Belonging is more than fitting in...
Quakers in Edinburgh have designed and delivered a new workshop offering Friends the opportunity to learn more about gender diversity.
Central Edinburgh Quaker Meeting gathered for a ninety-minute session to explore what it means to be a trans person, and how Friends can be accepting and supportive of the trans community.
(Keep reading for information on how to run a similar workshop in your own community).
"We are really fortunate to have a trans non-binary Friend who was prepared to share some of their life experiences with us," explained Zoe Prosser, the Local Development Worker for Scotland who helped to create the programme and facilitate the event.
"The community recognised they were anxious about using the 'right' language and not wanting to offend, and that their lack of knowledge was a barrier to Friends getting to know one another better and being comfortable in each other's company. We started from the position that the first step to acceptance is understanding."
At Britain Yearly Meeting in 2021, Friends recorded that 'we seek to provide places of worship and community that are welcoming and supportive to trans and non-binary people who want to be among us. Belonging is more than fitting in. With glad hearts we acknowledge and affirm the trans and gender diverse Friends in our Quaker communities."
"Our workshop looked at what 'welcoming and affirming' means in practice," said Frankie who helped to facilitate the session and share some of their experiences as a trans non-binary person.
"We explored some basic concepts around trans and non-binary identities and how Friends can support trans and gender diverse people in their meeting. We created a space for honest, beginner level questions and explored what we can we do—individually and as a meeting—to be genuinely welcoming."
The workshop was supported by Elders and there was a community agreement to treat one another with respect, avoid deeply personal or medical questions, assume good intent and to keep what was shared confidential.
After the session, one Friend wrote to thank the organising team, noting 'the great turnout' and that the event was "thought provoking and interesting. A good start to continuing conversations. It was good to see such a mixture of Friends there. Openness and respect were in abundance. This was definitely worth doing."
"The feedback has been really positive," said Zoe. "Other Friends have expressed interest in running similar workshops, so we're making our learning available for other Quaker communities to use across Britain."
If you'd like to run a similar workshop either in your local meeting or area meeting, get in touch with your Local Development Worker who will support you with community building, facilitation and content.