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Transgender Author Gives Presentation In Rapid City

Courtesy Photo

Sunday was national coming out day in the United States. A transgender author stopped in Rapid City to discuss his book and experience as a trans Christian.

People filled a room on the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology campus for Brett Ray’s presentation. Ray is the author of ‘My Name Is Brett: Truths from a Trans Christian.’
 
“It’s about my journey. It’s specifically about how I came to my name, my real name, Brett, and how, how I’ve learned because of that,” says Ray.
 
He is a working on his Master’s degree in Theological Studies at Duke Divinity School. He has been a United Methodist since birth.

Ray writes in his blog that although the church doesn’t support same sex marriage, he will stay with them.
 
Ray did readings from his book in which he talks about his transformation and religious background. He also spoke about his experiences as a trans man. He says he hopes sharing his story will give people something to relate to.  

“When you’re trans there aren’t a ton of other trans people that you knowingly run into on the daily basis. So I think it’s really fun for you know, for me to be up there and say hey I’m trans. This is a normal part of my life. I’m loved. I have a good community. My life is one that I enjoy living and for other trans people to hear that and to know that things are good for someone else and to be able to come up to me and say hey, like I’m trans and I love my life too. And we can just sit there and really bond over this story of what it’s like to be trans and what it’s like to fall in love with ourselves,” Ray says.
 
He says he is planning events for his book in the Midwest area. He says he expects the details be posted on his website in the coming weeks.