12/22/2025

TSV 011: Celebrating Shamelessness: Reflections on Our First English Season with Nadia Arellano

In the season finale of Teología Sin Vergüenza — and the close of our very first English‑language season — host Reverend Alba Onofrio (Reverend Sex) and Soulforce Associate Director Nadia Arellano return to the heart of Queer and Feminist Latin American theology. Together, they revisit the conversations that shaped this season, reflecting on the wisdom shared by Queer and feminist Latine faith leaders, pastors, and theologians across the diaspora. For the first time, the hosts answer the same grounding questions they posed to every guest: What does it mean to be a Sinvergüenza? Who are your ancestors? Where is home? Their reflections open a tender, powerful dialogue about decolonial theology, language, spiritual resistance, and the healing work ahead. They also share a glimpse of their forthcoming book on spiritual violence, religious abuse, and spiritual healing strategies, which will be a primary focus of next season. Whether you’ve been with TSV since the Spanish‑language seasons or you joined us for this new chapter, this finale invites you into community, reflection, and shameless liberation. The Soulforce Podcast Channel will be taking a six‑week break after this week’s episode of Love Letters from Reverend Sex. This is the perfect time to catch up on any episodes you may have missed. We’d also love to hear from you — your feedback, questions, and ideas help shape what comes next. Connect with us on social media at @soulforceorg or send us an email at hello@soulforce.org. 00:00 Introduction to Queer and Feminist Theology 01:34 Season Finale and Reflections 02:48 Language and Diaspora 05:31 Bridging Gaps in Knowledge 09:26 Highlights and Personal Reflections 18:37 Embracing Shamelessness 27:19 Exploring the Concept of Home 30:38 The Body as a Home 32:01 Reclaiming Our Bodies and Identities 33:15 Honoring Our Ancestors 39:39 The Power of Shamelessness 45:51 Intergenerational Wisdom and Community 53:22 Season Finale and Future Plans Hosted by Rev. Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce), this podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful while centering dialogue on Queer, trans, and feminist theology. TSV seeks to decolonize faith, mixing theological education with real-life experiences to support human rights and liberation. Initially launched in Spanish, TSV addresses the monopolization of religious discourse by the far right. The platform gathers people of diverse Christian denominations, pastors, activists, and scholars to discuss gender identity, sex, and pleasure in the context of faith, aiming to heal the wounds of colonizing religion and create a welcoming space for topics often considered taboo in religious spaces. For the first time, Teología Sin Vergüenza is now in English. Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Teología Sin Vergüenza homepage or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latinx power building, please make a donation. https://soulforce.org/donate/ Find episode transcripts at https://soulforce.org/podcast/

58 min

12/19/2025

12 Reflections from Soulforce: A 2025 Retrospective

In this season finale, host Nadia Arellano, Associate Director at Soulforce, guides listeners through a year-in-review from 'Friday From the Archives,' highlighting the organization's steadfast commitment to ending religious and political oppression of LGBTQIA+ people. This episode features 12 reflections that encapsulate the highs and lows of 2025, including escalating state-sanctioned violence, ICE raids, and the resilience of marginalized communities. Key voices from the Soulforce community, including Reverend Alba Onofrio, will present the reflections, sharing powerful messages of hope, resistance, and the enduring strength of the LGBTQIA+ community. Each reflection underscores the importance of solidarity, creative defiance, and unwavering commitment to justice amidst ongoing challenges. You’ll find the start time of each reflection listed below. Whether you listen in one sitting or savor a reflection each day, let this episode inspire your own end‑of‑year meditation. 00:00 Introduction to 12 Reflections from Soulforce: A 2025 Retrospective 04:15 Reflection #1 We’re still here Read by: Rev. Alba Onofrio 10:20 Reflection #2 The Serpentdove Read by: Bryony Dick 16:39 Reflection #3 Gratitude and hope Read by: Orion Johnstone 26:36 Reflection #4 Holy troublemakers Read by: Maura Fernandez 34:40 Reflection #5 ICE raids and standing against supremacy Read by: Nadia Arellano 40:52 Reflection #6 No Kings, Yas Queens Read by: Cole Parke-West 49:29 Reflection #7 Relentless Resistance Read by: Meg Sharkey 58:12 Reflection #8 We are the ones we’re waiting for Read by: phoenix rahel 01:05 Reflection #9 Our future is not set Read by: Andrea Cappa 01:13:52 Reflection #10 Doing the work, connecting community Read by: Anar Amin 01:20:52 Reflection #11 Responding to ICE’s Spiritual Terrorism Read by: Andrea Cappa 01:30:44 Reflection #12 Changing the narrative Read by: Maura Fernandez 01:39:47 Conclusion: Until next year This episode marks the season finale of Friday From the Archives. After next week’s finale of TSV: Shameless Theology and Love Letters from Reverend Sex, the Soulforce Podcast Channel will take a six‑week break before returning with a new season in early 2026. In the meantime, we invite you to revisit past episodes you may have missed, share your favorite moments with friends, and send us your feedback or suggestions for next season. Your voices help shape the future of this show, and we look forward to returning with even more powerful conversations. Leave a comment on this episode wherever you listen to podcasts, find us on social media @soulforceorg or email us at hello@soulforce.org Friday From the Archives is hosted by Nadia Arellano, the Associate Director of Soulforce. The other content on this channel is Hosted by Rev. Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce). Soulforce’s podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful while centering dialogue on Queer, trans, and feminist theology. The platform gathers people of diverse Christian denominations, pastors, activists, and scholars to discuss gender identity, sex, and pleasure in the context of faith, aiming to heal the wounds of colonizing religion and create a welcoming space for topics often considered taboo in religious spaces. Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Teología Sin Vergüenza homepage or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latinx power building, please make a donation. https://soulforce.org/donate/ Find episode transcripts at https://soulforce.org/podcast/

1h 42m

12/17/2025

Love Letters From Rev. Sex Ep. 10: The God-Bearer Was a Joyful Rebel

In this Advent episode, Reverend Sex reframes joy as a form of sacred resistance—one that refuses the binary logic of white Christian Supremacy. Drawing from decolonial theology, queer Latina spirituality, and Marian devotion, the episode invites listeners to hold grief and joy together while recovering Mary—not as a symbol of submission, but as a protagonist in a long lineage of anti‑imperial resistance. Key ThemesResisting Binary Thinking: How white Christian Supremacy trains us to see the world in opposites (good/bad, order/chaos, straight/gay) and why liberation requires rejecting those frames.Joy as Resistance: Joy is not denial of grief or injustice; it is a deep, embodied commitment to a future shaped by justice, mercy, and collective liberation.Mary Reclaimed: Mary as Theotokos and freedom fighter—rooted in a resistance community under Roman occupation.Our Lady of Guadalupe: An indigenous apparition appearing amid colonial violence—affirming the divine worth of Indigenous peoples and the persistence of ancestral resistance. Scripture & Sacred TextsLuke 1:46–55 — The Magnificat (Canticle of Mary) Notable ReflectionsJoy and sorrow are not opposites; they coexist within the full human experience.Mary’s “yes” is not passive obedience but a courageous commitment to a costly, liberative future.Ancestral memory and resistance sustain hope across generations. Prayer & PracticeSit with moments of joy without guilt, even amid grief or rage.Reflect on Mary’s Magnificat as a personal and communal commitment to justice.Honor ancestral legacies of resistance that make present joy possible. Hosted by Rev. Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce), this podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful while centering dialogue on Queer, trans, and feminist theology. The platform gathers people of diverse Christian denominations, pastors, activists, and scholars to discuss gender identity, sex, and pleasure in the context of faith, aiming to heal the wounds of colonizing religion and create a welcoming space for topics often considered taboo in religious spaces. Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Teología Sin Vergüenza homepage or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latinx power building, please make a donation. https://soulforce.org/donate/ Find episode transcripts at https://soulforce.org/podcast/

32 min

12/15/2025

TSV 010: Shameless and Free: A Trans Diaspora Story with CasSandra Calin

Rev. Alba welcomes CasSandra Calin, a queer, feminist, Black-Cuban healer, who is passionate about spirit work, identity, divinity and pleasure. Together, they explore what it means to claim shamelessness as a spiritual, political, and embodied practice, especially for Black, queer, and diasporic people whose lives have been shaped by religion, race, gender, and colonial identity rubrics. CasSandra reflects on growing up with multilayered shame coded as holiness, humility, and goodness—stories reinforced by Christianity and white Christian Supremacy that fractured connection to body, desire, culture, and self. From reclaiming Cuban identity without fluency or permission, to navigating Afro-Latinidad, anti-Blackness, exoticization, and erasure, this episode traces a powerful arc from performance and respectability toward belonging in one’s own body. CasSandra and Rev. Alba talk about diaspora, the queer and trans church in Cuba, ancestral recognition, and the profound healing that happens in community. The conversation moves into spiritual violence—how God-language is weaponized to justify harm—and the slow, liberatory work of shedding those narratives. Rev. Alba shares how queerness, therapy, prayer, food, fire, poetry, and nature have become sites of resistance, healing, and pleasure. We discuss the difference between being “gay” and being queer, agency as a spiritual muscle, therapy as ministry, and the questions that can ground us in an overwhelming political moment. We close by honoring ancestors—blood, chosen, intellectual, poetic—and the feminine, magnetic, expansive lineages that make survival, joy, and freedom possible. CasSandra Calin (she/her/hers) is a queer, feminist, Black-Cuban healer, who is passionate about spirit work, identity, divinity and pleasure. She has recently returned to school to obtain her Doctorate of Social Work. Her intention is to study the mental and spiritual wellness of LGBTQ+ activists. CasSandra is overjoyed to have been a part of Soulforce’s work to sabotage white Christian Supremacy since she first joined the 2015-16 Soulforce Southeast House Fellowship. Hosted by Rev. Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce), this podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful while centering dialogue on Queer, trans, and feminist theology. TSV seeks to decolonize faith, mixing theological education with real-life experiences to support human rights and liberation. Initially launched in Spanish, TSV addresses the monopolization of religious discourse by the far right. The platform gathers people of diverse Christian denominations, pastors, activists, and scholars to discuss gender identity, sex, and pleasure in the context of faith, aiming to heal the wounds of colonizing religion and create a welcoming space for topics often considered taboo in religious spaces. For the first time, Teología Sin Vergüenza is now in English. Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Teología Sin Vergüenza homepage or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latinx power building, please make a donation. https://soulforce.org/donate/ Find episode transcripts at https://soulforce.org/podcast/

54 min

12/10/2025

Love Letters From Rev Sex Ep. 9: Redefining Peace in a Chaotic World

In this intimate “Love Letter,” Reverend Sex reflects on Advent’s theme of peace through a decolonial, justice-centered lens, challenging the idea that peace is simply the absence of conflict. Instead, this episode invites listeners into a deeper understanding of peace as integrity, sacred rest, and the spiritual discipline of doing the best we can amid injustice, exhaustion, and collective grief. From personal storytelling to global witness, the letter names the tension between “no justice, no peace” and the holy invitation to remain grounded, connected, and accountable to ourselves, our communities, and the divine. This episode offers a prayerful meditation for sacred timekeepers, agitators, caregivers, and anyone struggling to imagine peace in a world shaped by violence and displacement. Reverend Sex explores peace as an interdependent practice—rooted in trust, compassion, and shared responsibility—and invites listeners to practice a form of holy rest that does not abandon the work of liberation, but sustains it. The episode closes with a communal prayer and a call to share, reflect, and continue building life-giving, decolonized faith spaces together. Hosted by Rev. Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce), this podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful while centering dialogue on Queer, trans, and feminist theology. The platform gathers people of diverse Christian denominations, pastors, activists, and scholars to discuss gender identity, sex, and pleasure in the context of faith, aiming to heal the wounds of colonizing religion and create a welcoming space for topics often considered taboo in religious spaces. Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Teología Sin Vergüenza homepage or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latinx power building, please make a donation. https://soulforce.org/donate/ Find episode transcripts at https://soulforce.org/podcast/

23 min

12/08/2025

TSV 009: Radical Inclusion: Redefining Religious Borders w/ Rev. Yadi Martínez-Reyna

What does it mean to create a church that includes everyone? From marginalized youth, to underprivileged families, all the way to the virtual realm where those who can't attend in person worship can find community online? In this vibrant episode, host Reverend Sex and guest Yadi Martínez-Reyna explore unique facets of ministry with a focus on queer inclusion and creative solutions. The conversation dives into personal experiences of advocacy, the creation of safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, and radically inclusive practices within both real and virtual communities. Rev. Yadi shares their journey from a conservative upbringing in Texas to becoming a prominent figure in youth ministry and an ordained pastor in the virtual realm of Second Life. The episode highlights the innovative approaches used to support marginalized youth and the significance of providing inclusive spiritual care. Additionally, it touches on the personal challenges and rewards of raising a grandchild and re-learning approaches to education and parenting. Listeners are invited to reflect on the profound impact of community, radical authenticity, and creative adaptability. 00:35 Identity and Shamelessness 02:26 Life on the Border 04:30 Challenges in Youth Ministry 05:41 Innovative Youth Ministry Approaches 11:13 Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+ Youth 21:03 Navigating Ministry in a Virtual World 31:36 A Unique Baptism Experience 32:50 Virtual Reality and Accessibility 35:05 Memorials in Virtual Worlds 37:06 Continuing a Legacy 45:41 The Role of a Virtual Pastor 48:07 Personal Reflections and Family Life 56:06 Ancestral Wisdom and Gratitude The Rev. Yadi Martínez-Reyna (M.Div.) is bilingual Latinx gender non-binary artist, a borderlander, a certified Spiritual Director, and founder of Color Splash Out, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating safe and brave spaces for LGBTQ+ Youth and their ally friends. Rev. Yadi is a co-pastor at First UCC in Second Life (firstuccsl.org), a virtual church with real standing in the Southern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ. Hosted by Rev. Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce), this podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful while centering dialogue on Queer, trans, and feminist theology. TSV seeks to decolonize faith, mixing theological education with real-life experiences to support human rights and liberation. Initially launched in Spanish, TSV addresses the monopolization of religious discourse by the far right. The platform gathers people of diverse Christian denominations, pastors, activists, and scholars to discuss gender identity, sex, and pleasure in the context of faith, aiming to heal the wounds of colonizing religion and create a welcoming space for topics often considered taboo in religious spaces. For the first time, Teología Sin Vergüenza is now in English. Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Teología Sin Vergüenza homepage or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latinx power building, please make a donation. https://soulforce.org/donate/ Find episode transcripts at https://soulforce.org/podcast/

1h 3m

12/03/2025

Love Letters From Rev. Sex Ep. 8: Advent as a Time of Healing and Resistance

Reverend Sex invites listeners into an intimate reflection on sacred time, queer survival, and the fierce, embodied hope we carry into the Advent season. Coming to us in a moment of exhaustion, tenderness, and deep yearning for connection, Rev. Sex opens up about the loss many of us feel after leaving church spaces—particularly the loss of shared ritual, rhythm, and timekeeping that once gave shape to our lives. As the community enters the first week of Advent, Rev. Sex reclaims this season as a site of resistance to consumerism and despair, offering an invitation to find grounding outside the pressures of capitalism, comparison, and holiday perfectionism. Instead, Rev. Sex centers the ancient practice of preparing for light in the darkest time of year—a reminder shared by many cultures long before Christianity. This episode explores: Why sacred time matters, especially for those who’ve left traditional religious spacesAdvent as a queer and decolonial practice, and a counter-ritual to capitalist holiday frenzyThe complexity of hope, and why hopelessness has become one of our community’s most dangerous epidemicsRejecting passive optimism and the “Deus ex Machina” myth that someone else will save usHope as embodied commitment—a gritty, resilient, deeply grounded force that rises bloodied but unbrokenHow LGBTQIA+, immigrant, feminist, and earth-based communities embody hope generation after generationPrayer as both intention and action, and how hope works the same wayBuilding a future where we thrive, through sustained collective resistance Hosted by Rev. Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce), this podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful while centering dialogue on Queer, trans, and feminist theology. The platform gathers people of diverse Christian denominations, pastors, activists, and scholars to discuss gender identity, sex, and pleasure in the context of faith, aiming to heal the wounds of colonizing religion and create a welcoming space for topics often considered taboo in religious spaces. Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Teología Sin Vergüenza homepage or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latinx power building, please make a donation. https://soulforce.org/donate/ Find episode transcripts at https://soulforce.org/podcast/

24 min

12/01/2025

TSV 008: The Home We Carry: The Beautiful Agony of Diasporic Identity w/Jessica Vazquez Torres

Reverend Sex and guest Jessica Vazquez Torres engage in a profound discussion about the complexities of identity, faith, and home within the context of the Puerto Rican diaspora. The conversation explores various personal experiences and reflections, spanning topics from the significance of familial and cultural terms, the challenges and transformative potential of diasporic existence, to the spiritual and political dimensions of community building. Key themes include the nuanced intersection of religion and colonialism, and how Latino communities navigate their multifaceted identities while striving for liberation. The episode concludes with a touching reflection on ancestral influence and the imperative of creating meaningful connections for future generations. 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:13 Exploring Identity and Personal Connections 03:55 Defining Home and Diaspora 06:46 Navigating Diasporic Experiences 09:23 The Role of Community and Belonging 23:19 Faith, Religion, and Cultural Identity 31:46 Colonial History and Its Impact 37:21 Imposing Protestant American Christianity 38:26 Impact of American Middle-Class Values 39:33 Colonial Project and Diaspora 41:09 Bad Bunny and Puerto Rican Identity 48:01 Decolonization and Latinidad 01:07:38 Spiritual Ancestors and Home Jessica Vazquez Torres (She/Her) is a 1.5 generation queer Latina of Puerto Rican descent shaped by 30 years living and working in the southern and midwestern United States. Based in Muwekma Ohlone Tribal land most commonly known as Oakland, CA, she brings over 20 years of experience organizing for racial justice—especially within religious institutions. Jessica’s intersectional lens and lived experience fuel powerful conversations on equity, identity, and transformation. Hosted by Rev. Sex (Rev. Alba Onofrio - Executive Director of Soulforce), this podcast channel offers connection, reflection, and community for anyone feeling spiritually marginalized or exiled but still resiliently faithful while centering dialogue on Queer, trans, and feminist theology. TSV seeks to decolonize faith, mixing theological education with real-life experiences to support human rights and liberation. Initially launched in Spanish, TSV addresses the monopolization of religious discourse by the far right. The platform gathers people of diverse Christian denominations, pastors, activists, and scholars to discuss gender identity, sex, and pleasure in the context of faith, aiming to heal the wounds of colonizing religion and create a welcoming space for topics often considered taboo in religious spaces. For the first time, Teología Sin Vergüenza is now in English. Join in our community of Sinvergüenzas by visiting our Teología Sin Vergüenza homepage or our Spanish WhatsApp Lista de Difusión. If you’d like to support this cutting-edge movement of ferocious Latinx power building, please make a donation. https://soulforce.org/donate/ Find episode transcripts at https://soulforce.org/podcast/

1h 18m

Soulforce: Queer Feminist Latinx Faith

TSV 011: Celebrating Shamelessness: Reflections on Our First English Season with Nadia Arellano

12 Reflections from Soulforce: A 2025 Retrospective

Love Letters From Rev. Sex Ep. 10: The God-Bearer Was a Joyful Rebel

TSV 010: Shameless and Free: A Trans Diaspora Story with CasSandra Calin

Love Letters From Rev Sex Ep. 9: Redefining Peace in a Chaotic World

TSV 009: Radical Inclusion: Redefining Religious Borders w/ Rev. Yadi Martínez-Reyna

Love Letters From Rev. Sex Ep. 8: Advent as a Time of Healing and Resistance

TSV 008: The Home We Carry: The Beautiful Agony of Diasporic Identity w/Jessica Vazquez Torres

Trailers

TSV 000: Introducing Teología Sin Vergüenza

Trailer: Teología Sin Vergüenza - Shameless Theology

Ratings & Reviews

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Soulforce: Queer Feminist Latinx Faith

Episodes

TSV 011: Celebrating Shamelessness: Reflections on Our First English Season with Nadia Arellano

12 Reflections from Soulforce: A 2025 Retrospective

Love Letters From Rev. Sex Ep. 10: The God-Bearer Was a Joyful Rebel

TSV 010: Shameless and Free: A Trans Diaspora Story with CasSandra Calin

Love Letters From Rev Sex Ep. 9: Redefining Peace in a Chaotic World

TSV 009: Radical Inclusion: Redefining Religious Borders w/ Rev. Yadi Martínez-Reyna

Love Letters From Rev. Sex Ep. 8: Advent as a Time of Healing and Resistance

TSV 008: The Home We Carry: The Beautiful Agony of Diasporic Identity w/Jessica Vazquez Torres

Trailers

Ratings & Reviews

About

Information