Jennie Barnsley with Maurice Nagington, clerk of Quaker Manchester Pride, and Sparkles, the trans mascot. Photo: Marion McNaughton.
Friends consider gender issues
Gender issues were discussed as part of Quaker Manchester Pride 2015
Manchester Friends took part in a session on gender on 16 August as part of Quaker Manchester Pride 2015.
The session was entitled ‘Quiet lives filled with light’ and was led by Jennie Barnsley of Hardshaw and Mann Area Meeting. She drew on the research she did for her recent PhD, which included interviewing those dealing with complex gender lives and exploring how gender experiences can illuminate spiritual experiences.
‘She reminded us that our names for the divine are simply metaphors, always inadequate, drawn from our human experiences,’ Marion McNaughton, of Manchester and Warrington Area Meeting, told the Friend.
‘After her powerful introduction, Jennie and her partner Roy Bayfield led us in a quiet and thoughtful worship-sharing session, which enabled participants to reflect on their own life experiences and to let new insights lead to a deeper and more compassionate understanding,’ Marion said.
In addition to Jennie’s talk, Friends marked Quaker Manchester Pride 2015 with a ceilidh.
Manchester Pride 2015 will take place from Friday 28 to Monday 31 August.
