As you have noticed, the Exponent has begun to have some of its lesson plans translated into español to share the hearts, minds and stories of women as far and wide as possible.* This post is to introduce one of the español translators who has blessed us with his bilingual talents. Please join us in a belated welcome to César!
Traducción Inglés/Click for English Translation
Mi nombre es César Carreón Tapia y soy mexicano. Soy mormón desde hace ya 9 años y recientemente me reconocí como un ‘feminista mormón’. Todo comenzó cuando perdí a mi privilegio en la Iglesia por ser gay y asi fue cuando finalmente me di cuenta: Pude ver la desigualdad a la que nos enfrentamos como miembros de la Iglesia, yo creía que no podía hacer nada para ayudar a cambiar el status quo, pero encontré una gran cantidad de apoyo y comprensión de la comunidad de mormones liberales en internet -el “bloggernacle” – y así fue como llegué a saber sobre The Exponent II. Leí la historia detrás del blog y pensé que podía darle a mis conocimientos de idiomas un buen uso y me ofrecí a traducir los mensajes regulares para las lecciones de la Sociedad de Socorro.
Yo había trabajado anteriormente en la traducción de la página web oficial de la Iglesia, The Vineyard, así que tenía un poco de experiencia con la jerga mormona. También participé en la traducción del sitio en español de “Afirmación: Mormones LGBT, Familia y Amigos” y en la traducción de algunas de las Conversaciones de Ordain Women. He encontrado mucho gozo al traducir todos estos materiales a mi lengua materna! Y no sólo por los efectos de la difusión, sino por todas las personas increíbles que he conocido a través de este asignaciones!
Mientras mi transición del ‘privilegio masculino mormón’ al ‘paria mormón gay’ yo veía a mi familia del barrio hacerse más y más pequeña a medida que mi familia extendida del “bloggernacle” seguía creciendo. Esta ha sido una experiencia tan positiva y curativa para mi alma!
He sentido el Espíritu fuertemente al leer los muchos blogs como ayuda de mi Estudio de las Escrituras, y quiero que la gente en los países de habla hispana sienta lo mismo! Primero aprendí Inglés en la escuela secundaria, pero cuando realmente solté mi lengua -y mis dedos- fue hablar regularmente con los misioneros americanos. Siempre voy a tener una fuerte conexión con la comunidad mormona, pero tengo una relación más profunda con la comunidad feminista mormona y la comunidad LGBT mormona, siento un fuerte deseo de mostrar este amor a todo el mundo, independientemente de su camino en la vida, y añoro una comunidad en la Iglesia que se esfuerce por demostrar esa clase de amor también!
*¿Quieres escribir para nosotros? Por favor, envíe un puesto de invitado en español!
As you have noticed, the Exponent has begun to have some of its lesson plans translated into español to share the hearts, minds and stories of women as far and wide as possible.* This post is to introduce one of the español translators who has blessed us with his bilingual talents. Please join us in a belated welcome to César!
My name is César Carreón Tapia and I’m Mexican. I’ve been a Mormon for 9 year now and I have recently come out as a Mormon feminist. It all began when I lost my male privilege for being gay, and that’s when it finally hit me: I could see the inequality we face as members of the church. I believed I couldn’t do anything to help change the status quo but found a lot of support and understanding in the internet community -a. k. a the “bloggernacle”- and that was how I first came to know about The Exponent. I read the story behind the amazing blog and decided I could give my language skills some good use and offered to help translate the regular posts for the Relief Society lessons.
I had previously worked translating in the church official website, The Vineyard, so I had a bit of experience in Mormon lingo. From there, I helped in the translation of the Affirmation: LGBT Mormons, Friends and Family website and some of the Ordain Women Conversations. I have found tremendous joy in helping bring all of these materials to my mother tongue! And not only for the purpose of diffusion but for all the amazing people I have met through this assignments!
While my transition from Mormon male privilege to gay Mormon outcast, I watched my ward family grow smaller and smaller as my extended bloggernacle family just kept growing. This has been such a positive and healing experience!
I have felt the Spirit strongly while reading the many blogs as a Scripture Study help, and I want people in Spanish- speaking countries to feel the same! I first learned English at high school, but what really loosened my tongue -and fingers!- was talking regularly with the missionaries. I will always have a strong connection to the Mormon community, but I have a deeper relationship with the Mormon feminist community and the LGBT Mormon community. I feel a strong urge to show love to everyone regardless of their path in life, and I long for a church community that will strive to show that kind of love too!
Want to write for us? Please submit a guest post in Spanish (or English, or français or…)!
Thank you so much, Cesar! It is so good to get to know you a little better with this intro! Thank you for supporting the Exponent!
De nada! I am pleased to help! 🙂
I find a lot of support in Mormon online communities, too. Your translations are such a valuable contribution. Thank you so much! I hope you’ll continue to write and translate here. I’m interested to know how you came to join the Church and how your ward family has responded to your coming out, as gay and as a feminist.
Thanks! 🙂 Long story short, I studied high school at Benemerito de las Américas high school, which was like mexican byu for teens, so I learned there about the church and obtained my testimony of the book of mormon, I knwe I was gay but I tried to pray the gay away for years, so finding this new road in mormonism was like a big deal for me, I did the whole thing: read, study, pray, baptism, ordination, ward calling, tithing, fast, fast offerings, stake callings, missionary work -even while studying med school, which stopped me from going on a mission- but nothing would help me be straight so my path lead me to where I am now, 2 years of meditation, prayer, doubt, and finally coming out to my family, having a boyfriend and then the big bang came. After I came out as gay my friends started to behave akward around me, even if not judgemental it was kind of ostricizing… then my SP knew of me and was a bit supportive, they didn’t apply any church discipline but it was as if I had disappeared from my quroum, my ward and my stake altogether. The real attack came when I started posting my Ordain Women support in my facebook, name-calling, shunning was even worse! I guess it’s still better to be a gay mormon than a feminist mormon :S it was a shocker, I moved, I closed my facebook account, and I miss church, but I’m happy with how my life is turning out so far! 😉 I have faith that my future will be bright!
Cesar, thank you for sharing your beautiful story, and for the translations you do. You are such an important part of The Exponent community – I hope to someday meet you in person! Mil gracias!
De nada! Thank you so much for your words! 🙂
Thank you for your important voice and work. Sincerely.
Thanks! It feels good when your voice is appreciated 🙂 I love the opportunity! 😀
¡Bienvenido y bien hecho, Cesar! También agradezco a los grupos del Bloggernacle por su comunidad y apoyo. Espero leer más contribuciones de Mormones feministas latinos acá.
Que bien ver voces en español! Yo también espero leer mas contribuciones latinas en esta hermosa comunidad de mofems! Tambien eres latina?
Gracias por su artículo y un agradecimiento muy tarde por compartir sus talentos con nosotros como traductor. Me encanta cuando tenemos artículos en español porque me recuerda que somos parte de un movimiento mundial.
[…] joined the Exponent along with Amanda, César and Denisse as a translator! Her specialty is Spanish and we are thrilled to have […]
[…] posts into Spanish and French. (You can read posts by some of our translation volunteers here, here, here and here.) We have even had some guest posts submitted in Spanish, that were posted in […]