אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה I Am That I Am
Jae Bates Jae Bates

אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה I Am That I Am

All I know is that being transgender is mysterious and I live out my gender as I live out my faith. I live with the genuine conviction that this is the truest truth I can understand & the humility to say that there is nothing I can do to prove that either is objectively and scientifically provable. Simply speaking, I am who I am and to the great I Am That I Am, אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, I belong.

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Good News Everyone
Jae Bates Jae Bates

Good News Everyone

Christian White Nationalists don’t own Jesus, don’t own the Bible, and don’t own the word “evangelical.” I’m on a mission to put this word back where it belongs and use it the way it was meant to be used.

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It’s about Dam Time
Jae Bates Jae Bates

It’s about Dam Time

What if instead of waiting for the government to swing back & save us, we acted more like beavers who knew our natural skills, resources, worth, and instead relied on our community to fix the problems we know are affecting us?

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Your refusal to engage is killing us
Jae Bates Jae Bates

Your refusal to engage is killing us

When I read the posts of cisgender people declaring that they would like to be free of anyone transphobic in their life, I think “What a privilege.” What a privilege it is to just declare that you shall no longer speak to those who disagree with your politics. What a privilege to box yourself in and have no need to rely on or engage in broader networks and systems than your own echo-chamber of political righteousness. I didn’t have a choice when I was 15 and coming out. I was vulnerable and dependent.

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Two Blessings
Jae Bates Jae Bates

Two Blessings

In June 2024, I decided to write 2 blessings for LGBTQ folks and parents of LGBTQ children for my church’s booth at TC Pride. These blessings had a profound impact on many festival goers over the summer and now, in a very different context, I hope these blessings can offer some hope and love.

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Adoptee Theology is NOT Adoption Theology
Jae Bates Jae Bates

Adoptee Theology is NOT Adoption Theology

“adoptee” is an identity and as such adoptee theology is identity and context based work. Adoptee theology is necessary because it centers and considers the ways in which God works & speaks about the forms of violence & trauma as well as joy & healing that are innate to the adoptee experience.

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