The International Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) visibilizes a moment of deep sadness, fear, disgust, and hopelessness in the lives of Trans and nonbinary people all over the world. And people who are neither Trans, nor nonbinary get to bear witness...and hopefully learn something that will shift perceptions and understanding. The more sobering truth is that it's not actually a moment, but a representation of a constant, subliminal message about what can happen if we dare to live into our fullness. What any of us is prepared to do once the TDOR signs come down is a lesson in possibility, commitment, care, and faith. Sometimes, we rise together, and sometimes we don't. Join Rev. Mykal Slack as he reflects on this moment and this season.

Rev. Mykal O’Neal Slack is a speaker, trainer, worship leader, community minister and congregational life coordinator in Unitarian Universalist, Christian, and other faith settings. He has a ministry and calling to nurture spaces where people can 1) connect in ways that heal, not harm; 2) talk about and re-imagine church life that truly honors our differences; and 3) make sustainable changes that are an outgrowth of spiritual practice, deep listening, and active engagement in community.

Rev. Mykal is the Community Minister for Worship and Spiritual Care for Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism, an organization and ever-growing spiritual community that provides spiritual care, support and resources to black people who center Love, Justice, and Liberation in spiritual journeys of all kinds. Whether most connected to African diasporic spiritualities and traditions, Buddhism, Christianity, Earth-centered traditions, Atheism, Humanism, Agnosticism, Judaism, or any combinations thereof, Black people of every path make BLUU their home for a Unitarian Universalism that centers Blackness.

He is also one of the co-founders of the Transforming Hearts Collective, an organizing ministry that both supports spaces for LGBTQIA people to access resilience, healing, and spirituality and resources faith communities and other groups for the work of radical welcome and culture shift.

Children and Youth will be meeting in person in their classes after being present in the sanctuary for the first part of the service.