Last week, M Barclay, who identifies as non-binary, was ordained as a deacon in the United Methodist Church.
According to the Washington Post, the church is in Chicago, and is more supportive of LGBTQ issues than many Methodist churches, which tend to be more conservative. Barclay originally entered the ministry in Florida, identifying openly as a straight woman. They came out as lesbian while studying theology in Texas. They are now openly out as a trans person, making history for the trans Christian community.
However, the journey hasn’t always been easy. Because of the persecution LGBTQ people face from Methodists, Barclay was not initially sure whether they wanted to remain a part of the faith.
“I really struggled for the next year about whether I was going to stay in the church at all. I struggled with how much harm the church had done, not only to LGBT people but to other marginalized people. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a part of that,” Barclay stated in an interview with the Washington Post.
They faced prejudice along the way directly, such as a group of clergy in Texas debating about whether or not they could prove Barclay was having sex. This degrading experience, meant to determine whether or not Barclay was technically violating the laws of the church, took a toll.
“It was terrible,” they stated.
Even today, Barclay is allowed into the clergy because they are not currently in a conjugal relationship, and because while the church has rules against same-sex couples, there are currently no official church rules against trans individuals. Meeting a significant other of any gender, or the church establishing firm rules against trans involvement, could put their position in jeopardy.
Regardless, this is still a major step for trans inclusion in unexpected places, and a huge achievement for Barclay.
