Derek loves his family - a podcast by Avery Smith

Derek Guy has a lot of love to give: for his family, for the youth he's worked with, and for communities where he can fully be himself as a Black trans man. 

In this episode, Derek describes how he's been able to transform his traumatic experiences with church hurt and attending a conversion therapy camp into strength he uses to serve youth and adults as a social worker. He talks about identifying more as spiritual than Christian, believing in a higher power and, with his wife, doing what he can to give his son a solid foundation in spirituality. 

Derek also talks about the life-giving power of finding communities where he feels supported and welcomed, and the pain and frustration when communities fail to be that -- with concrete advice to communities that want to learn to be more inclusive! 

Derek wants listeners to know he can be found on most social media sites if you search DerekJGuy -- check him out! 

Talking points:

- Introducing Derek: from Atlanta to Louisville  (0:00 - 3:35)

- Church: goes to Bible studies, not worship services; work to do regarding trans inclusion (3:36 - 5:17)

- Identifies as spiritual; thoughts on the Bible; raised Christian (5:18 - 8:08)

- Conversion camp -- "voluntarily" went so he could be a youth mentor -- church hurt and love, trauma and strength (8:09 - 12:59)

- The church that sent him to conversion camp is affirming now -- the consequences of ignorance (13:00 - 15:25)

- Coming out -- to his dad 4 times, to his mom, to his family (15:26 - 21:45)

- The power of community: the Black Trans Conference of America; advocating for trans kids at work (21:46 - 24:49)

- Giving his son the resources to make his own choices -- gender and religion (24:50 - 32:25)

- Thoughts on theology -- hard to find accessible queer theology; politics of church structure (32:26 - 36:59)

- Slow-going trans inclusion -- the bathroom issue (37:00 - 40:20)

- Derek's specific advice for churches on bathroom signs, inclusive language, gendered groups, etc. (40:21 - 47:17)

- Why trans inclusion NEEDS to be a priority: we are an "endangered" group (47:18 - 52:20)

- LGBT groups have this issue too -- LGB needs to remember the T (and POC); Derek had to step down as Mr. KPF (52:21 - 55:40)

- "people only care about trans people when we're dying, not when we're trying to live;" we are forceful because this is an urgent situation (55:41 - 59:45)

- Pain around baptism; "It made me feel rejected .... That's when I did stop going to church" (59:46 - 1:04:20)

- Still he stays -- still has found community in this church, and so has his son (1:04:21 - 1:07:05)

- "Find your people" (1:07:06 - end)

Further episodes of Blessed Are the Binary Breakers

Further podcasts by Avery Smith

Website of Avery Smith