Amplify the Whispers

Last updated on: January 2, 2019 at 1:15 pm by Andrew Marin

Amplify the Whispers 2019-01-02T13:15:42-06:00 Andrew Marin

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The following post was written by Kevin Harris, Director of Community Relations at The Marin Foundation.

Out of the many ways that we understand the world and others around us, there are few if any forms of communication that have the capacity to mold us like the power of personal stories from others. It’s easy to debate and get stuck on ideas and theoretical constructs, but the humanizing power and vulnerability entailed in a personal story has the capacity to disarm us and challenge our presumed ways of thinking. Whether they are filled with actions that were influenced by beliefs that we agree or disagree with, a story simply is.

Regretfully, many stories from individuals that are a part of marginalized groups are often silenced and not adequately or accurately represented through different presentations of history and current forms of public discourse and media. Though often more subtle today; patriarchy, racism, classism, and prejudice towards sexual minorities and gender non-conforming individuals still influence the information we hear and how it is presented. In the broader LGBT community, this still seems to particularly be the case for individuals that identify as bisexual, pansexual, transgender, genderqueer, intersex, and others that fall outside of the gay and lesbian mainstream all too often. Within the community, it seems that racial minorities and those from with a lower socio-economic status have even more difficulty making their stories heard across broader audiences.

Another common cause of silence is shame and fear related to how others will respond if they find out. Whether the individual is coming from a more conservative or progressive understanding of faith and sexuality or a place of more or less power/privilege, fear and shame do not discriminate as they can inhibit and silence individuals across the board. The same may be the case for parents of those that identify as LGBT or are struggling to figure out their sexuality and/or gender identity as they may fear that it will in some way lead to condescending perceptions about their parenting and their child, however unwarranted they may be.

Though shame and fear take a while to work through and I by no means have the solutions to the structural and interwoven inequalities that translate into some individuals having less of a voice in public spheres and my own privilege can feed into complacency if I’m not careful (being white and male though not heterosexual), I hope to move forward in using the means at my disposal to amplify the voices and stories that are not being heard with the help of you and others reading this blog as one avenue. If you have a story that you feel others reading this blog could benefit from and would be gracious enough to share a part of it, I would love to connect with you if you could send me a message at [email protected].

Everyone benefits when people are empowered to share their stories and places are fostered that can encourage authenticity and vulnerability to be displayed as narratives have the power to illuminate our areas of ignorance. But as that is much easier said than done, what practical steps can you take in your personal relationships, church community, etc. to cultivate spaces where voices that have been silenced because of power dynamics or fear and shame can be heard and valued?

Much love.

www.themarinfoundation.org

Bridging Opposing Worldviews

Guest Posts

The Marin Foundation

Previous Post

February 23, 2011

Belong, Believe, Become

Next Post

March 1, 2011 March 1: My One Sentence Bible

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews Bridging Opposing Worldviews Culture Don't Drink and Drive Faith Guest Posts I'm Sorry Campaign Interviews Language Laura Statesir LGBT Living in the Tension Living in the Tension Gatherings Love Is an Orientation Love Is an Orientation Blog Love Is an Orientation Book Love Is an Orientation DVD Melinda Guerra Memory My One Sentence Bible Newsletter Our Last Option Parents & Families Politics Quick Quotes Quotes ReEngaging Civility Sexuality Speaking The Marin Foundation Theology Uncategorized Us Versus Us Videos Warren Perry Youth and Campus Ministry

Select a Month June 2016 May 2016 December 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz