A San Francisco pastor made history last weekend when they became the first openly transgender bishop of a major Christian church.
Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer, whose pronouns are they/them, was installed as the Bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod at Grace Cathedral on Sept. 11.
"It felt heavenly. It was so nice to be recognized by those who elected me to be their leader and my peers who now serve as bishop," Rohrer told KCBS Radio.
Welcoming the first openly trans bishop is a major milestone for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. "There’s always folk online who want to send some sort of hurtful message or try to put a roadblock in the way," Rohrer said, but for the most part they’ve been happily accepted in their new role.
"The Lutheran Bishops are really welcoming and supportive," they explained. "We’ve done several years of studying and really committing to try to decrease gender violence in our country. Because people have faithfully prayed about how to care for folk of diverse genders for such a long time, it has felt a lot easier than I thought it would."
As a trans person, Rohrer said they are gifted with the skill of being a good listener. "It gives me a little bit more empathy for folk on lots of sides of different issues," they said. "That’s my hope, that it helps me be present and support people more."
Overall, Rohrer has been surrounded by support since their installment, telling KCBS Radio that they receive the most love from people who are trying to do the best they can for their trans or genderqueer family members.
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