Damien is originally from Peru, and grew up in Southern CA raised in the Foursquare evangelical faith tradition. He eventually found himself in Nashville for his Masters of Divinity at Vanderbilt Divinity School concentrating in Latin American Studies, Religion and the Arts, as well as Gender and Sexuality studies. Damien is a founding member of The Audre Lorde Project’s TransJustice in New York City, and collectively organized the first ever Trans Day of Action for Social and Economic Justice in New York. Damien has also worked in the Hospitality Industry for 15 years, from the Gramercy Park hotel restaurant in New York to a spot I love to visit called Pinewood Social here in Nashville. Damien identifies as queer and his gender pronouns are he/him/his.
From helping form a church as a child, to finding church in queer activist spaces as an adult, Damien finds hope in places both religious and secular. He reflects on his Afro-Peruvian heritage and embodied memory which has become the focus of his studies of Peruvian culture and how dance has been a form of worship for centuries and continues to be today.
Connect with Damien on Instagram @damienpascal.
We discuss the difference between "queer" and "bi/pan/fluid" at the top of the show. Here are some definitions to help from the Human Rights Campaign:
Queer: A term people often use to express fluid identities and orientations. Often used interchangeably with "LGBTQ."
Bi: Emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to more than one sex, gender or gender identity though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree.
Pan: Describes someone who has the potential for emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to people of any gender though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree.
And being "fluid" recognizes that your attractions and orientation may change.
We also discuss different religious practices, like Santería, an originally African religion, and the Foursquare Church which developed out of mission-work abroad and evangelism in the US.
Out Loud is a podcast by and for queer people of faith in the South. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and join our mailing list for updates. Support the show financially by becoming a Patreon member and receive exclusive content and merchandise.
Music: Acoustic Meditation 2 by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://audionautix.com/
