Quakers Today

In this special end-of-season episode of Quakers Today, host Peterson Toscano explores the intersections of faith, sex, and gender. As an "Interval" between Seasons 5 and 6, we hear from LGBTQ+ individuals about living their truth with integrity within their spiritual communities. We feature insights from a pioneering transgender priest, a Quaker healer and musician, a best-selling queer author, and voices from the Southeastern Yearly Meeting.

For a full transcript visit www.quakerstoday.org This episode is also available as a YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/@FriendsJournal

This Season of Quakers Today is sponsored by:

Friends Fiduciary

American Friends Service Committee

Transgender Identity and the Church
Rev. Dr. Tina Beardsley, one of the first transgender priests in the Church of England, discusses the evolving challenges trans and non-binary people face within both society and the broader LGBTQ community.

"The trans experience is often about a journey toward wholeness that the church is only beginning to understand."

Healing Through Song
John Calvi, a Quaker healer and writer, shares the story behind the music he composed during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis to provide comfort and spiritual grounding. Many thanks to Pendle Hill and Dwight Dunston for giving us permission to use this excerpt from their podcast, The Seed: Conversations for Radical Hope. 

Takeaway: Music can serve as a vessel for collective healing during times of profound community trauma.

Link: John Calvi’s Website 

Horror as a Tool for Hope
Queer author Ryan La Sala discusses his new eco-horror book, The Dead of Summer, and explains why "scary stories" are a necessary outlet for processing real-world anxieties.

Takeaway: We need stories that acknowledge the "horrible times" we live in to find the courage to move through them.

Link: The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala 

Community Beyond the Binary
Peterson shares audio recorded at the Southeastern Yearly Meeting, capturing a celebration of community that transcends traditional gender binaries.

"It was a celebration of community that transcended traditional gender binaries." — Peterson Toscano

Thank You Notes from the Future
Last month, we asked: If you received a thank-you note from 100 years in the future, what are they thanking you for?

Teacher Margaret (Email): Thanked for providing a "sheltering wing" for a child in turmoil whose descendants are now thriving.

BearCloverCA (TikTok): Thanked for planting native plants and minimizing waste to preserve the Earth.

Daniel Cummings (Social Media): Thanked simply for "not giving up."

ROmAnA (Social Media): Thanked for breaking a cycle of trauma and being a "good mom."

Question for Next Month
What insights or practices guide your relationship with finance today?

Share your thoughts:

Leave a voicemail: Call 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377)

Email us: [email protected]

Social Media: Respond on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.

 

Sponsors

Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by:

Friends Fiduciary: Ethical investing through a Quaker lens. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC): Challenging injustice and building peace. Visit afsc.org.

In this episode of Quakers Today, host Peterson Toscano explores how we can remain steady when the world feels like it is spinning out of control. We revisit a vital conversation with Australian activist and Quaker Adrian Glamorgan about activism, despair, and finding our specific leadings. We also hear from Kat Griffith on the spiritual work required to bridge deep political divides in rural communities. Peterson also shares a personal reflection on the "chemistry of fear" and how the choice to love is a practical move against alienation.

This Season of Quakers Today is sponsored by:

Friends Fiduciary

American Friends Service Committee

The Chemistry of Fear and the Choice to Love
Peterson reflects on a message received during Quaker worship regarding the physiological impact of fear. Drawing on research and the wisdom of bell hooks, he discusses how fear narrows the mind and fuels "structures of domination."

“The choice to love is a choice to connect—to find ourselves in the ‘Other.’” — Peterson Toscano

Remaining Steady with Adrian Glamorgan
We revisit words from Adrian Glamorgan, the Asia and West Pacific Section Executive Secretary of the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC). Adrian shares his journey from "angry activist" to a grounded Quaker, emphasizing that quiet time is not inaction—it is a neurological reset.

Read Adrian's article: “The Devoted Path,” December 2024 Friends Journal

Bridging the Divide: Kat Griffith
How do we talk to neighbors when political tension feels insurmountable? Kat Griffith shares her experiences in rural Wisconsin. This segment features audio from the QuakerSpeak video series.

Watch the Video: How to Bridge the Political Divide Through Faith

Reviews and Recommendations
Book Review: Hiking Zen: Train Your Mind in Nature By Phap Xa and Phap Luu. Reviewed by Trevor Brandt. A practical guide to mindfulness through movement, helping us transform suffering into a new way of being.

Read the full review: Friends Journal Book Review

Recommendation: Scavengers Reign Peterson recommends the 12-episode animated series Scavengers Reign (available on HBO/MAX and Netflix). Set on a distant planet, it explores how life flourishes through ecological balance rather than "Good versus Evil." If you do not have access to Max or Netflix, you can watch the original short film version for free on YouTube: Scavengers. Both were written and directed by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner. 

Explore the Creators' Work: josephbennett.tv

Answer our Monthly Question. Imagination Required!
If you, or a group you are part of, received a thank-you note sent to you from 100 years in the future, what would the people of the future be thanking you for doing today?

Share your response:

Voicemail: Leave a message at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). Add +1 if calling from outside the USA.

Email: Click here to email the show

Social Media: Find us on TikTok, Instagram, and X.
You can follow Peterson on Bluesky and Facebook. 

Listener Voices: How do you stay steady?
Special thanks to our social media contributors and listeners for sharing the practices that anchor them:

Pumanti: Transparency in politics.

MemawClaus: Making something from scratch.

Copperkey13: Breathing.

Jenny Okamoto: Dogs and a crackling fire.

TransQuakerism: Assembling and painting miniatures.

Andy: Taking prescribed medications.

Catherine Habegger: Deep breathing.

Sheila Garrett: A Thich Nhat Hanh meditation practice: “Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile.”

Thanks also to Manda.and.her.menagerie, Youngfriendsmke, sarahmudd60, Gail, Rejena, Tom, Richard, and everyone who left voicemails and answered on social media.

Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation.

Thank you to our Sponsors

The American Friends Service Committee works at the forefront of social change to meet urgent needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Since 1948, AFSC has worked for a just and lasting peace in Palestine and Israel. Today, its Gaza team delivers lifesaving aid, while U.S. advocates push to end the occupation and apartheid system. In July 2025, AFSC and seven other Quaker groups declared, “Quakers discern genocide is occurring in Gaza and urge courageous action.” Read the statement and take action at afsc.org/crisis-gaza. Learn about other initiatives and actions at AFSC.org

Season Five is also sponsored by Friends Fiduciary. Friends Fiduciary unites Quaker values with expert investing. They serve more than 460 organizations with ethical portfolios, shareholder advocacy, and a deep commitment to justice and sustainability.

They walk the talk on environmental stewardship. The Quaker Growth & Income Fund has a 70% smaller carbon footprint than the benchmark. Friends Fiduciary supports science-based targets and urges companies to adopt clear, immediate climate transition plans. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

Sponsors

Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by:

Friends Fiduciary: Ethical investing through a Quaker lens. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC): Challenging injustice and building peace. Visit afsc.org.

For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode, special co-host Diana Yáñez and Sweet Miche explore the concept of belonging, not just to each other, but to all of existence. From the linguistic wisdom of the Aymara people to the radical call of liberation theology and the hard work of healing Quaker involvement in Indian Boarding Schools, we're asking what might happen to our faith if we start living from the "We" instead of the "I"?

Jiwasa: The Communal We with Rubén Hilari Quispe 

Rubén, an Aymara Quaker and linguist, introduces us to jiwasa – a concept of "we-ness" that includes humans, the environment, and even the objects around us. He invites us to sit with the unsettled feeling of language that doesn't center the individual. Read Rubén’s article, "Jiwasa, the Communal We" in the January 2026 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org. You can hear an extended interview in Spanish with English subtitles at the Friends Journal YouTube page. 

Liberation Theology and the Inner Light with Renzo Carranza 

Guatemalan Friend Renzo Carranza explores how the Quaker Inner Light intersects with the radical tradition of liberation theology. Together, they form a call to action: to reinterpret the gospels from the perspective of the marginalized and transform society. Watch the full QuakerSpeak video, “Transforming the SPIRIT: Liberation Theology and the Inner Light” at QuakerSpeak.com.

Collective Relationship and Boarding Schools with Rachel Overstreet 

Rachel Overstreet (Choctaw Nation) discusses the history of Quaker Indian boarding schools. She suggests that the way forward isn't through individual guilt, but through collective relationship. Read Rachel’s article, “Speaking with Friends About Indian Boarding Schools” in the January 2026 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org. Rachel writes the Native American Legislative Update, a monthly newsletter on the most important developments on Capitol Hill related to Indian Country. You can also write your Congressperson to cosponsor and pass the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act. Find out more at fcnl.org/issues/native-americans.

Book Review: Chooch Helped 

Katie Green reviews a charming children’s book by Andrea L. Rogers and Rebecca Lee Koons (Cherokee Nation) that celebrates present-day Cherokee family life and love. Read Katie’s review of Chooch Helped in the January 2026 issue or at FriendsJournal.org.

Recommended Resources by Indigenous Creators

Jonny Appleseed (Novel)
By Joshua Whitehead (they/them)

A beautifully fragmented story about a Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer person navigating life in Winnipeg. The title ironically reclaims a settler-colonial myth to tell a raw story of modern Indigenous identity.

Coyote & Crow (Tabletop Role-Playing Game)
Created by a team of over 30 Indigenous creators

Set in an "Indigenous Futurism" world where the Americas were never colonized. This RPG focuses on community, advanced technology, and spirits in a world where history took a different path.

Drama & Performance

The Thanksgiving Play (Play)
By Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation)

A biting, hilarious satire that made history as the first play by a Native American woman on Broadway. It follows four well-meaning white people trying to create a "politically correct" Thanksgiving play for a school.

The Rez Sisters (Play)
By Tomson Highway (Cree)

A modern classic of Indigenous drama. It tells the story of seven women on a reserve who dream of winning "the biggest bingo game in the world." It’s a powerful blend of humor, tragedy, and the supernatural.

Mary Kathryn Nagle: Land Sovereignty and Indigenous Women’s Rights (Podcast/Interview)
Produced by Peterson Toscano for Citizens Climate Radio

A deep-dive conversation with Cherokee playwright and attorney Mary Kathryn Nagle. She discusses how her plays, like Sovereignty and Manahatta, serve as "living law," using the stage to advocate for tribal jurisdiction and the safety of Indigenous women.

Music & Audio

Come and Get Your Love (Song)
By Redbone

The 1974 hit that made Redbone the first Native American band to reach the top five on the Billboard Hot 100.

Forged (Podcast)
CBC Listen / Host: Adrian Stimson

A gripping series exploring a massive art fraud ring involving the works of Norval Morrisseau, the "Picasso of the North."

Literature & Thought

Sacred Instructions (Book)
By Sherri Mitchell (Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset)

A roadmap for "spirit-based change" drawing on Penobscot ancestral wisdom to address modern crises.

Dr. Lyla June Johnston (Scholar & Musician)
A Diné (Navajo) and Cheyenne artist whose work blends hip-hop with traditional acoustics and ecological activism.

Digital Culture & Media

Trixie Mattel: Root Maintenance (Video/Q&A)
The world-famous drag queen discusses her biracial Ojibwe heritage and navigating identity in the public eye.

Rez Ball (Film)
Produced by LeBron James and Sterlin Harjo

A 2024 film following a Navajo high school basketball team, capturing the unique, fast-paced style of "Rezball."

Next Month’s Question

A central part of Quakerism is our commitment to peace. But that doesn't mean we should avoid conflict. In fact, it means we have a specific responsibility to it. What is a small practice that brings you a measure of peace or stability in the midst of conflict and turmoil?

Leave a voice memo at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377)

Email us at [email protected]

Sponsors

Quakers Today is a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by:

Friends Fiduciary: Ethical investing through a Quaker lens. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC): Challenging injustice and building peace. Visit afsc.org.

For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode of Quakers Today, co-hosts Sweet Miche (they/them) and Peterson Toscano (he/him) tackle a question that seems simple but is actually quite complex: What do Quakers believe?

We explore the wide theological spectrum of the Religious Society of Friends from those who view the Bible as the inerrant word of God to those who may not believe in God at all.

A Smorgasbord of Beliefs

We hear from Adam Segal-Isaacson, a Friend from Brooklyn Meeting who was raised both Jewish and Quaker. Adam shares how he navigates his dual identity and offers a powerful metaphor about harmony versus monotony in worship. Watch the full QuakerSpeak video: Do All Quakers Hold the Same Beliefs?

An Evangelical Friend Among Liberals

Peterson sits down with Jasson Arevalo, an Evangelical Quaker from El Salvador and a student at the Earlham School of Religion. Jasson describes the "Programmed" tradition of his upbringing—complete with pastors and music—and his view of Biblical inerrancy. He shares his experience of studying alongside Liberal, Unprogrammed Friends and how curiosity and respect bridge the theological divide. Read Jasson’s article, "You Will Be Told What You Must Do," in the December 2025 issue of Friends Journal or at FriendsJournal.org.

Convincement and Belonging

What makes someone a Quaker? Is it a membership card or an internal shift? We review the new Pendle Hill pamphlet, Awakening the Witness: Convincement and Belonging in Quaker Community by Matt Rosen. The pamphlet explores the distinction between "convincement", the spiritual experience of becoming a Friend, and formal membership. Learn more at PendleHill.org.

Recommendation

Peterson recommends the Iranian film It Was Just an Accident, directed by Jafar Panahi. It is a darkly comic and morally complicated story about the long-term effects of trauma and the refusal to become like one's oppressors.

Listener Responses

We asked you: What do you believe now that you didn't believe before becoming a Friend?

Jeremy shares how Quaker history helped him understand the "Great Apostasy" as the moment the church merged with political power.

Zoe discusses moving from "religion as harm" to religion as a positive force for community.

Creative Decorating reflects on the mind-blowing concept of "that of God in everyone."

Resources Mentioned:

QuakerSpeak Video: Do All Quakers Hold the Same Beliefs? (Featuring Adam Segal-Isaacson): quakerspeak.com/video/do-all-quakers-hold-the-same-beliefs

Read Jasson's Article: "You Will Be Told What You Must Do" in Friends Journal: friendsjournal.org/you-will-be-told-what-you-must-do

Pendle Hill Pamphlet: Awakening the Witness by Matt Rosen: pendlehill.org/product/awakening-the-witness-convincement-and-belonging-in-quaker-community

Next Month's Question

We want to hear from you! What is something you learned in school about Native Americans or Indigenous peoples that you've since learned is not true? Leave us a voice memo with your name and town at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). (+1 if outside the U.S.) You can also reply by email at [email protected] or on our social media channels.

Sponsors

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content.

Season Five of Quakers Today is sponsored by Friends Fiduciary and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).

Friends Fiduciary provides professional investment management for Quaker organizations, uniting financial goals with Quaker values. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

AFSC works to challenge injustice and build peace. Their "North Star Vision" calls for transformative alternatives to prisons and policing. Learn more at afsc.org/NorthStar.

For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode of Quakers Today, co-hosts Sweet Miche (they/them) and Peterson Toscano (he/him) invite you to learn more about the sometimes baffling practice of silent worship. Whether you're a long-time Friend or someone who has never stepped into a mostly silent meeting, we are pulling back the curtain to explore what happens in our hearts, minds, and bodies when we sit together in worship.

The Purpose of Ministry

We speak with author Rhiannon Grant about her book, Speaking in Quaker Meeting for Worship: What, When, How, and Why. Rhiannon helps us understand the purpose of spoken ministry in the silent meeting, explaining how speech that deepens silence is a vital part of our shared spiritual practice. 

Quote: "The purpose of ministry then might be understood as deepening the silence of meeting for worship."

Read a review of Speaking in Quaker Meeting for Worship by Paul Buckley at FriendsJournal.org. 

Learn more about Rhiannon Grant’s book and other Quaker Quicks at QuakerBooks.org/Collections/Quaker-Quicks.

Our First Meetings for Worship

Peterson and Sweet Miche share their first experiences in Quaker worship: Peterson's search for community after 9/11 and Sweet Miche's feeling of guidance at Pendle Hill. We also hear from Paula Christophersen, a Quaker in Germany, who shared her first experience of ministry.

You can watch the full video of Paula Christophersen on YouTube or at QuakerSpeak.com.

Meeting for Worship with Attention to Worship

Peterson introduces a new format for meeting for worship he’s been experimenting with: Meeting for Worship with Attention to Worship. This model of worship uses the meeting's existing structure to guide newcomers by making the internal work of worship visible and conversational.

Quaker Fiction

We explore how writers use fiction and poetry to make the internal, mystical experience of worship visible.

Anne E.G. Nydam's story, “The Conduits”, reveals the flow of connection in meeting through glowing lines of light.

Peterson shares two of his short stories! “Penn’s Spring”, uses a mysterious, unexplained wet patch on a meetinghouse wall to represent a spiritual movement in a "stagnant and dry" meeting. “What Is Actually There” features a high-schooler named Jordan reflecting on the enduring effort of the Quaker path.

“A Fine Showing for the Court of Owls” by Jonathan Doering is a story about the radical Quaker abolitionist Benjamin Lay.

Read Quaker-themed fiction and poetry in the November 2025 issue of Friends Journal.

Listener Responses

Who is someone you’ve encountered in fiction that embodies Quakerness? The character could be from a book or movie. They could be a hero or even a minor character, and they do not need to be Quaker. 

This month’s fictional “Quakers” include: Pooh Bear, Maisie Dobbs, Gumby, Ted Lasso, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, WALL-E, Stevens from The Remains of the Day, and Dorothea from George Eliot's Middlemarch.

Next Month's Question

We want to hear from you! What do you believe now that you didn't believe before becoming a friend or before encountering Quakerism? 

Leave us a voice memo with your name and town at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). (+1 if outside the U.S.) You can also reply by email at [email protected] or on our social media channels.

Sponsors

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche.

Season Five of Quakers Today is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and Friends Fiduciary.

For over a decade, the American Friends Service Committee has provided technical and strategic support for divestment campaigns around the world. Today, AFSC’s Action Center for Corporate Accountability aims to expose and reduce corporate complicity in mass incarceration, immigrant detention, border militarization, and the Israeli military occupation. Visit investigate.afsc.org and find resources to help you divest from corporate-sponsored state violence.

Friends Fiduciary is a Quaker non-profit offering cost-effective, professional investment services to Friends meetings, churches, schools, and organizations. We offer five value-aligned portfolios, managed by 12 SEC-registered firms. We screen every holding for Quaker values, engage in shareholder advocacy, and in 2024, distributed $16 million to our constituents. Learn more about us at FriendsFiduciary.org.

Music in this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.

For the extended video version of this episode, visit the Friends Journal YouTube channel (insert hyperlink). For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.