“There is Not One Shred of Evidence That [Being Trans] is Not a Divine Gift”: Grace and Lace Letter and the Rhetorical Construction of an Evangelical Transfeminine Identity

Abstract

Grace and Lace Letter was a newsletter by and for transfeminine evangelicals in the 1990s. This article explores the rhetorical approaches contributors used to bridge these seemingly contradictory identities. Through a recontextualization and historicization of Biblical passages and an employment of a “created this way” discourse, these contributors created possibilities for an evangelical transfeminine identity and advocated for trans acceptance within their evangelical communities. However, these strategies also reveal complicity with other marginalizing discourses. Thus, this article considers the rhetorical processes through which transgender religious identities are constructed and the limitations of such approaches.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 We would like to thank RR reviewers Emily Cope and Cory Geraths for their generous feedback on this article during the review process

2 By the 1993 issues, Rebecca (Becky) Allison clearly identifies as a transsexual woman, but in this 1992 issue she seems to be referring to herself as a crossdresser. While her understanding of her own identity changes, her arguments that God created her this way on purpose do not change

Additional information

Notes on contributors

N. Claire Jackson

N. Claire Jackson is an assistant professor of Writing Studies at SUNY Geneseo. She researches writing program administration, writing assessment, language and literacy ideologies, and transgender rhetorics. Her work has appeared in Composition Forum, Peitho, Journal of Writing Analytics, and various edited collections.

Grace Katherine Berlew

Grace Katherine Berlew is a recent graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, where she received a BA in Sociology with a concentration in social construction. For the last three years, she has been a staff writer for The Citizens’ Voice newspaper, during which time she has brought home two annual “Best of the Best” awards for her slice of life community column. She now works full-time for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a legislative assistant and service advisor for her home state.