Trans Spirituality – Memorial Day Special
Rabbah Dr. Rona Matlow urges you to remember the transgender soldiers, many who died while they were still in the closet, on Memorial Day.
Tag: spirituality
Trans Spirituality – Passover 24 Edition
As trans people, we face a similar Exodus when we transition. We are in bondage in our birth sex, facing myriad forms of oppression, internally and externally. If we are fortunate enough to transition, and have adequate support, we can cast off many of the chains of that bondage and move “across the sea” to a new life of freedom as our true selves.
Heavy Issues Need Self-Care
This month Rabbah Rona Matlow is dealing with a couple of heavy issues and she is sure sure many trans readers will resonate with them. The first involves having PTSD and ASD. The second is planning for the inevitability of aging and the changes it brings.
Trans Spirituality – Black History Month Special
Every February in the United States, we commemorate Black History Month. We remember the horrible oppression done to those of African descent in this country, and we note the continued oppression that Black people face. We study and hopefully work to remit the horrible generational trauma that Black people live with, along with the myriad […]
Trans Spirituality – Winter Holiday Special
Well, it’s that time of year again. The winter holiday season. Hanukkah started on December 7 this year. The new moon is December 12, and of course the solstice is December 21. Christmas, for those who observe it is December 25 and Kwanza begins December 26. We won’t have a solar/lunar darkness as we did a couple years ago, but it is still a very dark time of year.
Patriarchy and Politics
Rabbah Rona Matlow believes that religious orthodoxy, Jewish and Christian, has corrupted biblical and other religious texts to defend the oppression of trans people. According to the Hebrew Bible and the rabbinic commentaries that follow it, sex and gender have ALWAYS been non-binary. Politicians use the cherry picked or corrupted text to make trans and nonbinary people into “the other” so they can stay in power. The lesson of the election on November 7 shows the people don’t support the right wing oppression of transgender people.
Happy New Year
Every major religion has language of peace and love in its traditions. Sadly many so-called Christians have stopped reading the parts of their holy book that speaks of peace and love. Of treating your neighbor as you wish to be treated and helping those who are in need of help. Instead there are Christians who want God to smite those with whom they disagree. They pray for storms and floods to afflict those they see as enemies while ignoring our shared humanity.
Hard Times for Trans People
Rabbah Rona Matlow, like many transgender folks in the USA is feeling stressed over the continuing attacks by right wing politicians on the LGBTQ+s community. If she thought there was any other place to migrate to she would seriously consider going there. But she knows the answer to the situation we’re in. Everyone needs to vote the haters out of the legislatures and replace them with legislators who will repeal the anti-trans laws.
Mistranslations and Deliberate Inaccuracies
The Christian community in the U.S. reads their bibles in English, and they don’t care about the inaccuracies (many of them deliberate) that exist in those translations. They fiercely believe those translations come from God, so they must be right – no matter that there are many translations, and they often contradict each other. The danger to trans people comes from this evangelical right that believes the inaccurate translations and forget to love their neighbor.
Why Does the GOP Attack Transgender People?
The right wing is displaying downright paranoia over transgender people. We continue to see record numbers of attacks against trans people in the US. As a result of this, some trans activists urge trans people to arm themselves for self-defense. Why do conservatives engage in attacks, both legislative and physical? Rabbah Rona feels that much of it has to do with their interpretation of Christianity.
Trans Day of Visibility Special
Friday March 31 was Transgender Day of Visibility. This is a day where we work to bring ourselves out and bring justice for those in our community who are being oppressed. Rabbah Rona writes that this year TDOV happened the weekend before Passover begins and there are connections between TDOV and Passover.
Help the Haters?
Haters gonna hate. Hate based on lies and misinformation. The LGBTQ+ community doesn’t have an “agenda” that menaces straight white people. The existence of transgender people doesn’t take away things or threaten white, straight men. But lies spread to get votes cause real suffering. Rabbah Rona writes about the situation and suggests a possible path to rebuke the lies.
The Moon Influences More Than the Tides
For millennia humans have felt that the Moon affects behavior on Earth. Some said the full Moon makes people crazy, or just loony. Others believe the Moon controls fertility determining when a woman can become pregnant. Rabbi Rona Matlow has made some observations that seem to connect certain phases of the Moon with the perpetration of violence on our planet. Could she be right?
Trauma Passed Down
Rabbah Rona Matlow recently submitted a scholarly paper about generational trauma in the Book of Genesis, in the Hebrew Bible. She has found evidence that the trauma experienced by previous generations is passed down to children and grandchildren of those who experienced the original pain. Not only does she find it in the Book of Genesis but in members of the transgender community.
Aging While Trans and Happy Holidays
We again this year have the Winter Solstice occur with a new moon, making things extremely dark. This is why so many far northern cultures developed the Yule festivals in the first place. Of course practices from the Yule are what are seen now in the Christmas tree, the Hanukkah and Kwanzaa candles and many other winter holiday features. We work to bring light into a very dark time in our lives.
Trans Spirituality, Sukkot
Rabbah Rona Matlow writes about the Fall Festival of Sukkot. A celebration that requires Jews to make a temporary structure outside their homes. The structure is meant to remind the faithful of the image of God spreading a Sukkah or covering of Peace over them as they lay down to sleep.
Who Are the Real Sinners?
Right wing evangelicals have an agenda. Rabbah Rona Matlow feels that their agenda is very much anchored in white supremacy. Somehow the “Christian” evangelicals always fail to follow the teachings of Christ. Rabbah Rona can quote from the Bible on how Christians are supposed to relate to other people and to God. Read on to find out who the real sinners are.
Roots of the Evangelical Attack on Our Rights
Rabba Rona Matlow feels that many of those who consider themselves to be Christians are not following the words of Jesus. They rely on religious texts that vary in meaning from the original texts which were written in ancient languages. The poorly translated texts that make up the evangelical Bible are what those on the right use to justify their attacks on LGBTQ+ people. Rona has studied the original scrolls that indicate God is not interested in what body houses the soul.
Trans Spirituality – PRIDE and JUNETEENTH Special Edition
Rabbah Rona Matlow connects Pride with Juneteenth and demonstrates how God created us in God’s image and we were created with infinite possibility of sex and gender. And an infinite possibility of sexuality. Therefore, gay, straight, bi, pan, poly – it’s all kosher.
The Lesson of Isaiah, Chapter 11
Raba Rona Matlow feels that If more people could learn meaning of Isaiah chapter 11, perhaps we would have fewer trans murders, and less anti-trans legislation. Perhaps we could just live as PEOPLE, have jobs, housing, healthcare, etc. Read on for hir thoughts on what that might be like.
Trans Spirituality – April 2022
Rabbah Rona wonders why people who profess to abide by the rules of their religion often seem to only follow some of the rules while ignoring the instructions to love thy neighbor, lift up the least of us, and don’t oppress strangers.
Be Happy, it’s Adar
Rabbah Rona Matlow takes a look at the the section of the Torah that bans crossdressing in order to prevent “sexual licentiousness.” But crossdressing is often a part of the celebration of Purim. So which is it? No crossdressing or it’s okay for Purim? Rabbah Rona comments.
Trans Spirituality 12/13/21
The end of year holidays are meant to bring joy and happiness but for many people, particularly members of the LGBTQ community, the holidays can be the opposite of happy. Holiday cheer can turn to depression as loneliness, unemployment, and other issues make problems seem insurmountable. Rabbah Rona Matlow reminds us that there is help and you are not alone.
Trans Spirituality, 9/20/21
Rabbah Rona Matlow reminds us that “haters are gonna hate” and the only way to undermine their hate is with education. People who assault and murder trans people are sinning in the eyes of all religions. No matter that they often use their interpretation of their religion to justify ridding the world of “sinners”.
Trans Spirituality 7/26/21
Rabbah Rona Matlow points out that many people who consider themselves to be Christians fail to follow the words of Jesus. He said to love God first and after that love your neighbor as you love yourself. So many find justification in the Bible to allow them to hate, senselessly. Listen to what the Rabbah advises.
Trans Spirituality – Memorial Day 2021 Special
Two years ago Rabbah Rona Matlow published a paper with evidence showing that interfering with gender transition is prohibited by Jewish Law. Ze provided evidence such as the National Trans Discrimination Survey, other sociological research, and then went to texts in the Torah, Talmud and Shulhan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law) which show that “saving a life overrides all biblical laws!”
