“I want to explore this crazy conflict between Christianity and LGBTQIA folks,” says Stereotypes podcaster Christopher Beale. “We’ll open up the Bible and take a closer look at what it does and does not say about queerness.”

This week’s Out in the Bay features Stereotypes‘ third episode, “The Bishop & The Bulletproof Vest,” which examines the relationship between religion and queer people. Beale gets into it with Lutheran Bishop Megan Rohrer, the USA’s first openly transgender bishop of a major denomination.

It’s a richly produced, in-depth conversation augmented with music, sound from Rohrer’s bishop installation at Grace Cathedral in September, and a smattering of homophobic, transphobic church officials’ voices. Rohrer calmly explains, among other things, that “there’s a lot more gender diversity in scripture than grumpy people might point out” and that “you can’t ever have a debate that’s going to change someone’s mind if what they have is a feeling.”

We finish our half hour with the title track of Bay Area musician Marilyn Mitchell‘s new album, Lives Aligned. Mitchell was lead guitarist of “all transgender girl rock band Lipstick Conspiracy” – in her Bandcamp page‘s words – for eight years. She’s now lead guitarist of tribute band Nott the Hoople. We hope to have her on Out in the Bay for a full interview and more of her music soon.

Year-end request: Please help us keep bringing LGBTQ news, voices and stories to the world by making a tax-deductible donation to Out in the Bay now. We’ve been promised $1,500 from an anonymous donor if we get that much from other donors by January 1st. Thank you!

Photo of Bishop Megan Rohrer by Vince Donovan, courtesy of Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Sierra Pacific Synod.