Three Wins Today: Dec 9, 2025
Today's post could be describe as Christian trans stories....kinda.
In the last post I made on this subject, I said that you shouldn’t vote for someone in a primary who has no chance of winning in the general because of the makeup of the district. Our goal is to win the election, not just send a message with the most progressive Dem.
This is not about Texas Senate.
Both Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico are absolutely viable options. Both candidates have just as much chance to win.
This is one of the many, very common, situations where voting with your heart in the primary is a great thing.
When primaries work, they make both candidates stronger, because they have someone to compete against. So, they need to keep becoming better versions of themselves to win the most votes, especially in a primary that will likely be as close and hard fought as this one.
Rep Crockett has to figure out how to win over State Rep Talarico’s supporters, and Talarico has to figure out how to win over hers. That’s not a bad thing. In fact that’s what we want, in this situation.
But, every state is not Texas. For example, thanks to the awful jungle primary system, several Dems running in the California gubernatorial primary could split the vote and result in two Republicans going to the general election, scary thought, but possible with a non-partisan primary.
But in Texas, with Texas election rules, in this Senate race, this is great.
There’s no need to throw anyone under the bus.
No need to make up lies about either candidate to make the other look better.
Just let it play out, if you can vote in the primary, vote your heart, if you don’t live in Texas and you want to get involved, support the candidate you like best.
Just promise that no matter who wins the primary, you will vote for and support that person, even if they weren’t your first choice.
Cause, I fully believe both of them would be great, and and they both have one of the best shots, at flipping the seat, we’ve seen in a long time.
And remember, no matter what, they are both young. This is not the last we’ll see of either of them regardless of the outcome.
This shouldn’t be messy. This is the best of our Democratic system.
Chili, New York
Sun, Nov 23 - At North Chili United Methodist Church last month, Reverend Dr Phillippa Phaneuf made an announcement at the end of the service. She’s trans.
She began her 12 minute speech saying:
I am inviting you to join me in a season of creative transformation in myself. Imagine of your doctor told you your quality and outlook on life could transform exponentially? Would you listen to that doctor? If you felt God’s holy spirti surrounding you in ways you haven’t felt in years, would you have a sense that that might be something that God’s okay with? So, I get to announce, with joy, that I’m transitioning. I’m affirming and saying to all of you that I am transgender, and so, the best way to put this is that I’m not becoming a woman, I’m giving up pretending to be a man.
I could not love this wording more. And the United Methodist Church of Northern New York didn’t miss a beat.
Bishop Héctor Antonio Burgos-Núñez said:
I give thanks for Rev. Dr. Phil Phaneuf’s courage and honesty in embracing the fullness of who God created her to be. Her gifts in preaching, pastoral care, and service continue to enrich our connection. We stand together in love and prayer as she walks this path.
I know you’ve probably already heard this story, it did make the rounds, and still is, but, I think sharing queer joy is incredibly important right now, so I’m willing to give something already getting attention just a bit more, this time.
I hope you listen to the full speech, and if you’re struggling with your gender, or even something else, maybe this just might help.
Evanston, Illinois
Tues, Nov 25 - Lake Street Church has a new spin on the classic nativity scene this year: the reality, in this country, for immigrants.
Jesus in wrapped in the blanket, like the ones given to detainees, with a zip tie around his wrist, while Mary and Joseph are wearing gas masks to signify the tear gas ICE sprays.
On their socials, the church explained:
This installation is not subtle because the crisis it addresses is not abstract. We hope viewers will join the conversation about what sanctuary means when families fleeing violence are met with separation, detention, and dehumanization. We further hope that conversation will move people to action, regardless of faith or philosophical background.
They continue:
The Holy Family were refugees. This is not political interpretation, this is the reality described in the stories our tradition has told and retold for millenia. By witnessing this familiar story through the reality faced by migrants today, we hope to restore its radical edge, and to ask what it means to celebrate the birth of a refugee child while turning away those who follow in that child’s footsteps.
It’s a powerful reminder of what Christianity was once about, and how stark a difference that is to the many people who use it as an excuse for destruction.
Georgia
Wed, Dec 3 - Biden appointee, Judge Victoria Marie Calvert ruled that trans inmates cannot be banned from receiving gender affirming care. In July SB 185, which would bar the state from using funds to support and help trans inmates went into effect.
But last week, Judge Calvert issued a permanent injunction.
She argued that the harm would be lasting:
This impending harm is not adequately redressable by damages, as some of the injuries faced may be irreversible. And the Court adheres to its earlier ruling that a denial of access to healthcare is an irreparable injury as well.
And she clarified that they can only get this care if a doctor signs off on it and says it’s medically necessary:
That said, if a doctor determines in his or her medical judgment that hormone therapy is not medically necessary for a prisoner, a prisoner seeking to argue otherwise faces a heavy burden
This will make it harder to appeal, since even the state agreed that gender dysphoria is a real disease.
It’s a reminder that it’s always worth fighting for what’s right, and that Republicans cannot always just get what they want cause they make it happen initially.
So those are today’s wins, sorry there’s not much topic differentiation, I mean, there’s two Christian, and two trans. I do try to make the wins as different as possible, but some days there’s some overlap. I hope you don’t mind.
Anyway, remember, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!
I applaud the wins today and thank you for sharing them! If only everyone saw them as wins what a wonderful world it would be!