On Wednesday, November 14, 2012, by unanimous vote of the Board of Directors of BJUnity, Rev. Sr. Elena Kelly , Bob Jones University’s first “preacher girl,” the foundress of an interfaith convent, and transgender activist, became the newest member of BJUnity’s board of directors, representing the interests of the trans+ members of our BJUnity community. Since her pre-transition ordination by Bob Jones, Jr. in the mid-1980s, Sister Elena’s ministry has been characterized by love and inclusion wherever she has worked. Since her transition, which she began in 2008, Sr. Elena has been a vocal advocate and activist for the LGBT+ community in California’s Central Valley, where she lives and works, and she is frequently asked to speak on issues of gender identity and faith at conferences around the country. In 2010, her Salon.com article “I always knew I was a girl” detailed her personal journey from childhood to her 2008 realization, while watching the film La Vie en Rose, that who she has always known herself to be was someone she could embrace fully. In addition to her advocacy experience, she brings a wealth of not-for-profit management experience to BJUnity’s board.
Rev. Sr. Elena Kelly
Sr. Elena’s appointment to the BJUnity board could not come at a more crucial time. Tuesday, November 20, 2012 marks the sixth annual International Transgender Day of Remembrance, in which the entire world is asked to remember and reflect on the lives of those transgender individuals throughout the world — including the USA — who lost their lives in the past year to horrifying violence, simply for living as who they are. On Saturday, November 17, one of BJUnity’s own transgender individuals was profiled in an article for Truth Wins Out, having very recently lost her job and previous close ties with her family after announcing her intention to transition.
All transgender people face misunderstanding and prejudice in their communities. In twenty-nine states, there are no laws protecting transgender people from employment discrimination. Families and friends often do not understand, and previously close relationships are strained. Many trans+ people face violence and hate crimes in their communities. But for transgender people in the fundamentalist movement, the violent rhetoric about sexual orientation and gender identity that has emanated from Bob Jones University’s chapel platform for decades compounds these risks to their safety and well-being. The profound cognitive dissonance that trans+ people experience is further exacerbated by a religious message that demands their conformity to gender stereotypes against their own natural inclinations and castigates them for their experience of their own identity.
BJUnity’s mission is to challenge BJU and other fundamentalist organizations to temper their harsh rhetoric — seeking understanding and abandoning judgment — and to affirm and empower trans+ people affected by fundamentalist Christianity. Currently, the BJUnity community includes several trans+ individuals. We believe there are others who need the love and acceptance, as well as the network of friendship and community that BJUnity provides. We look forward to the ways in which Sr. Elena will help us better understand and more fully support the trans+ people of BJUnity.
In a statement to the BJUnity community on Thursday, Sister Elena said “it is a distinct honor for me to be elected to the BJUnity board. I look forward to working with you all for the betterment of LGBTQ people, and especially those who have been harmed by fundamentalism. I am delighted to be a voice for my beloved transgender community as we all work for true equality.”
A number of excellent resources for understanding the unique experiences of transgender people exist on the internet. The following links are just a few of many great resources we hope you will explore as you seek ways to love, understand, and support trans+ people in your faith community:
- “A Transgender Nun on Gender Non-conforming Theology,” Rev. Sr. Elena Kelly, BJUnity.org
- “Trans 101 for Faith Communities,” Becky Garrison, BelieveOutLoud.com
- “Transgender Faith Leaders Help Create Welcoming Communities,” Miriam Lazewatky, GLAAD.org
Voices of Witness: Out of the Box, Documentary, Integrity USA
Jeffrey Hoffman
Executive Director
BJUnity