In June 1982, my oldest sibling boarded a bus from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to San Francisco. We never heard from her again. She was 28.
April 1983, I was in my dorm room at Princeton Theological Seminary when the hall phone rang. “It’s for you, Brenda.” I stepped out in socked feet and picked up the receiver. I heard my father’s voice: “Brenda, Martin is dead.” Mom was sobbing in the background.
My sibling’s disappearance and mysterious death haunted me for decades. In 2018, after my parents’ deaths, I recommitted to finding answers. I received seven boxes, heavy with papers, pictures and letters that had belonged to my parents and grandparents. I discovered a letter, typed in 1983, disclosing that my grandmother had hired a private detective. I found an envelope containing the autopsy, a police report that she had been found wearing a dress, and a life insurance document confirming the name change “Martine.” I deciphered my coded teen diaries, delved into family documents, interviewed people who knew Martine and traveled to San Francisco to piece together her final months. I set out to “solve” an unsolved mystery; instead, I learned my sister was transgender.
As I uncovered details about her life, confronted my own denial, and came to terms with the past, I found a new mission: helping faith communities become informed advocates and safe spaces for transgender people and their loved ones.
Compassion is a matter of life and death
About Brenda
Reverend Doctor Brenda Walker lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband, Dan. They married in September of 2015 and have four daughters in their blended family.
Brenda earned her undergraduate degree from Stetson University and holds graduate degrees from both Princeton Theological Seminary and Columbia Theological Seminary. She completed her MFA in Creative Writing at Queens University of Charlotte and is working on a Graduate Certificate in Poetry. She worked as an ordained minister for 35 years until retiring in February of 2018 to resume the writing career she began when she was 8 years old.
Past Events
CAPSTONE PRESENTATION FOR MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN CREATIVE WRITING
January 2024
Queens University of Charlotte
Open to Queens University students and by invitation
TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, PRISM GROUP AT MARKEL CORPORATION
PRISM promotes a more inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ employees and their allies through advocacy, education, and community engagement.
Stages of Grief in the Gospel of John, chapter 11
Three Chopt Presbyterian Church
Richmond, Virginia
In April 1983, my experience of grief became intertwined with John 11. During the years since, in my ministry and in my personal experience, I have benefitted from the work of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, who identified five stages of the human experience of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I propose a sixth stage of the grief process: advocacy. All six stages can be found within the narrative of John 11. Read a sample of my talk here.
Expanding our Welcome: Creating Safe Spaces for Transgender and Non-Binary Folks
Online
Monday nights in May, Centenary United Methodist Church will host Expanding our Welcome: Creating Safe Spaces for Transgender and Non-Binary Folks. I’m honored to be a member of the planning team, and I’ll begin the series by sharing a message on Monday, May 3.
Centenary United Methodist Church is a Reconciling Congregation, extending hospitality and encouraging full participation of all, regardless of age, race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, educational or economic background, and physical or mental ability.
Just Talk Live: A Faith and Justice Talk Show
Click the video to watch my interview with Just Talk Live.
Join hosts Destini Hodges and Lee Catoe for “An Evening with Writers.” I’ll share my story of trans allyship beginning at 6:05. The second segment features Rev. Shantell Hinton Hill to talk about womanism. View the recording here.
Just Talk Live is a weekly talk show created by Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Christian Social Justice. Unbound is an online journal and community that examines, expresses, and encourages commitments to social justice as inspired by the prophetic gospel of Jesus Christ. Visit them at justiceunbound.org.
From the Heart: A Transgender Virginian’s Story
A Conversation with Tracey Swinarsky from Equality Virginia’s Transgender Advocacy Speakers Bureau
Zoom event
Join Tracey, a member of Equality Virginia’s Transgender Advocacy Speakers Bureau, for an afternoon of fellowship, community, and learning as she shares her story as a transgender woman, followed by plenty of time for dialogue and questions. Learn more about the event and watch a recording.
This event is in partnership with Equality Virginia, based here in Richmond, Virginia.
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