Every now and then I am questioned about my “secret agenda” by the various communities I participate in and identify with. The truth is I do have an agenda, but it’s not a secret. I openly advocate for my agenda with honesty and authenticity.
My Feminist Agenda
My feminist agenda is to create an existence where biological sex and
gender do not mandate unnecessary expectations and limitations of what a person
is capable of.
I maintain the
importance of feminism, because globally women have and do experience more
institutional, political, economic, and physical abuse, oppression, and
subjugation than men. Even though that is the case, I extend my feminist agenda
beyond the needs, wants, and desires of women.
My feminist
agenda includes a future that not only recognizes our similarities, but also
our unique differences. Yet, gender liberation requires equal opportunity despite
these differences. While anatomical, physical, and logical limitations are
present, it is my desire that we can transcend the unnecessary limitations in
liberating persons from certain social constraints. While there is power and
creativity to be found in constraints, there are also limitations that prevent
further exploration of power and creativity.
As a Mormon,
this means to see each other as God sees us, because all are alike unto God (2
Nephi 26:33), and finding prosocial ways to reconcile these differences
while transcending limitations that would lead us to radical love.
My Queer Agenda
My queer agenda is to live in a world where radical love is recognized
and encouraged.
My queer
agenda includes, in part, the advocacy of homosexuality as a moral and
prosocial option—though my queer agenda certainly isn’t limited to simply matters
of homosexuality. There are also such oppressions in other queer relationships, including plural relationships.
Most
opposition toward queer relationships seems to arise from a sense that it is
immoral according to God, or fear of the unknown. However, according to
scripture, there is no fear in love (1 John 4:18-19) and love is capable of
overpowering sin (1 Peter 4:8). In fact, the pursuit to thwart informed,
consensual expressions of love is among the most grievous forms of
immorality. To seek to oppress love is
to oppress God. There is no God without love (1 John 4:8) when love is the
fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10) and the greatest of the commandments
(Mark 12:30-33).
I suspect that
those in opposition to queer or plural relationships do not see themselves as
oppressing love, and would likely agree with the scripture references above. So
the question at hand is can love (romantic and/or sexual) be expressed outside
boundaries of heterosexual monogamy? Can people love differently and can differing practices
be respected and even celebrated?
For example,
I like tomatoes. Others may or may not like tomatoes. There is nothing
inherently moral or immoral about liking tomatoes. Immorality would be those
who don’t like tomatoes insisting that everyone must not enjoy tomatoes, or
even worse, must lose the desire for tomatoes entirely. Immorality would
also be those who like tomatoes insisting that those who don’t like tomatoes
are immoral for not desiring tomatoes. Morality is dependent upon how we choose
to reconcile diverse desires, not that we necessarily adopt each other’s
values. If it helps, substitute the word “tomatoes” for “women” or your
preferred gender(s).
If a person
considers a certain type of relationship as sin, they should have the burden of
demonstrating how and why it is harmful to the individuals and community. This
would require an explanation more sophisticated than “I don’t like tomatoes,
therefore you can’t like tomatoes.” You may not desire what I desire, but that
doesn’t make it a sin. Likewise, I may not desire what you desire, but that
doesn’t make it immoral either. Morality is how we reconcile the fact we love,
value, and desire differently which is also its own form of radical love. Those who can accept and love others who love plurally and/or homosexually may also
be participating in radical love.
Radical love
is far broader than queer love or sexual expressions, though it includes
queer love and sexual expressions. Radical love sometimes means refraining from
sexual engagement. Radical love sometimes mean enjoying sexual engagement.
Radical love is a pedophile seeking professional help and social involvement so
they don't injure a child. Radical love is not shaming or injuring the
pedophile. Radical love is a mother who gives her life for her child. Radical
love is curing diseases. Radical love is forgiveness. Radical love is remorse.
Radical love is resurrection. Radical love is a creation of ideas, worlds, and
life. Radical love includes so much more than sex. I think radical love
is a necessary mandate for all of us and certainly is also a part of my
Transhumanist agenda.
My queer
agenda is one of radical compassion and love, even compersion. I want to live
in a world where radical love, even queer relationships, is not discouraged, or
pointed at and called “sin,” but rather recognized in all its diverse
expressions. I want to live in a world
where mutual, consensual expressions of love are not simply tolerated, but
celebrated. I want to live in a world where queer love isn’t perceived as a
threat that needs to be stamped out or feared, but rather something we embrace
as a diverse option, not mandate. I want to live in a world where the word love
is used honestly and unselfishly. I suspect others also want that which requires
we start trusting each other in faith, not fear, to unify us (Colossians 3:14).
While there
are certainly prosocial and antisocial ways of engaging in any sexual
relationship--whether they are heterosexual, homosexual, monogamous, or plural,
my queer agenda is to find ways of engaging and/or disengaging in sexual
relationships that promote radical love.
My Transhumanist Agenda
My Transhumanist agenda is to become a part of a radically
compassionate,
super-intelligent posthumanity.
Transhumanism,
broadly defined, is the ethical use of science and technology to radically
improve and enhance the human condition. Transhumanism holds that we can evolve
beyond our current physical, cognitive, and social limitations. Social justice
and human rights issues are a part of addressing humanity’s physical, cognitive,
and social limitations.
While some
opponents may argue that Transhumanism is an unworthy, even oppressive cause
due to the lack of universal accessibility, I would contend that the wisest
approach is a joint effort to continue to develop technologies while
simultaneously acting to mitigate for risks and concrete threats, such as
oppression, violence, and ignorance. Social side effects of technologies should
be assessed and addressed while continuing to develop better implementations. For
example, not all women can afford prenatal care, but should we stop developing
prenatal care? No. Instead we seek to find ways to get more women prenatal care
while continuing to create better technologies.
Utopia isn’t
a place that just magically appears, it’s a direction. Utopian visions may
differ according to desires, but who could argue that utopian visions, even
religion, have not given us hopeful trajectories? Of course we can and should
do better, and that’s exactly the point. The improvement of humanity includes
social justice, human rights, radical love, and compassion under its umbrella.
Pioneering a better tomorrow is not about naiveté to risk—it’s about hope,
faith, and trust in overcoming risk.
My Mormon Agenda
My Mormon agenda is to become Gods, that is one with God, and live with
our loved ones in
celestial glory for all eternity in a state of eternal progression.
This is
Mormonism and I hold it to be a worthy cause. However, for me, celestial glory
is not heaven within the confines of patriarchal authority that neglects and
subjugates my sex. Celestial glory is not heaven without my LGBTQ+ family and
the radical expansion of love. Celestial glory is not heaven if we don’t make
it happen, right here, right now, on earth (Doctrine and Covenants 88:18-20). Celestial
glory is scripturally and literally of our own making as we join the Body
of Christ as exemplified by Jesus.
Most LDS Mormons
don’t have a problem with this agenda, until it comes to changing policy,
questioning authority, or challenging dogma. However, accomplishing the primary
Mormon objective mandates that we change and adapt policy. Eternal progression
is not something independent of our efforts, nor is it the sole responsibility
of church leaders to implement. God cannot meaningfully reveal what we would
not meaningfully accept, due to agency (Moses 4:3-4). If we are racist, so are our policies, rituals,
and interpretations. If we are sexist, so are our policies, rituals,
and interpretations. If we are heterosexist, so are our policies,
rituals, and interpretations. If we are insincere,
so are our policies, rituals, and interpretations. God has granted us the
agency to either achieve transcendence or commit our own destruction (Alma 29:4-5).
If we are
members of the LDS Church, it is not simply our prerogative to change
ourselves, and by extension, change policy and the Church, but it is our imperative
duty if we are to accomplish the primary Mormon objective. I choose faith in
the Mormon agenda which is to become Gods and live with our loved ones beyond
this earthly life for all eternity in a state of eternal progression. Eternal
progression, in all its forms, is indispensable to Mormon doctrine. But
that won’t happen without our collective works. Faith without works is dead
(James 2:20).
My Agenda
My agenda is to create the tangible manifestations of radical love.
My agendas
might seem unrelated to an outside observer, but for me, they are one in the same. For
many people these issues are quite literally a matter of life and death. Life
comes with risk—real existential risk on both a global and individual level. I
don’t want to exist in a world of eternal subjugation, oppression, ignorance,
or fear where radical love is trampled upon and suffering is greeted with apathy. If
that is the case, we are no longer working toward heaven, but rather hell.
I want to
compassionately work toward an existence where people can live and love freely,
without the limitations of oppression, selfishness, hopelessness, and death. Any
transcendent existence I want to build and be a part of includes the radical
compassion of all of humankind seeking to build a better existence with
reconciliation of diversification. I’m not perfect at it, but I think it’s a worthy
aspiration.
*This post
is a personal commentary of my own desires and objectives, and I am speaking as
an individual and not as a spokesperson for the many non-profits and advocacy
groups that I lead and/or affiliate with.
