Alex Clare-Young, the first out transgender minister in the United Reformed Church, says:

Transgender Christian Human is the story of my life as a transgender child and adult. Trans is an imperfect label but labels are, to some extent, necessary - especially when we choose them for ourselves. For me, being trans means moving towards a gender that varies from my sex assigned at birth. It also means moving between genders and critiquing the rigidity of gendered systems.

I believe that we are called to live in relationship and continual, open conversation not only with those who mirror us but also with those who are other to us. As a trans person, I have experienced that call as both blessing and curse; both injury and cure. I have lived through the pain of feeling that there is no one quite like me and I have lived in the joy of sharing differences and similarities with those who are open to talk about their amazingly diverse life stories.

Parts of this book are incredibly sad. Others are full of joy. Some are even pretty funny. I hope that the result is an honest and authentic reflection of being transgender, Christian and human. I have included resources and activities at the end of each chapter to encourage individuals and groups to explore the subject. I hope the book helps you to understand yourself and your friends, colleagues and family a little better - and that it acts as a mirror to reflect a different way of being.

In Transgender Christian Human Alex Clare-Young achieves that rare thing: making space for a reader to encounter a story which is both intimate and theologically potent. This book is not only timely and necessary, it is potentially life-saving. Clare-Young's voice is wise, generous and fresh. A must-read for anyone interested in the intersections between faith, gender and the possibility of hope.

Canon Rachel Mann

Author of Dazzling Darkness