ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Paula Stone Williams - Religious leader, counselor, advocate
Paula Stone Williams is a pastor, counselor, speaker, LGBTQ ambassador and gender equity advocate.

Why you should listen

The Reverend Dr. Paula Stone Williams knows the truth will set you free, but only after it upends your carefully constructed narrative. Her devotion to authenticity caused her to leave her comfort zone as a nationally known religious leader and follow her heart to transition from Paul to Paula. She lost all of her jobs and most of her friends. Williams also discovered the massive differences between life as a male and as a female in America.

Williams is the pastor of preaching and worship at Left Hand Church in Longmont, Colorado, a pastoral counselor with RLT Pathways and a sought-after speaker to corporations, government agencies, universities and religious institutions on issues of gender equity and LGBTQ advocacy. She has been featured in the New York Times, the Denver Post, New Scientist, Radio New Zealand, Colorado Public Radio and The Huffington Post. Her TEDxMileHigh talk on gender equity has had more than one million views.

More profile about the speaker
Paula Stone Williams | Speaker | TED.com
Jonathan Williams - Religious leader, storyteller
Jonathan Williams likes to tell stories and throw parties, so he started a church that allowed him to do both.

Why you should listen

After teaching fifth grade in West Philadelphia for seven years, Jonathan Williams decided to join the family business and become a pastor like his father. He started a church in Brooklyn, NY, and just three months later faced a religious and personal reckoning when his father announced her transition from male to female. Williams decided that his church would become an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, forever shifting the landscape in his personal and professional life.

Williams continues to lead Forefront Church in Brooklyn. In January 2019, he released his book, She's My Dad: A Father’s Transition and a Son's Redemption, published by Westminster John Knox Press. Williams has told his story to the New York Times, Huffington Post, Christian Standard Magazine, Faithfully Magazine and Rebel Storytellers.

More profile about the speaker
Jonathan Williams | Speaker | TED.com
TEDWomen 2018

Paula Stone Williams and Jonathan Williams: The story of a parent's transition and a son's redemption

Paula Stone Williams e Jonathan Williams: A história da transição de um pai e da redenção de um filho

Filmed:
1,557,257 views

Paula Stone Williams sabia desde cedo que era transgênero. Mas, como se tornou mãe e pastora evangélica conhecida, temia que revelar sua orientação sexual significaria perder tudo. Nesta palestra comovente e profundamente pessoal, Paula e o filho Jonathan Williams compartilham o que a transição de Paula significou para a família e refletem sobre o caminho para a redenção. Como Jonathan diz: "Não posso pedir a meu pai para ser outra coisa senão seu verdadeiro eu".
- Religious leader, counselor, advocate
Paula Stone Williams is a pastor, counselor, speaker, LGBTQ ambassador and gender equity advocate. Full bio - Religious leader, storyteller
Jonathan Williams likes to tell stories and throw parties, so he started a church that allowed him to do both. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

Paula Stone Williams: Eu era CEO
00:13
Paula Stone Williams: So, I was the CEO
of a large, religious nonprofit,
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de uma grande organização
religiosa sem fins lucrativos,
00:17
spoke at some of the largest
churches in America,
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falava em algumas das maiores
igrejas dos Estados Unidos,
00:22
was on television in 70 different markets,
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estive na televisão
em 70 mercados diferentes.
00:25
but more than anything else,
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Porém, mais do que qualquer outra coisa,
00:28
I just wanted to be a good parent.
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eu só queria ser um bom pai.
Eu dizia a todos os meus três filhos:
00:31
I told all three of my children,
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00:33
"When the going gets tough,
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"Quando as coisas ficam difíceis,
00:35
you have to choose the road less traveled,
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você tem que escolher
a estrada menos percorrida,
00:38
the narrow path."
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o caminho estreito".
00:39
I had no idea how difficult
that was going to become.
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Eu não tinha ideia de como isso
se tornaria difícil.
Eu sabia, desde meus três
ou quatro anos de idade,
00:45
I knew from the time I was three
or four years of age
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que eu era transgênero.
00:47
that I was transgender.
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00:50
I knew if I came out,
I would lose everything.
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Eu sabia que, se revelasse
minha orientação sexual, perderia tudo.
00:54
But the call toward authenticity is sacred
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Mas o chamado para a autenticidade é sacro
00:58
and for the greater good,
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e para o bem maior,
01:00
and it asks you to trust that the truth
not only sets you free,
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e pede que você confie que a verdade
não apenas o liberta,
01:04
it will set everyone free.
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como também libertará todos.
01:08
I decided to stake my life on it.
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Decidi apostar minha vida nisso.
01:10
So I came out.
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Então, saí do armário.
01:12
Turns out, if you spend most of your life
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Acontece que, se você passa
a maior parte da vida
01:15
working in the conservative
religious world,
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trabalhando no mundo
religioso conservador,
01:17
coming out as transgender
is not all that great for your career.
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revelar-se transgênero
não é tão bom para sua carreira.
01:21
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
01:24
Who knew?
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Quem diria?
01:25
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
01:28
Within seven days, I lost
every single one of my jobs.
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Em sete dias, perdi cada um
de meus empregos.
01:33
My family was supportive but struggling.
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Minha família foi solidária,
mas sofreu muito.
01:36
Most of my friends
and coworkers had rejected me;
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A maioria de meus amigos
e colegas me rejeitou;
o restante ficou confuso.
01:39
the rest were confused.
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01:41
One friend said,
"You really messed with me."
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Um amigo me disse:
"Você me deixou mesmo confuso".
01:45
I said, "Yeah, well, get in line."
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Respondi: "Sim, bem, entre na fila".
Disseram: "Você era meu único
exemplo de macho alfa amável".
01:48
They said, "You were my only example
of an alpha male who was gentle."
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01:53
And I thought, "Oh. You're right."
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E pensei: "Ah, tem razão".
01:57
I was an alpha male.
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Eu era um macho alfa
01:59
And I was gentle.
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e eu era amável.
02:01
And if it was hard for him,
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E, se foi difícil para ele,
02:04
how much more difficult
was it for my own son?
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quanto mais difícil
foi para meu próprio filho?
Jonathan Williams: Distanciamento
não era uma opção.
02:09
Jonathan Williams: Estrangement
was not an option.
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02:11
It was Father's Day and my girls
brought me craft beer
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Era Dia dos Pais,
e minhas filhas me trouxeram
cerveja artesanal
e um pote caseiro de picles,
02:14
and a homemade jar of pickles,
which, in my estimation,
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que, na minha opinião, é o presente
perfeito para o Dia dos Pais.
02:17
is the perfect Father's Day gift.
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02:19
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
02:20
But the question remained:
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Mas a pergunta permanecia:
02:22
Do I call my own father?
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"Devo ligar para meu pai?"
02:24
To call him, and I continue down
this spiral of denial,
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Ligar pra ele e continuar
nessa espiral de negação,
fingindo que meu pai era ainda, bem...
02:26
pretending that my dad was still --
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02:28
well, my dad.
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meu pai.
Não ligar significava reconhecer
que tudo havia mudado,
02:31
To not call was to acknowledge
that everything had changed.
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02:35
It meant that I was in for years of pain
and mourning and sadness,
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que eu estava em anos
de dor, luto e tristeza,
02:40
but ultimately, hope for reconciliation.
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mas, no fundo, com esperança
pela reconciliação.
Não há manual para quando
o pai de alguém de mais de 30 anos
02:44
There's no playbook for when one's father
of 30 plus years decides to transition
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decide fazer a transição
para o gênero feminino.
02:48
to the female gender.
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02:50
But my dad did teach me one thing.
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Mas meu pai me ensinou uma coisa.
02:52
He said the road to redemption always
comes from choosing the narrow path.
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Ele dizia que a estrada para a redenção
sempre vem da escolha do caminho estreito.
02:56
And so I decided not to call that day,
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Então, decidi não ligar naquele dia,
02:58
and a few months later, Paula flew
out and met me at a hotel in New York,
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e, meses depois, Paula voou
e me encontrou num hotel em Nova York,
minha esposa e eu.
03:02
my wife and I.
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03:04
I knocked on the door,
and this woman answered.
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Bati à porta, e uma mulher atendeu.
Certamente não era meu pai.
03:06
It definitely wasn't my dad.
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"É bom ver você", disse ela.
03:09
"It's good to see you," she said.
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03:11
It didn't sound like my dad, either.
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Também não era a voz de meu pai.
Fomos almoçar, e o garçom
veio tomar nosso pedido.
03:14
We went to lunch, and the waiter
came to take our order.
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Ele disse: "Primeiro, as damas",
mas só havia uma na mesa: minha esposa.
03:17
He said, "Let's start with the ladies,"
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03:18
but there was only one lady
at the table and it was my wife,
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Ah, meu Deus, há duas mulheres na mesa...
03:21
and -- oh my God, there are two
women at the table.
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Meu pai pediu algo como alface,
03:24
And my dad ordered something like lettuce,
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e eu tinha batatas fritas em meu prato.
03:26
and I was like, I have fries on my plate.
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Meu pai gostava de fritas?
03:28
Did my dad like fries? I don't remember.
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Não me lembro.
03:31
I think he liked them.
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Acho que sim.
Mas ela não ia comer fritas.
03:33
But she wasn't eating them.
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03:37
Here's this woman who knew
everything about me,
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Aqui está esta mulher
que sabia tudo a meu respeito,
e eu não sabia nada sobre ela.
03:39
and I knew nothing about her.
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03:42
I don't even remember saying goodbye.
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Nem me lembro de ter dito adeus.
03:46
PSW: All I could think about that day
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PSW: Só conseguia pensar naquele dia
que era final de setembro em Nova York,
03:48
was that it was late
September in New York,
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03:50
and I was wearing white jeans.
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e que eu estava vestindo jeans brancos.
03:53
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
Não se veste branco
após o Dia do Trabalho em Nova York.
03:54
You don't wear white
after Labor Day in New York.
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03:58
There was a knock at the door,
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Alguém bateu à porta,
04:00
and all I could think about was,
here I stand in my wrong jeans.
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e tudo o que eu conseguia pensar era:
aqui estou eu com meu jeans errado.
04:03
And then I saw these big,
blue eyes I love so much,
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Então, vi esses grandes olhos
azuis que amo tanto,
e que estavam me encarando
sem acreditar.
04:06
and they were staring
back at me in disbelief.
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04:09
And I thought, "Oh, this is not
going to be easy."
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Pensei: "Isso não vai ser fácil".
04:13
When one person in a family transitions,
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Quando uma pessoa da família
faz a transição,
04:16
the entire family transitions
whether they want to or not.
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toda a família também faz,
querendo ou não.
Para aqueles às margens, era fácil.
04:21
Now, for those on the fringes it was easy.
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04:23
The liberals said, "Oh, wonderful!
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Os liberais diziam: "Maravilhoso!
Ela encontrou sua verdade,
que encantador".
04:25
She's found her truth, how delightful."
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04:27
And the conservatives said,
"That's messed up, I'm out of here."
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E os conservadores diziam:
"Que confusão, vou cair fora".
04:30
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
04:32
But for my family, neither extreme
was going to work.
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Mas, para minha família,
nenhum dos extremos iria funcionar.
04:36
Their anger, their hurt,
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A raiva, a mágoa,
04:39
their love and loyalty --
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o amor e a lealdade deles,
04:41
all of it had to be brought
on to the road of trials.
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tudo isso tinha que ser levado
ao caminho das provações.
04:47
JW: Was it all a lie?
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JW: Foi tudo mentira?
Todos os jogos de beisebol,
os ingressos para a temporada do Mets,
04:48
Every game of catch in the front yard,
the Mets season tickets --
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04:52
was that with my dad or was that with her?
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aquilo foi com meu pai ou com "ela"?
04:56
I remember this one time,
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Eu lembro uma vez
quando meu pai me levou
de bicicleta ao Heckscher Park
04:58
my dad took me on a bike ride
through Heckscher Park
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05:00
to teach me about sex.
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para me ensinar sobre sexo.
05:02
He explained the parts of the body
that I now know he wished weren't hers.
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Ele me explicou as partes
do corpo que agora sei
que ele desejava que não fossem dela.
05:08
Had my father ever even existed?
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Meu pai existiu?
05:11
Now, grief --
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A aflição...
05:12
grief is without rules.
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ela não tem regras.
A aflição pega seu carro
emprestado sem pedir,
05:15
Grief borrows your car without asking,
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05:17
wrecks it
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ela o destrói e não pede desculpas.
05:18
and then doesn't apologize.
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05:20
And I was a wreck.
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Eu estava um caco.
05:22
This was heavy.
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Foi duro.
Eu me fechei.
05:23
I retreated into myself.
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Fiquei com raiva.
05:24
I was angry.
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05:25
I felt betrayed.
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Eu me senti traído.
05:27
And I guess I should have known
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Acho que eu deveria saber,
por você me incentivar a ser fã do Mets,
05:29
by the fact that you encouraged
me to be a Mets fan
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que você estava me preparando
para as grandes decepções da vida.
05:31
that you were preparing me
for life's really big disappointments.
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(Risos)
05:34
(Laughter)
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Isso é verdade.
05:35
That's true.
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05:37
And yet, there were the games of catch,
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No entanto, havia os jogos de beisebol,
05:39
and there were the season tickets
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os ingressos da temporada
e os sanduíches de bacon, ovo
e queijo todo sábado
05:41
and bacon, egg and cheese
sandwiches every Saturday
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da melhor padaria de Long Island.
05:43
from the best bagel place on Long Island.
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Meu pai viveu essa vida
que não queria viver,
05:45
My father lived this life
he didn't want to live,
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mas ele a viveu para que eu
pudesse ter um pai.
05:48
but he lived it so
that I could have a dad.
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05:52
I stopped wondering
if my dad had ever existed.
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Parei de me perguntar se meu pai existiu.
05:55
He had existed -- willfully,
consciously, intentionally --
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Ele tinha existido,
de maneira deliberada,
consciente e intencional,
06:01
each and every day of my growing up.
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todos os dias de meu crescimento.
06:03
For that, I was thankful.
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Por isso, eu era grato.
06:06
Paula's body was hers now
and her transformation was complete,
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O corpo de Paula era dela agora,
e sua transformação estava completa,
06:10
but my transformation was just beginning.
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mas minha transformação
estava apenas começando.
06:12
I had another trial, another journey,
another choice to heed my father's advice
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Tive outra provação,
outra jornada, outra escolha
pra prestar atenção ao conselho de meu pai
e continuar por esse caminho estreito.
06:16
and continue down that narrow path.
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06:21
PSW: So most days
I believe there is a God.
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PSW: Então, na maioria dos dias,
acredito que existe um Deus.
06:24
Tuesdays and Thursdays can be tough,
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Terças e quintas-feiras
podem ser difíceis,
06:26
and any day that you're
on the New Jersey Turnpike.
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e qualquer dia na New Jersey Turnpike.
Podem mesmo, sabem?
06:29
I mean, really, you know?
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(Risos)
06:30
(Laughter)
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É difícil acreditar em Deus
quando sua alma está no corpo errado.
06:31
It's hard to believe in God
when your soul is in the wrong body.
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06:35
Still, somehow I ended up in ministry.
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Ainda assim, de alguma forma,
acabei no sacerdócio.
Quando perdi todos os meus empregos,
não era nada pessoal.
06:38
When I lost all my jobs,
it was nothing personal.
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06:41
It's what religious tribes do.
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É o que as tribos religiosas fazem.
06:43
They believe an enemy is necessary
for the tribe to survive,
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Elas acreditam que um inimigo
é necessário para a tribo sobreviver.
06:47
so where no enemy exists,
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Então, onde não existe inimigo,
06:49
they create one.
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elas criam um.
Neste momento, as minorias
sexuais são o inimigo;
06:51
Right now, sexual minorities
are the enemy;
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06:53
my departure was swift and sure.
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minha partida foi rápida e segura.
06:56
I was surprised when my son
left his job teaching in West Philadelphia
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Fiquei surpresa quando meu filho
deixou de ensinar no oeste da Filadélfia
07:01
to go into the ministry.
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para entrar no sacerdócio.
07:03
I did not see that one coming.
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Por essa eu não esperava.
07:06
And now I wondered:
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Então, eu me perguntei:
07:08
What would he do?
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"O que ele iria fazer?"
Não precisei esperar tanto tempo
para encontrar uma resposta.
07:10
I didn't have to wait that long
to find an answer.
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07:13
Six months after that first visit,
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Seis meses após aquela primeira visita,
07:16
he invited me back to New York.
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ele me convidou de volta a Nova York.
07:19
JW: The designers of the Brooklyn Bridge,
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JW: Os projetistas da Ponte do Brooklyn
07:21
they had their share of bad luck.
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tiveram sua parcela de azar.
07:23
John Roebling, he died shortly after
the bridge's construction began.
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John Roebling morreu logo após
o início da construção da ponte.
07:26
His son Washington took over,
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O filho Washington assumiu,
07:28
but he suffered
from decompression sickness.
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mas sofria de doença descompressiva.
07:30
His wife Emily became the surrogate
executive engineer
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A esposa Emily tornou-se
a engenheira executiva substituta
07:33
who oversaw the bridge's completion.
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que supervisionou a conclusão da ponte.
07:36
Father and son,
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Pai e filho,
07:37
John and Washington,
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John and Washington,
07:39
done in by their work.
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exaustos pelo trabalho deles.
Era um dia ensolarado em maio,
07:41
It was this sunny day in May
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e meu pai e eu nos sentamos
à sombra daquela Ponte do Brooklyn.
07:43
and my father and I sat in the shadow
of that Brooklyn Bridge.
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07:47
Would our lives follow the Roeblings' --
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Nossa vida seria como a dos Roeblings:
pai e filho, exaustos por nosso trabalho?
07:49
father and son, done in by our work?
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07:52
My father thought
that her friends in church
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Meu pai achou que os amigos da igreja
a apoiariam em sua transição,
07:55
would carry her through her transition,
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2173
mas não apoiaram.
07:57
and they did not.
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Eles a abandonaram e agarraram-se a mim.
07:59
They ditched her and they clung to me.
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08:01
I was the pastor
of a new church in Brooklyn.
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Eu era o pastor de uma nova
igreja no Brooklyn.
08:03
This wonderful group
of forward-thinking people,
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Esse maravilhoso grupo
de pessoas avançadas,
08:06
and yet, we were financially tied
to really conservative churches.
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e, no entanto, estávamos financeiramente
ligados a igrejas muito conservadoras.
08:10
To hold space for Paula meant jeopardizing
our own church's livelihood.
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4642
Ter espaço para Paula significava arriscar
o sustento de nossa própria igreja.
08:15
I sort of straddled the line
between these warring worlds.
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Eu meio que cruzei a linha
entre esses mundos em guerra.
08:18
So I said to my dad,
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Eu disse a meu pai:
08:20
"Dad, I still live and work
in your old world.
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2459
"Pai, ainda vivo e trabalho
em seu velho mundo.
Será que você consegue fazer
uma trégua por minha causa?"
08:22
Is it possible that you might extend
an olive branch for my sake?"
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3620
08:27
And her response was impassioned.
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3201
A resposta dela foi veemente.
08:32
You said to me, "Do you have
any idea what it feels like
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Você me respondeu:
"Você tem ideia de como é,
finalmente, mostrar-se
a seus verdadeiros amigos
08:35
to finally show yourself
to your true friends
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2184
08:38
and have them completely reject you?
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506098
2484
e eles te rejeitarem totalmente
08:40
To ask you to live a lie?
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1485
pra pedir que viva uma mentira?
08:42
Do you know what that feels like?"
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1961
Você sabe como é isso?"
08:45
And I didn't know what that felt like.
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2318
Eu não sabia.
08:48
But I knew I had a decision to make.
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2015
Mas eu sabia que tinha
uma decisão a tomar.
08:51
It was the decision to continue
down that narrow path through nights,
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3715
Foi a decisão de continuar
por esse caminho estreito pelas noites,
08:55
but for the first time,
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1956
mas, pela primeira vez,
08:57
I caught a glimpse of light.
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525073
1651
percebi uma luz tênue.
Não posso pedir a meu pai para ser
outra coisa senão seu verdadeiro eu.
08:59
I cannot ask my father to be anything
other than her true self.
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4594
09:06
(Applause)
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534259
3371
(Aplausos)
PSW: Então, quando nos sentamos
à margem do rio naquele dia,
09:12
PSW: So as we sat by the river that day,
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540494
2827
09:15
Jonathan talked about his pain,
his suffering, his grief, his confusion.
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543345
5323
Jonathan falou sobre a dor,
o sofrimento, a tristeza
e a confusão dele.
09:21
He brought all of himself
to that conversation,
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549210
3857
Ele trouxe tudo de si para essa conversa,
09:26
and it tore at me
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554956
1886
e me destruiu
09:31
to be the cause of such pain.
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559346
2910
o fato de ser a causa de tanta dor.
09:36
But as he talked, there was something
redemptive going on,
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3714
Mas, enquanto ele falava,
havia algo de redentor acontecendo,
09:40
full of tension but possibility,
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568304
2947
cheio de tensão, mas de possibilidade,
09:43
grounded in that narrow path.
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2813
estabelecido naquele caminho estreito.
09:47
He said, "This is always going to be hard.
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575169
4191
Ele disse: "Isso sempre será difícil.
09:51
It always will be.
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1347
Sempre será.
09:52
But Dad,
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1175
Mas pai,
09:54
I love you."
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582739
1454
eu te amo".
09:56
My son is the best of me and more.
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584954
3997
Meu filho é o melhor de mim e mais.
10:00
He's bold and strong,
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588975
2539
Ele é corajoso e forte,
10:03
sensitive and thoughtful.
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2795
sensível e atencioso.
10:06
I guess you could say,
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1862
Acho que vocês poderiam dizer:
10:10
he's an alpha male who's gentle.
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598087
2618
ele é um macho alfa amável.
(Risos)
JW: Estava na hora de minhas filhas
conhecerem Paula.
10:14
JW: It was time for my daughters
to meet their -- Paula.
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602703
3276
Voltamos ao meu apartamento,
10:18
We went back to my apartment,
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606003
1393
minhas filhas pintavam desenhos
na sala de jantar,
10:19
and my daughters were coloring
at the dining room table,
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2653
e houve um silêncio constrangedor.
10:22
and there was this awkward silence.
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610097
1685
10:23
And finally, my youngest asked
a single, confident question.
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3855
E, finalmente, minha filha mais nova
fez uma pergunta única e confiante:
10:28
"So, Grandpa, do you have a penis?"
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616241
3245
"E aí, vovô,
você tem um pênis?"
10:31
(Laughter)
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619510
2652
(Risos)
E, depois que a tensão diminuiu
e o riso acalmou,
10:34
And after the tension abated
and the laughter subsided,
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622186
2572
minhas filhas levaram o avô
de volta ao quarto delas,
10:36
my girls took their grandpa
back into their room
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3097
mostraram os novos brinquedos
e a batizaram com um novo nome.
10:39
and showed her their new toys,
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627903
1433
10:41
and they christened her with a new name.
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1932
Elas a chamaram de "vô Paula".
10:43
They called her "GrandPaula."
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631316
2021
10:45
(Laughter)
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633361
2503
(Risos)
10:49
PSW: So this past summer, I had all five
of my granddaughters at my home,
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637629
3927
PSW: Então, no verão passado,
as minhas cinco netas vieram a minha casa,
10:53
there in the foothills
of the Rocky Mountains.
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641580
2549
lá no sopé das Montanhas Rochosas.
10:56
We went swimming
in the cool waters of the river
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644153
2252
Fomos nadar nas águas frescas do rio
que passa por nossa cidadezinha,
10:58
that flows through our little town.
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646429
1670
e, um dia, uma das filhas
de Jonathan me perguntou:
11:00
And one day, one of Jonathan's
girls said to me,
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648123
2264
"Vô Paula, podemos ir brincar no rio?"
11:02
"GrandPaula, can we go
tubing on the river?"
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3551
11:06
And I said, "Well, you know,
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654303
1462
Respondi: "Bem, sabe, eu realmente
esperaria seu pai chegar aqui.
11:07
I'd really wait until your daddy
gets here for that.
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655789
2494
Parece melhor ele decidir isso".
11:10
That feels to me like
that ought to be his call."
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658307
2343
11:12
And she said, "Oh, but GrandPaula,
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4006
E ela disse: "Ah, mas vô Paula,
11:16
he'll exactly make the same
decision you would.
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664704
2649
ele vai decidir exatamente
a mesma coisa que você.
Ele é muito parecido com você, sabe?"
11:19
He's a lot like you, you know."
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667377
2386
11:21
(Laughter)
234
669787
1544
(Risos)
11:23
And I thought, yeah, he is a lot like me,
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671355
4288
E pensei: "Sim,
ele se parece muito comigo.
Ambos somos determinados
a encontrar o caminho estreito
11:28
both of us determined
to find the narrow path
236
676489
3234
11:31
and follow it through
the long, dark night,
237
679747
4072
e segui-lo pela noite longa e escura,
11:35
all the way to the light of dawn.
238
683843
2808
até a luz do amanhecer.
11:39
JW: Have you ever noticed
that a child who is secure,
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687711
2504
JW: Já notaram que uma criança segura,
11:42
a child who knows love,
240
690239
1252
que conhece o amor,
11:43
that child will dance?
241
691515
1788
essa criança irá dançar?
11:45
They wave their arms,
242
693815
1716
Ela agita os braços,
11:47
they kick their legs to music
that only they can hear.
243
695555
2834
chuta as pernas para a música
que só ela consegue ouvir.
11:50
It's the music of a child
who is safe and unharmed
244
698413
3614
É a música de uma criança
que está segura e ilesa
11:54
and wholly loved.
245
702051
2620
e totalmente amada.
No dia seguinte que minhas filhas
conheceram a vô Paula,
11:57
The day after my children
met their GrandPaula,
246
705419
2259
11:59
she took them to go get doughnuts,
247
707702
1652
ela as levou para comer rosquinhas,
e vi enquanto elas caminharam pela rua.
12:01
and I watched as they walked
down the street,
248
709378
2132
Minhas filhas pegaram os braços de meu pai
12:03
and my girls took my father's arms,
249
711534
1687
12:05
and they danced.
250
713245
1962
e dançaram.
12:07
My father's arms swung wildly.
251
715606
2329
Os braços de meu pai
balançavam freneticamente.
12:11
You bought them one too many doughnuts,
because you always do --
252
719012
3092
Você deu rosquinhas demais a elas,
porque você sempre faz isso.
(Risos)
12:14
(Laughter)
253
722128
1039
Vi minha filha mais velha
morder a rosquinha
12:15
I watched my older daughter
take a bite of her doughnut,
254
723191
2654
e dar dois saltos e uma pirueta.
12:17
and she unleashed two jumps and a twirl.
255
725869
2401
12:20
It was perfect.
256
728294
1319
Foi perfeito.
12:22
That narrow path,
257
730931
1414
Esse caminho estreito
12:24
it always has its share
of burdens and challenges.
258
732369
2519
sempre tem sua cota
de obrigações e desafios.
12:27
But I was certain that we were going
to see this through to redemption.
259
735659
4249
Mas eu tinha certeza de que
persistiríamos até a redenção.
12:32
I looked at my dad
260
740770
1150
Observei meu pai
12:33
and I looked at my girls who were dancing
and eating their doughnuts,
261
741944
3989
e minhas filhas, que estavam dançando
e comendo suas rosquinhas,
12:37
and I said aloud to no one in particular,
262
745957
2348
e falei em voz alta
pra ninguém em particular,
12:40
I said, "This ...
263
748329
1388
Eu disse: "É assim...
é assim que Deus vê meu pai".
12:42
this is how God sees my dad."
264
750503
2003
12:46
My father was literally born again.
265
754033
2126
Meu pai literalmente nasceu de novo.
12:49
And by choosing the narrow
path of redemption,
266
757059
3093
E, ao escolher o caminho
estreito da redenção,
eu nasci de novo com ela.
12:52
I was born again with her.
267
760176
1651
12:54
Thank you.
268
762234
1150
Obrigado.
12:55
(Applause and cheers)
269
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6603
(Aplausos)
Translated by Maurício Kakuei Tanaka
Reviewed by Maricene Crus

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Paula Stone Williams - Religious leader, counselor, advocate
Paula Stone Williams is a pastor, counselor, speaker, LGBTQ ambassador and gender equity advocate.

Why you should listen

The Reverend Dr. Paula Stone Williams knows the truth will set you free, but only after it upends your carefully constructed narrative. Her devotion to authenticity caused her to leave her comfort zone as a nationally known religious leader and follow her heart to transition from Paul to Paula. She lost all of her jobs and most of her friends. Williams also discovered the massive differences between life as a male and as a female in America.

Williams is the pastor of preaching and worship at Left Hand Church in Longmont, Colorado, a pastoral counselor with RLT Pathways and a sought-after speaker to corporations, government agencies, universities and religious institutions on issues of gender equity and LGBTQ advocacy. She has been featured in the New York Times, the Denver Post, New Scientist, Radio New Zealand, Colorado Public Radio and The Huffington Post. Her TEDxMileHigh talk on gender equity has had more than one million views.

More profile about the speaker
Paula Stone Williams | Speaker | TED.com
Jonathan Williams - Religious leader, storyteller
Jonathan Williams likes to tell stories and throw parties, so he started a church that allowed him to do both.

Why you should listen

After teaching fifth grade in West Philadelphia for seven years, Jonathan Williams decided to join the family business and become a pastor like his father. He started a church in Brooklyn, NY, and just three months later faced a religious and personal reckoning when his father announced her transition from male to female. Williams decided that his church would become an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, forever shifting the landscape in his personal and professional life.

Williams continues to lead Forefront Church in Brooklyn. In January 2019, he released his book, She's My Dad: A Father’s Transition and a Son's Redemption, published by Westminster John Knox Press. Williams has told his story to the New York Times, Huffington Post, Christian Standard Magazine, Faithfully Magazine and Rebel Storytellers.

More profile about the speaker
Jonathan Williams | Speaker | TED.com