Profile

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Andrew James Blair was born Anne Bennett on 20th January 1954 and is a female to male transsexual. Andrew & his wife Jessica (male to female transsexual) are actively involved in a parish of the United Ecumenical Catholic Church - Australasia Region.
 
Born in Sedgley, England, Andrew migrated to Australia in 1966 where he grew up in the bush. He came to Christ in the Lawrence Parish of the MacLean Baptist church and about a year later began to experience epilepsy and the fixation that he was lesbian because of his attraction to women. After graduating high school in 1971 Andrew trained as a nurse during 1972 at the Prince of Wales hospital in Randwich NSW, but this career was ended by a seizure whilst on duty.
 
Andrew married his husband in August of 1972 with the belief that living the supposed normal life would take care of the issues of sexuality. Married for 24 years before separation, Andrew and his husband had two children one of whom is gay and in a long term relationship and the other is married and expecting their fourth child.
 
Throughout Andrew's life as a stay-at-home parent Andrew taught Cathechetics for the Catholic Parish of St. John's Campbelltown - his family having converted to Catholicism in the early 1980's. Andrew obtained his Certificate A in Religious Education and began serving as a Liturgist, Lector and Adult Faith Educator, positions he held until his transition in 1998.
 
At the beginning of 1994 Andrew had  developed bi-polar affective disorder resulting from brain damage due to epilepsy and during this period began to realise his manhood. Andrew completed transition in 2001 and has been with Jessica since May 1999. In May of 2003 Andrew and Jessica were legally married in a Nuptial Mass at the Pro Cathedral of Saint John the Beloved - then the Ecumenical Catholic Church of Australia.
 
During his transition Andrew returned to study and obtained a  BA  in Psych/Philosophy and upon completion in 1998 went on to obtain a certificate III in telephone counselling and currently Counsells for the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service of NSW.
 
Andrew began writing Rainbow Theology in 1999 on the World Wide Web and continues to do so. Andrew is involved in Interfaith Dialogue and is currently reading the Torah portions with one of his online groups. On the 4th July 2004 Andrew was Ordained to the Diaconate of the ECCA and obtained a License in Theology. Andrew has since had to step down from this Order due to ill health.
 
Currently Andrew works as a Web designer and administrator and sometimes teacher, from home, where he is primary carer for his wife Jessica. Andrew continues his voluntary work as a counsellor and also as a Divisional Therapist working with Cancer and HIV/Aids patients at the hospice in Darlinghurst. Next year Andrew will complete a Chaplaincy Course with the Clinical Pastoral Education team at St. Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst where he hopes to  be placed on the team and to work with the dying.
 
Andrew manages two of the UECC Community webs:
http://au.geocities.com/community_of_the_way/
 and http://au.geocities.com/community_of_christ_our_hope/

(This biographical statement provided by Andrew Blair. Photo is of Andrew and Jessica)