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Symposium at St. Thomas sparks solidarity

The issue at hand? Gender and identity, with different events taking different points of view.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - At the University of St. Thomas, flags of hope and peace hang outside.

Today, however, there's one sign pointing to an auditorium where, inside, two different messages are being spoken.

"What's an effective, compassionate response to someone with gender dysphoria? We're just trying to think through those questions today," said Ryan Anderson, a PH.D. and Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation.

Over here, it's a one-day symposium - "Man, Woman, and the Order of Creation" - put on by the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity. Their goal? To equip clergy, religious, pastoral ministers, educators and lay leaders with the pastoral insights they need to reach out to those they serve in truth and love.

"Hormones and surgery aren't going to provide lasting solutions, and so we need to think more critically about what it means to be a man and a woman, and how we respond in love to people who feel uncomfortable in their bodies," said Anderson, who was at St. Thomas to speak on the topic of "Understanding and Responding to the Transgender Moment."

And, that's what inspired this message, just feet away, on this side of the hallway.

"So, they felt that the full range of perspectives was not being represented in this particular event," said Corrine Carvalho, a St. Thomas Professor of Theology.

So, a number of on-campus groups quickly formed "Trans Solidarity Day," a safe place for people to share messages of love and support for the transgender community. Words even coming from St. Thomas professors, like Sarah Schmalenberger.

"So, if we try and deny and shut down or correct the people that the Conference next door wants to shut down or correct, we're going to have a lot of quiet," she said.

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