Something to think about

A friend has this as her facebook status. It made me think, and hopefully it will make you think too.

"If I turned around every time somebody called me a faggot, I'd be walking backward - and I don't want to walk backward." Harvey Milk

Fellow RI Bloggers

Since, I've shown that I'm not the best at blogging everyday (going to try really hard from now on by the way) here are links to a couple of other Rhode Islanders who are blogging here from General Convention.

Deputy Gunn is continuing to post on his blog Seven Whole Days.

Deputy Locke is reporting back to St. Paul's Pawtucket via our parish blog St. Paul's Reflections.

I highly recommend both blogs, along with this one, to your daily reading and enjoyment for the update on what's happening here in Anaheim and once we have returned home to carry on the work of the Church.

A little bit of media coverage

Here are a couple of articles I came across this morning on the work towards full inclusion that is going on here in Anaheim.


USA Today


NY Times

Full Inclusion

Here in Anaheim, the Episcopal Church is doing great things. We are striving to offer all the sacraments for all the baptized. Sunday the House of Deputies passed resolution D025 and the House of Bishops passed it Monday with Amendment so it comes back to the Deputies one last time. D025 is in my humble opinion the best resolution we have been presented to get us beyond B033. Deputy Snow does it again!

Yesterday, the House of Deputies dealt with resolution C061. We'll find out the vote this morning. Check out my testimony elsewhere on this blog to get a little bit of my take on this resolution.

Coming soon to the House of Deputies is resolution D012 on transgender civil rights that I wrote with Massachusetts Deputy Byron Rushing and California Deputy Sarah Lawton. There is a resolution on fully inclusive ENDA, inclusive language on church paper work, same-sex blessings and marriages, there is a resolution on non-discrimination of lay employment, and I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting.

It brings great joy to my heart to be able to sit on the floor of the House of Deputies and work in a very real way for the Church to stand up for me, to tell me I'm not a second class citizen, to tell me that I am a child of God and loved. More news to come . . .

Resolution C061

Here is the text of the Resolution I testified to yesterday.

Resolved, the House of _______ concurring, That Title III, Canon 1, Sec. 2 of the Canons of the Episcopal Church is hereby amended to read as follows: all baptized persons shall have full access to the discernment process for any ministry, lay or ordained in this church, except as otherwise provided by these canons. No person shall e denied access or have their discernment process terminated because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disabilities or age, except as otherwise provided by these Canons. No right to licensing, ordination, or election is hereby established.

C061 Testimony

So I've been really bad about posting about what has been going on. I'm hoping to catch up in the morning, but for now here is my testimony to resolution C061 - resolution to add gender identity and gender expression to the Church's ministry canon (III.1.2).

Deputy Tavolaro, Rhode Island.

I am 19 years old, and active member of this Church, and I identify as Transgender. For me that means I am biologically female, but I live and identify as male. I know for most of you this is a new topic and while this is the second General Convention to deal with Transgender issues, I believe it is the first time this issue has come to the floor of our house.

Gender identity and gender expression are not the same as sexual orientation. Gender identity refers to who you are, while sexual orientation refers to whom you love.

Transgender people - whether known or unknown - serve in various capacities both lay and ordained within the Church. As a Church when we fail to recognize the humanity of all people we fail to proclaim the Gospel, we fail to live out our Baptismal Covenant, we fail to respect the dignity of every human being. many of my Transgender siblings have been explicitly rejected in their Church homes when their chosen names and pronouns are not used.

I love this Church with all my heart and soul, by adding Gender Identity and Gender Expression to our ministry canon it will serve as a beacon of hope - for myself, the trans community, and all people who wonder whether they are truly welcome in this Church.

Day 2: July 9

Yesterday was crazy. It started bright an early with a 7am hearing for committee 9 - National and International Concern. The TransEpiscopal folks were there to discuss two resolutions - D012 (the resolution I helped write on Transgender Civil Rights) and a resolution on a fully inclusive ENDA (Employment Non-discrimination Act). I didn't write out what I said, but it must have been ok since several people including Louie Crew and Bishop Tom Shaw came up to me after to tell me what a good job I did. We are very, very hopeful for resolution D012. I'm pretty sure it is going to get out of committee and we'll hear it on the floor of the house.

Then it was back to the room for breakfast and then off to the Public Narrative Project. Despite being very unhappy about it, I went. I told my story of self. The story I choose was about testifying at Committee 8 and my fears and reservations around that. The group thought I did such a great job that they nominated me to be the one recommended from our group to do something - honestly it was to early to remember.

After that it was off to worship. I recommend reading Scott Gunn's piece over at Seven Whole Days to read more on that. I think he is spot on.

After worship was lunch, which I did brown bag style at a Chicago Consultation speakers presentation which was great. Hopefully more on that later.

Then listened to a good portion of the Marriage Equality hearing while working on one final trans resolution to submit by 5pm that afternoon.

Ran around to get my resolution in and then off to the legislative session for the day. I can't say more than that, because I will get to frustrated with those voting doohickeys.

Dinner was great. Then the B033 hearings and bed. Another long day!

Committee 8 Testimony

Deputy Tavolaro Diocese of Rhode Island

Earlier this evening, the House of Deputies adopted resolution D027 Mission Strategy: Five Marks of Mission. Within these five marks includes the following "to respond to human need by loving service" and "to seek to transform unjust structures of society." The adoption of resolution C001 would begin the church's work in fulfilling these five marks of mission. Transgender people are an incredibly vulnerable population within the Church and the society at large. Only 13 states and Washington D.C. include gender identity and gender expression in their civil non-discrimination policies. By including gender identity and expression in out church canon we will be witnessing not only to the Transgender population but also to the whole of society. We will begin to heal wounds of those we have excluded and we will be a church that welcomes all. This resolution does not ask The Episcopal Church to become experts on Transgender issues. This resolution asks the Church to include all God's children. I urge you to recommend to adopt C001. Thank you.

Day 1: July 8

I must say it was a bit daunting to be on the Floor of the House of Deputies. Most of our first sessions was a lot of ritual. But, all and all still pretty cool. Most of my day spent following committees, going to legislative sessions of the House of Deputies and going to committee hearings. It seems as if it was so long ago, but in reality it was two days ago. I did however testify at a hearing for committee #8 (World Mission) on canonical changes to include gender identity and expression to Canon III.1.2. This at it's surface is no different than the rallies and whatnot I've spoken at back in Rhode Island. However there is one detail of this committee that is a bit more . . . scary. Bishop Wolf - my Diocesan Bishop - is the Bishop Chair of committee 8. I'm sure, just like I always do, I was stressed and worried for no reason. I'll keep posting the status of resolutions. Check out the next post for my testimony.

Blogging Ubuntu Style

Here is my plan for blogging Ubuntu style 2009. Each day I will give a run down of what I've done. Hopefully that will give you a taste of the life of a deputy. Then around particular issues or events I will try to post more detailed and focused entries. Feel free to comment on anything if you have questions or want more information on something.

The day before day 1

Yesterday was an absolutely crazy day. I woke excited and ready for the day. I remembered how busy General Convention was last time around, but I had no idea what a deputy was in for.

My day started yesterday morning at about 6:45. I woke up, got ready, had breakfast, and made my way over to the convention center for New Deputy Orientation. I was excited to be greeted by my fellow New Deputies from Rhode Island with the news that our orientation had been canceled. We were all extremely elated. Orientation was supposed to take place form 8 - 12. So instead I enjoyed a little sun standing outside the convention center and then went to committee hearings. Unlike the rest of my deputation, I'm floating around and not focusing on one particular committee. As a result of my work with TransEpiscopal and Integrity I'm following several of the LGBT issues. I spent a little bit of time in committee 9 (National and International Concerns) and then the majority of the 8 - 12 slot at committee 8 (World Missions). I'll post more on committees later. I grabbed a quick bit to eat in the exhibit hall and then made my way to the Program, Budget, and Finance budget priorities hearing. I got there about five minutes late and was standing in the doorway. I didn't end up staying long, because I couldn't really hear anything. I walked about the exhibit hall for about fifteen minutes and then at 2pm I made my way over to the worship space where the PB/PHOD (Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies) were addressing us. Then we had an introduction to the public narrative project (definitely more on this later). After that it was dinner at IHop, and interview for IntegriTV, some time in the deputation hospitality room, then back to my room with some RI folks to watch Disney's fireworks from my balcony. At 10pm I made my way over to the Courtyard Marriott for the Integrity daily briefing and our first meeting of the TransEpiscopal General Convention team. I made it back to my room just after midnight. So I guess you can say that it was a busy day. The craziest part about it . . . the convention had even started yet.

A Story of Ubuntu

Right before I left to come out to General Convention I was sitting at 3 Sisters - a local coffee place that I tend to frequent - and I got a call from a priest in my diocese. She wanted to wish me well on my journey to General Convention and tell me a story of her son. Knowing her son, as she told me the story I became so incredibly proud.

Her son is about 14 and for the past academic year attended a Roman Catholic school. He tried to be part of getting a GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) started at his school. He doesn't identify as gay, but is a wonderful ally. As soon as he started working, he started getting picked on. He started to face the same homophobia that so many of us in the LGBT community faced in high school. He picked up a cross that didn't have to be his own. He feels that there is nothing wrong with being LGBT, and feels that it is incredibly unjust that LGBT people have to face the things they do. At the end of the school year he, his parents, and some administrators form the school met to talk about all the crap he was taking during the year. They were working on giving him the tools to stand up for himself. He's now - if I remember correctly - off to another school and looks like he will continue his fight there.

There have been two phrases I've heard church leadership use to describe Ubuntu - this Convention's theme. "I in you and you in me" and "I am because you are". This young boy picked up this fight, made it part of him, because of what so many of us have faced and will continue to face.

I left for convention two days later holding this story in my heart. I left with with a real life example of Ubuntu.

General Convention

Hello All!

I'm here at General Convention just arrived in my hotel room for the evening after the first of many long days. On this eve of the first legislative day, I promise that tomorrow will bring several blog posts about some thoughts and such about the past day and the days ahead. For now I'm taking a point of personal privilege and catching some shut eye so I can serve my best during out first legislative session tomorrow!