RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Since she was a child, every weekend Jacque Chanel would dress up and go to worship. Last Sunday, May 23, from her shoes to her glasses, she chose to dress in black – except for the red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple beads that she has hanging around her neck.
It became more colorful when, during the religious celebration, she received on her shoulders for the first time the stole, an ornament worn by clerics. There, she was ordained pastor and founded Séforas, the first trans church in Brazil.
Two male pastors and one female pastor led the celebration for an audience of 3 people and a live streaming camera for the faithful who followed from home. Among praises and prayers that were interspersed with the street noises of downtown São Paulo (SP), Jacque’s emotional cry as she put on the prop could still be heard. “I’m all shaky!”, was all she could say at the end of the service.
A fellow pastor tries to find the words to describe that moment for her, “Imagine, being an evangelical since you were a child and, because you are a trans person, never being able to fully live that truth within the church. That truth not only of her identity, as a trans person, but also as a Christian woman. So, all this has great meaning in her life, right? But I think its meaning goes beyond that: it’s an example for other trans people.”
Faith and solidarity
In her first speech as pastor, Jacque used the moment to remind those watching her that she is the exception to a rule. At 56, she countered the statistic that shows that the life expectancy of a transsexual is 35 years, according to ANTRA (National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals).
Most, as she says, have no other option but to take to the streets. Jacque’s first prayer after the blessing with oil that marks the beginning of her ministry was for these people. “I want to ask for a special prayer for our street brothers, our transvestite and transgender sisters who are on the avenue lacking hope, without the slightest dignity and without a roof over their heads. These people really need our prayer and our solidarity.”
That’s why, since Séforas was a worship group, Jacque has turned her faith into action. In the meetings, when she realized that most transvestites and transsexuals who came to hear the word of God were hungry, she began using her own money to pay for the dinners she offered every Monday before the pandemic.
However, since March last year, she has adapted to the pandemic reality and goes every Wednesday to Sé Square, in downtown São Paulo (SP), along with a sound box and 500 lunch boxes. She starts with a biblical message, then plays praises and begins to deliver the food. The whole event lasts about 30 minutes. Recently, the São Paulo city hall began to contribute by donating 100 lunch boxes to help her with the distribution.
One more shelter
The appointment as pastor came after 11 years dedicated to helping and welcoming the LGBTQIA+ population, especially those on the streets. Every Monday, before the pandemic, she held Séforas meetings, a worship group she created within the ICM (Metropolitan Community Church).
Most of the people who attend the meeting are transsexuals and transvestites who have found a safe and comfortable place to exercise the faith that has accompanied them since childhood. Many have been kicked out of traditional churches or no longer feel comfortable attending services because of prejudice.
Jacque herself has been through this. First after being abandoned by her parents in the Evangelho Quadrangular Church, in Belém (PA), where she was born. And after her gender transition, because she felt she was no longer welcome in the churches she attended before.
Therefore, the possibility of being at the head of the first trans church in São Paulo, which for the time being has no headquarters and will share the space with ICM, is another door that opens to allow the LGBTQIA+ population to have a safe place to exercise their right to worship. But despite its name, the church is open to all.
“For us it is very important to have this church designed for the transsexual and transvestite public because this represents a new welcoming space. I am trans and I want my people to feel welcomed, respected, and loved. It’s like Gil said in the BBB, right? God hasn’t stopped loving us. Now, no one needs to go through what I went through, being expelled from churches for being a different person, for being a transvestite and a transsexual. But anyone is welcome, anyone can attend,” she says.