Linda Herzer

My vocational incarnations have been diverse—pastor, stay-at-home mom, public school library media specialist, life coach and inclusion trainer and consultant. The commonality between these varied careers is that they have all been in the helping professions. And that’s why I write—to offer something that can have a positive impact on people's lives, and especially on the lives of LGBTQ+ people and their loved ones.

From 2012-2015, I served a church with a large transgender population. My trans parishioners often asked me, “Does God still love me?” When I went looking for a good book to answer their question, there were none in print at that time. I wrote “The Bible and the Transgender Experience: How Scripture Supports Gender Variance” (Pilgrim Press, 2016), to address that question. It has been gratifying to hear from readers around the world how helpful my book has been to them and their friends and families.

In that congregation, I became good friends with Gabrielle Claiborne, a trans woman committed to making the world a better place. When she asked me to help write her memoir, “Embrace Your Truth: A Journey to Authenticity,” I jumped at the chance. I was especially delighted that Gabrielle wanted to not only tell her story, but to share the lessons she learned so all readers—regardless of whether they were trans or not—could more fully embrace the ever-unfolding aspects of their authenticity.

In 2015, Gabrielle and I co-founded Transformation Journeys Worldwide, a training and consulting firm with a transgender and nonbinary focus. I also offer life coaching for people navigating their own gender transitions or a child’s or loved one’s.

In recognition of my inclusion work and writing, I was honored to receive the Georgia Diversity Council’s 2020 LGBTQ+ Ally Award.

I hold a BA in History from Tufts University, a Master of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary and a Masters in Library Media from Georgia State University.

I would love to hear from you! Please connect with me at Transformation Journeys Worldwide.