Doctor Turtle

June was Queer Pride Month, July is Disability Pride Month, and that means it's the prime time of year for certain people to remind us that "pride is a sin, didn't you know?" So I called up my dear friend Laura, a fellow disabled trans Christian, to discuss how the kind of pride that marginalized communities use as an antidote to shame is not sinful, but indeed essential in our pursuit of justice and abundant life for all!

Listen as Laura and I — interspersed with excerpts from Eli Clare's 1999 text Exile and Pride — contrast marginalized pride with nationalist, supremacist pride; explain why "awareness" and "acceptance" aren't enough; and emphasize the need to join pride with witness.

Click here for an episode transcript.

Hear more from Laura on their podcast, the Autistic Liberation Theology Podcast. Click here for their website of essays and biblical Playmobil art.

Talking Points:

(0:00) Intro to the topic, Laura, and Eli Clare's book

(4:37) Disabled & queer pride as an antidote to internalized ableism

(12:40) Why awareness & acceptance aren't enough

(17:48) Pride in the essential gifts we bring

(23:47) Pride as sin — opposite of humility vs. opposite of shame; "the last will be first"

(34:50) We need to join pride with witness, remember our history and those we've lost

(44:45) A Christianity we can be proud of? Reclaiming the cross; Autistic Jesus

(52:00) Wrapping up — a final excerpt from Eli Clare

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This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "His Last Share of the Stars" and "I Snost, I Lost" by Doctor Turtle.

Matthew 25:31-46 is sometimes misused to preach hellfire & brimstone, but its focus is on compassion & community, mutual aid in the here & now.

In this sermon, minister Avery Arden explores how the Divine identification with the world's outcasts has empowered disenfranchised Christians to envision Christ as Black, disabled, gay, trans, and more.

Click here for an episode transcript.

Talking Points:

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Resources for Disability Pride Month:

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This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Reality Cartwheeled" and "The Ants Built a City on His Chest" by Doctor Turtle.

Água (they/them) shares the story of their lifelong relationship with Weelaunee Forest, whose leaves form the second half of the lungs that begin in Água's own body. After discussing the Stop Cop City movement's past and present, Água guides us through abolishing the cop in our own head; recognizing the interconnectedness and sacredness of all bodies; and breaking down binaries of "us" versus "them."

Check out Água's own podcast, The Somatic Scribing Podcast, ⁠here or wherever you get podcasts⁠.

Click here for an episode transcript.

Click here for information about the call to gather at Atlanta City Hall on May 15.

Find out about the new, nonviolence-focused Stop Cop City movement space here.

Consider donating to the Atlanta Solidarity fund here.

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Talking Points:

(0:00) Call to action

(2:10) Introducing Água: a queer, Chicanx, trans parent who's spent most of their life in Atlanta on Muscogee territory

(7:10) Água's intimate relationship with Weelaunee Forest; burnout from organized activism that has little room for spirituality

(14:54) Personal spiritual journey; the principles of healing an individual body can be used to heal communal bodies & cultures; the root of Cop City conflict is a disregard for the sacred of Black & Indigenous bodies and of the ecosystem

(22:30) Where does abolition live inside your body? How do you remove the cop in your head?

(26:45) Discussing current ongoing with Cop City — forest entry blocked, clear-cutting; history of the Atlanta Way

(33:14) How and why to get involved

(40:07) How queerness manifests as a liberation practice; nature is really gay; interconnectedness of all life

(43:35) How do we break down binaries built from trauma in our activism? Rehabilitating ex-police?

(50:44 - end) Água's closing blessing; Água's podcast

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This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Lullaby for Democracy" by Doctor Turtle.

For Shining Oak (she/her), activism and queerness have been catalysts for reconnecting to her Jewish faith. Learn about Shining Oak's experiences with the movement to Stop Cop City, from organizing a kid-friendly event for a 2021 Week of Action to attending a powerful Shabbat service in Atlanta's Weelaunee Forest.

Click here for an episode transcript.

Find out about the new, nonviolence-focused Stop Cop City movement space here.

Consider donating to the Atlanta Solidarity fund here.

Talking Points:

(0:00) A new nonviolent movement space; introducing Shining Oak — queer Jewish forest defender

(3:30) First week of action in spring 2021; organizing a kid-friendly event

(9:10) Comparing then and now — larger numbers, more widespread, clearing begun

(15:00) The power of a diverse movement — Jewish members, queer members, BIPOC members, and more

(19:53) Shabbat in the forest

(24:55) Growing up Jewish in a white Christian suburb — pressure to assimilate

(30:45) Get involved with the movement in your own small way; honor Tortuguita's memory

(36:20 - end) Wrapping up with a Jewish rabbi's story of Purim in the forest

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This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "The Ants Built a City on His Chest" by Doctor Turtle.

Learn about the Movement to Defend Atlanta's Forest through the stories of forest defenders for whom queerness and faith intertwine with activism. In this episode, Tov shares the dream that drew them to March's Week of Action, discusses Weelaunee's history and the environmental threat Cop City poses, and uplifts the power of humor in the face of police intimidation.

Click here for an episode transcript.

Support the fight to Stop Cop City by donating to the Stop the Swap lawsuit fundraiser, or to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund.

Click here for information about getting active this upcoming Earth Week, which is also Tortuguita's birth week.

Tov's recs: a zine about Weelaunee Forest; another zine about the Atlanta City Prison Farm

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Talking Points:

(0:00 - 5:10) Intro: some history Weelaunee forest — millennia of Muscogee stewardship followed by colonialism, enslavement, and Black prison labor

(5:11) Getting involved after getting informed; the power of a common cause

(9:00) Tov’s spirituality: a baby mystic who finds a lot of meaning in dreams, accountability to ancestral history

(11:15) The dream that inspired Tov to attend March’s Week of Action: Mother Earth imprisoned 

(15:00) The healing power of community working towards a common goal; the threat of police intimidation

(19:10) Tov's advice: get informed, look to movement elders, assess your risks, laugh at our enemies

(27:20 - end) Wrapping up

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This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Lullaby for Democracy" by Doctor Turtle.

Coal (he/they) is organizing a solidarity group in Springfield, Illinois, for the Movement to Defend Atlanta's Forest and Stop Cop City. He understands that what happens in Atlanta will have wide-reaching impacts — from environmental devastation to the way such a huge, hyper-militarized police training facility would set a precedent for similar projects across the nation.

In this second episode in the Stopping Cop City series, Avery deconstructs "outside agitator" rhetoric, while Coal offers their insights on how to support the movement from afar. Together, they also discuss trans intersections and the power behind being able to laugh at our oppressors.

Check out Coal's Springfield Stop Cop City group @217dtaf on Instagram.

Click here for an episode transcript.

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Talking Points:

(0:00) Avery delves into the rhetoric of "outside agitators," and how it has been used to repress revolution in the US South from the pre-Civil War era, through the Civil Rights Movement, and now with Cop City.

(6:35) Coal discusses his Springfield solidarity group and why everyone should care about the movement to Defend Atlanta's Forest

(12:40) Finding out about the movement through music

(14:33) Coal's visit to Atlanta for March's Week of Action — a concert derailed; protests with passion

(18:30) Connections between the forest movement and movements for trans rights

(22:24) Maintaining energy for the fight — self-care, camaraderie, the power of memes & humor

(29:20 - end) Wrapping up — what's going on right now with forest clearing

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Further reading:

⁠Click here for the article Coal recommended⁠ on how Cop City opposition has spread beyond Atlanta.

⁠For more on the history of rhetoric about "outside agitators," click here⁠.

Finally, ⁠find ways you can help Stop Cop City here⁠.

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This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Beaconsfield Villas Stomp" by Doctor Turtle.

Learn about the Movement to Stop Cop City and Defend Atlanta's Forest through the stories of forest defenders for whom queerness and faith intertwine with activism. In this first episode, Siihasin describes their experiences as a Diné nádleehi, frontliner, and land defender.

Siihasin was one of around 20 Indigenous two spirit persons invited to the latest Stop Cop City Week of Action to facilitate conversations around Indigenous sovereignty, land rights & protection, and Black liberation & solidarity. How can activist movements work to protect and center their most vulnerable members?

Click here for an episode transcript.

Click here for more information about the Movement to Defend Atlanta's Forest.

Support the fight to Stop Cop City by donating to the Stop the Swap lawsuit fundraiser, or to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund.

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Talking Points:

(0:00 - 8:50) Avery offers a basic introduction to the Movement to Stop Cop City and Defend Atlanta's Weelaunee Forest.

(8:51) Siihasin is a two spirit nádleehi of the Diné nation; invited to Weelaunee Forest to help facilitate conflict management among defenders

(15:00) Navigating connection and tension — diversity of the forest defenders; Muscogee ceremonies surveilled by police

(23:00) The Week of Action showcased a wide spectrum of action, from camping & skillsharing to youth marches — all recognizing that all forms of life are under attack from Cop City

(25:38) What it’s like to be Native while camping in the forest — targeted by police; remembering Tortuguita

(32:30) The myth of “outside agitators”; recognizing Afro-Indigenous solidarity as central to all our liberation

(41:32) What it means to be two spirit — an Indigenous umbrella term; targeted by colonizers

(48:00) Siihasin’s personal experience as a nádleehi centered on protecting their people — growing up problematized by Western medicine; learning they are not broken from Diné family

(57:45) Intra-movement conflict management and respecting intersections is crucial to liberation

This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Reality Cartwheeled" by Doctor Turtle.

The world is a scary place right now — particularly for trans people. Our youth are being targeted. Our bodily autonomy is under threat. We are made into scapegoats by extremists who want to eradicate us. In these tumultuous times, where is the hope?

In this special episode, you'll hear from people of various genders and faith experiences about what keeps them going — from Higher Powers to the power of storytelling; and from friendship & solidarity to the natural world.

Click here for an episode transcript.

Talking points:

(0:00) Complicating hope — not to be confused with toxic positivity, and not at odds with hopelessness

(4:30) Naiomi Gonzalez (she/they): hope in lamentation and bringing fears & pain to God

(10:40) Avery (they/ze): hoping against hope that Cop City will never be built

(15:29) Amir (he/him): chronic pain & the power of a friend who shares your experience

(17:05) K Kriesel: (they/them): When an old support system ceases to support you — K’s journey from white feminism into “the chaos of the physical world”

(20:50) Avery: the power of rallies – even when they “fail”

(24:40) Eric Sharp (he/him) rewatches The Good Place for encouragement and reminders that there are no easy answers

(28:12 - 34:22) Rosie’s (she/her) temple is nature and scripture is poetry; ending with “Good Bones” by Maggie Smith

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Where to find some of this episode's guests:

- Naoimi Gonzalez is on Instagram and Substack @faithfullyradicalchristian, on Tiktok @faithfullyradical, on Twitter @faithfullyradi1.

- K Kriesel is at kkriesel.com and on Instagram and Facebook @kkrieselart. Click here for K's Google Doc of Nonbinary spiritual resources. Listen to episode 65 for a full conversation with K.

- Eric Sharp practices therapy at Best Life Mental Health Services in Louisville, Kentucky. Listen to episode 53 for a full conversation with Eric.

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Learn about and Support the Movement to Defend Atlanta's Forest & Stop Cop City:

- https://defendtheatlantaforest.org/

- This Twitter thread contains basic 101 in the form of shareable infographics.

- The Atlanta Solidarity Fund helps pay for lawyers and bail for arrested defenders.

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Blessed  Are the Binary Breakers is part of the Rock Candy Podcast Network. Find more shows at www.rockcandyrecordings.com.

This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "The Encouragement Stick" and "Reality Cartwheeled" by Doctor Turtle.

In the anti-trans flood, I don't want my anger and hurt to wither into bitterness; I want to channel it into planting a garden of trans joy, queer rest, intersectional justice.

Click here for the episode transcript.

Content warning: anti-trans rhetoric & legislation, swearing.

Talking points:

(0:00 - 2:07) Garden dreams

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Blessed  Are the Binary Breakers is part of the Rock Candy Podcast Network. Find more shows at www.rockcandyrecordings.com.

This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Beaconsfield Villas Stomp" and "The Ants Built a City on His Chest" by Doctor Turtle.