It's Been A Year

Today marks the one year anniversary of me coming out as my true self, as Brian. Wow it is crazy to realize that it has only been a year. Time has truly flown. So many great things have to me in this year and a few trying times.

One of the major things is I've been on hormone replacement therapy since March 7th, 2018 which is 7 months out of the last twelve months. I am really happy with the results of HRT let me tell you. I'm growing a nice mustache and starting to grow some spotty facial hair that I have to shave every couple days otherwise I look scruffy.

Today is significant for me because I am finally living as God, herself, intended me to. As Brian Kleber, a transgender nonbinary person. I am fully known and fully loved by God in that identity because God created me like this. Funny how you wonder why you go through certain things but never really get a solid answer that is until later on.

Ever since coming out as a transgender person, my life has completely changed and for the better. It has been an amazing rollercoaster of ups and downs. I got to attend a national convocation in July at St Louis called For Everyone Born where I got to meet a LOT of people who I had just been talking to online via Facebook messenger. It was an amazing experience for me and one that was definitely needed. A bunch of queer United Methodist and our allies all in one place for the common goal of fully inclusion in the life of the church in the UMC.

My theology has changed quite a bit over the last year as well. I no longer see God as a male and try really hard to use they/them or she/hers pronouns when talking about God. I see my journey as God-ordained which means to me that I was meant to be on this journey because it is bringing me closer to God herself. That is the most important thing that I keep hearing and keep telling myself especially amongst the critics in my life.

I always have said that God cannot dwell where sin dwells and if God dwells in me as a transgender nonbinary person, then my gender identity is not sin or sinful in God's eyes.

I have grown in leaps and bounds and still have leaps and bounds to go. But I am enjoying the progress that I've made this far and I have every right because I put in the work to become a better person, a better follower of Christ by doing the work to undo harmful theological beliefs.

Brian Lee