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In last week's issue we wrote that Pride month is an opportunity for education. One of the first things to do when attempting to make the church a safer place for 2SLGBTQIA+ people is to educate oneself.  And one of the best places to start is with basic 2SLGBTQ+ terminology.  Deacon Sherri Coman of The Eastern Synod of the ELCIC has prepared this reflective overview of terminology. It is a little long-ish, but more than what a list of simple definitions can do , it leads to "better understanding of the ways in which Pride is an expression of a fullness of relationship among peoples who share a common margin in society." 

PEOPLE OVER DEFINITIONS
The folx* at Reconciling Works offers this encouragement, "If you don’t know which identity terms, pronouns or titles to use, and find yourself getting “stuck” on terms, re-center yourself on the fact you are talking about a person. . . Remember, all you need to welcome someone is their name."

* While the word "folks" is already gender-neutral, the term "folx" is used to specifically display inclusion of gender-queer, transgender and agender folks. While the original "folks" doesn't inherently exclude anyone, using the "x" can signal that you're aware of people who might identify outside the binary.