In this episode we break down the idea of a social construct and how these "made up" ideas and societal ideals impact people's lives in real ways. From gender and sexuality to profession, race, and disability, social constructs shape our lives.Join us as we share personal stories about unpacking privilege, navigating safety, challenging harmful biases, and learning how questioning the constructs we are raised with is a vital step toward genuine allyship.00:00 - Introduction: What is a Social Construct?01:03 - Meet the Hosts: Dr. Casey Anne Brimmer & Pastor Bob Ierien 01:31 - Unpacking Personal Identities (Non-Binary & Pastoral) 04:30 - Do Identities Mean the Same Thing to Everyone? 05:37 - Respecting Pronouns & Navigating Personal Definitions 07:48 - A Deep Dive into Social Construction Theory 11:51 - Discussing Privilege and Safety in Society 15:02 - Chosen Identity vs. Inherent Identity 17:22 - Storytime: How Children Are Taught Social Constructs 19:22 - The Medical Model vs. The Social Model of Identity 23:16 - Language, Slang, and Sex as Social Constructs 25:20 - Race, History, and the Misuse of Scripture 28:40 - The Context of "Homosexuality" in Biblical Translations 34:04 - Real Implications: When Social Constructs Lead to Real Harm 37:12 - Experimenting with Identity Like Clothes 39:50 - Navigating Closets, Stereotypes, and Fear for Safety 44:02 - Privilege is Not a Right: Creating Safe Spaces in Community 47:50 - Free Speech, Actions, and Facing Consequences 49:16 - The Rewards of Being a Good Human 50:41 - Put it into Practice & Final Reflections Put it into practice: What questions do you have about gender, sexuality, disability, or other socially constructed identities? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, or use the link below to ask anonymously!https://forms.gle/tzdXkAFJDzkL4VfT6

Ready to move past "everyone is welcome"? In Episode 3 of The Affirming Practice Podcast, Dr. Casey Anne Brimmer and Pastor Bob Ierien dive into what it truly takes to build deeply affirming, accessible, and nurturing spaces for LGBTQIA+ and disabled communities.

Discover why passive hospitality is a low bar, how to stop treating marginalized individuals as logical afterthoughts, and the actionable steps you can take to make people feel truly integral to your community.

💬 Join the Conversation: What is a small thing an organization did that made a massive difference in how you felt included? Let us know in the comments!

👉 Subscribe for more deep dives into active allyship, intersectional identity, and building inclusive practices.

• 00:00 – Meet your hosts: Dr. Casey Anne Brimmer & Pastor Bob Ierien

• 00:58 – The Spectrum of Belonging: Guests vs. Integral community members

• 01:48 – Moving past the "low bar" of passive welcoming

• 04:55 – Proactive accessibility: Shoveling ramps & gender-inclusive language

• 08:58 – Passive vs. active harm reduction in organizations

• 11:50 – Welcoming vs. Inviting: Navigating social anxiety in new spaces

• 16:45 – Single adults, Ace/Aro visibility, and institutional exclusion

• 21:36 – The Riddle Scale of Homophobia: Moving from tolerance to nurturance

• 28:39 – Analyzing Sara Ahmed's On Being Included & dismantling institutional racism

• 34:58 – How to learn from marginalized communities without tokenizing them

• 41:30 – Who actually benefits from gender-neutral facilities?

  46:02 – Put It into Practice: Weekly reflection & closing thoughts

• LGBTQIA inclusion, active allyship, church accessibility, disability justice, Sara Ahmed On Being Included, Riddle Scale of Homophobia, gender inclusive bathrooms, creating welcoming communities, neurodiversity in community spaces.

  
  

Episode 2 — The Question Zone: Minimizing Risk of HarmWelcome back to The Affirming Practice Podcast with Dr. Casey Anne Brimmer and Pastor Bob Ierien. In this episode, we break down "The Question Zone"—learning how to ask identity-based questions safely while minimizing harm to LGBTQIA+ individuals and other marginalized groups.Discover the difference between "searchable" questions and "human connection" questions, how to spot everyday microaggressions, and why impact matters more than intention when making mistakes. Perfect for anyone striving to be an active, thoughtful ally.To ask anonymous questions please respond at this google form link: https://forms.gle/QzdPCxJG1q4KKSE17✨ Leave your thoughts in the comments, and don't forget to LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE!📌 CHAPTERS00:00 - Introductions & Welcome00:50 - Google Search vs. Asking a Human03:29 - Intersections of Identity & Personal Experience05:06 - Avoiding Educational Labor in Allyship06:50 - Connection Questions vs. Intrusive Boundaries09:50 - What is Tokenization?10:50 - Assessing Risk of Harm14:53 - Unpacking Microaggressions & Biases21:47 - Simple Linguistic Fixes (Why "Y'all" Wins)23:04 - Microaggressions in Race and Disability26:20 - Impact vs. Intention: Making Amends31:11 - How to Apologize for Misgendering35:06 - Put it into Practice: Pronoun Dressing Room37:02 - Final Thoughts: Active Allyship vs. "All Are Welcome"📝 KEY TAKEAWAYS"Don't expect LGBTQIA+ people to do all of the labor of your education." — Pastor Bob Ierien🔍 Google vs. Human: If a concept is searchable (like definitions), look it up online. Save your questions for humans when building authentic personal connections.🩹 Impact over Intention: Intent matters, but harm can still happen. True allyship means moving past defensive apologies to make genuine behavioral amends.🗣️ Handling Misgendering: Keep corrections short, sharp, and centered on the other person—avoid making your mistake about your own guilt.🛠️ PRACTICE YOUR PRONOUNSTest out different names and pronouns at the Pronoun Dressing Room website. Practicing in your spare time trains your brain to get it right in real conversations. Tell us how your practice went in the comments!🔗 RESOURCES:Aut Is Love by Nathan Selove (Available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7InIQ-GMrw&t=2s )#LGBTQAlly #Pronouns #NonBinary #InclusiveLanguage #Microaggressions #SocialJustice #Allyship #TheAffirmingPracticePodcast