Rev. Sky Anderson: Pastor or Saint?

Sometimes, as I put my personal life out before the public, which I've done regarding my past relationship with Beecher Goodwin (see past posts if youre a newbie here) I wonder
if I'm doing the right thing.

I know that everything I've written is true.
But now that my story has appeared in a few newspapers I wonder: will people believe me? Will they take me seriously?
Will justice be served?

The other day I got my answer.

Rev. Sky Anderson, a pastor at Metropolitan Community Church in San Jose CA, emailed me his encouragement, and urged me to continue fighting the good fight.
I cannot find the words that adequately describe how validating and uplifting the Pastor's email was.

I met Rev. Sky a few months ago at San Jose's Billy De Frank Gay & Lesbian Community Center. I interviewed him for a story shortly thereafter, which was published in ON Magazine (San Jose/San Francisco).

During our meeting and subsequent talks, Rev. Sky heard the story about how Beecher's "friend" Kathryn deliberately sabotoged our relationship, using our manic depression as a tool to enrage us against each other.
He heard that Beecher's own siblings supported this.

The Rev. told me that my story filled him with "great sorrow." He called what was done to Beecher & I a "grave injustice."
He agrees that marriage equality would give LGBT couples legal protections from predators like Kathryn.

Rev. Sky Anderson knows all too well what it's like to be subjected to hatred.
The Rev. is a female to male transgender.
He's one of the very first, if not the first, transgenders to be ordained as a church pastor.
In the past, Rev. Sky was beaten by both police and gay bashers alike.
He now speaks of sitting in jail and singing hymms.

His experiences taught him a level of compassion that few people have.
In the 3 decades since he transitioned (he's post op, a full fledged male) he has married. He and his wife adopted 5 special needs children.

He has reached out to people with AIDS, and has offered religious counseling to transgenders who had nowhere else to turn for spiritual guidance.

At the moment, he's involved in California's No on 8 Campaign, the ballot initiative in which right wing zealots are seeking to overturn California's Marriage Equality law.
He's also preparing to conduct his first same sex wedding ceremony.

Unlike other religious leaders and activists in the LGBT community, Rev. Sky listens to people. He cares. He comforts.

Rev. Sky Anderson is what we all need to be.
With his blessing, I will continue my campaign to expose the truth and seek justice for the terrible wrongs that were inflicted on Beecher Goodwin and myself.

I do not see to "hurt" Kathryn. I have no interest in having any affect on her relationship with her husband or children.
I seek only to hold her accountable for what she's done, and to make sure that the horrors inflicted on Beecher & I don't happen to others in the future.

I seek equality and justice for LGBTs, and for those suffering from mental illness.

Thanks, Rev.

Erase Hate!

David Alex Nahmod
SF CA
Oct 2008