A former fundamentalist who became the first openly transgender man ordained to the Old Catholic priesthood, Shannon TL Kearns believes in the transformative power of story. As an ordained priest, a playwright, a theologian, and a writer all of his work revolves around making meaning through story. He is the co-founder of QueerTheology.com. He’s the author of several books: In the Margins: A Transgender Man’s Journey With Scripture (Eerdmans), No One Taught Me How To Be A Man: What a trans man's experience reveals about masculinity (Broadleaf), Come and See: Your Invitation to a Radical Encounter With Jesus (Hodder Faith), and Reading the Bible Through Queer Eyes (HarperOne, co-written with Brian G. Murphy, forthcoming). 

He was a Humanitas New Voices Fellow for 2022 and was a recipient of the Playwrights’ Center Jerome Fellowship in 20/21 and he was a Lambda Literary Fellow for 2019 (in playwriting) and 2022 (in screenwriting) and a Finnovation Fellow for 2019/2020. He is a sought after speaker on transgender issues and religion as well as a skilled facilitator of a variety of workshops.