Dear Mr. Barber,
My name is Ryan McGivern, I am a faithful Irish Catholic and I wanted to share that your comments on the appointment of Amanda Simpson as Senior Technical Advisor within the Commerce Department were hurtful to many Christians.
I wonder what ‘political correctness’ means to you. Does it mean being compassionate towards others?
Or are you using ‘political correctness’ in the false understanding it bore in the 1990′s to discredit justice work along racial, gender/sex identities, and other social constructs?
It seems from your statements, you are belittling the success of this woman, and not giving her the same integrity and respect you would to any other woman.
I love Christ and I love transgendered people. I know a number of Trans Christians and we have worshiped alongside each other and I am glad to share in the same Spirit.
I leave you with this question: What would happen if the love of Christ was so real that it could celebrate all peoples’ successes and applaud the labor of each person?
Would that be a scary thing?
The progress of Trans folk in America will not be diminished with ‘political correctness’ rhetoric.
Yours, Ryan McGivern
Contact J. Matt Barber:
jmbarber@liberty.edu
434 592 5300
January 6, 2010 at 8:21 am
Fantastic letter Ryan – wholeheartedly agree with you.
January 6, 2010 at 8:26 am
Actually I hope you don’t mind Ryan, but I used extracts of your letter in my own blog. I found your words very profound and think they added nicely to my article. I have linked and trackbacked.
http://viewsacrossthepond.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/a-great-leap-forward-congratulations-amanda-simpson/
January 6, 2010 at 8:28 am
[...] It seems from your statements, you are belittling the success of this woman, and not giving her the same integrity and respect you would to any other woman. (Mindflowers.net) [...]
January 6, 2010 at 8:40 am
Wait how am I belittling the success of Simpson? I am very much in favor of her appointment and am also very much a supporter of the TG community. At the same time I also wished we lived in a society that being trans was not an issue – that they can step out of their front door without people pointing fingers or calling “freak” – they are not freaks. This issue is VERY personal to me. I have alot of understanding of transgenderism and like most transgender people it’s not about waving flags and saying “look at me”, but acceptance to the point where no one will care if you are trans. As Simpson herself said: “I’d rather not be the first but someone has to be first, or among the first. I think I’m experienced and very well qualified to deal with anything that might show up because I’ve broken barriers at lots of other places and I always win people over with who I am and what I can do.” She wants to be accepted for what she does not what she is.
But I do find this a celebration – and I can only hope it is a step forward.
January 6, 2010 at 8:45 am
Oops, I’ve never seen a ping back before, it seems to have picked up a bit of your post and I misread – I am truly sorry for that.
January 7, 2010 at 10:21 am
Emma:
Thanks for your kind words and thanks for reading us!
Though originating from a misread, I really appreciate your words and thoughts.
I am hoping that Mr. Barber and others will be moved not only by the reasonableness of full celebration of Trans folk, but also be moved by all our shared humanity and deserved dignity.
Mr. Barber is in a place of Christian leadership as he is a teaching professor at a evangelical Christian college and I hoped with my letter to appeal to the core of his faith. It hurts my heart deeply to know the love possible through Christianity in LGBT celebrating churches is not only neglected but ridiculed in other churches.
Thank you for your advocacy and justice work, Emma! I’m hoping that the negativity caused by Mr Barber and others will be covered over by the overwhelming love and courage of those standing up for a better, more saintly world.
Yours, Ryan
January 8, 2010 at 2:55 am
Hey Ryan yeah sometimes I should learn to step back but thank you for seeing past that. And as you said on my own blog, I am so glad I found yours. Your letter shows a maturity that seems to be missing from someone like Barber. I wish he would listen, I can’t say I am optimistic enough to believe he will but the fact that people like yourself take the time to respond to him maturely and empathically is how things should be done. Congratulations again and I look forward to reading more from you in the future.