All Writing
Shannon is a multi-disciplinary writer, working professionally as a non-fiction author, screenwriter, playwright, theologian, and essayist
Artistic Statement
Books
Through scriptural reflection and personal stories about gender identity, an ordained priest moves the conversation beyond transgender inclusion to demonstrate the unique and vital theological insights transgender Christians can provide the church.
Father Shannon Kearns is familiar with liminal spaces. He’s lived in them his whole life. And while his experience as a transgender man has often made it difficult for him to fit in—especially in the context of Christianity—it has also shaped his perspective in important ways on complicated, gender-transgressing aspects of theology and Scripture.
In the Margins weaves stories from Shannon’s life into reflections on well-known biblical narratives—such as Jacob wrestling with the divine, Rahab and the Israelite spies, Ezekiel and the dry bones, and the transfiguration of Jesus. In each chapter, Shannon shows how stories have helped him make sense of his own identity, and how those same stories can unlock the transformative power of faith for those willing to listen with an open mind and stand alongside him in the in-between.
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An exploration of manhood and what it takes to be a good man in a world of toxic masculinity, from trans author Shannon Kearns.
No one ever taught Shannon Kearns how to be a man. As a trans man, Shannon was presumed female at birth and constructed his relationship with masculinity after his transition, using bits and pieces he gathered from the world around him: male behavior, pop culture portrayals, and cultural expectations for men that seemed to be in the air he breathed. But rather than separating him from the experiences of cisgender men, Kearns’s self-taught approach to masculinity connected him with other men in surprising ways. As he lived more and more in the world of men, he discovered that cis men’s relationship to masculinity was similar to his. No one taught them how to be a man either. They worried they were doing it wrong. And they were almost universally worried about being “found out,” exposed as not being a “real man.”
In No One Taught Me How to Be a Man, Kearns takes masculinity head-on. He uses his experience to “see” gender in ways cis men cannot, making masculinity visible. Without arguing that masculinity should be done away with, or that there is no real difference between men and women, he bravely points toward a form of manhood built for the well-being of the world, and for people of all genders.
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Right from the start of his time on Earth – Jesus chose to hang out with and work with the most unlikely people. As word spread about his amazing choices and teaching, the invitation was offered: Come and See.
So forget what you think you already know and take up the invitation for yourself – to come and see this Jesus.
Grounded in scholarly understandings of Scripture, and opened up in a way that makes sense today, Come and See tackles questions of fairness, justice, inclusion, friendship, doing the right thing, and care for community.
Journey with Shannon T. L. Kearns in 40 different encounters in the Bible. There are reflections, journalling and action prompts that root the Bible teaching into real life – so ‘Come and See’ how Jesus’ message is just as revolutionary, exciting and relevant today
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Reading the Bible Queerly is a whole new way to understand and engage with sacred stories from Scripture. In these Queer and Trans readings, stories long familiar become new again, with powerful and liberatory insights that will change the way readers engage their bodies, their sexuality, and the world.
As pioneers of their genre and always on the cutting edge of the conversation, Father Shannon T. L. Kearns and Brian G. Murphy bring unique and powerful insights into these stories, anchored in scholarship, activism, and lived experience.
Expected spring 2026
Pilots
Industry professionals may request copies of the following pilots by emailing maria@bmskcreative.com
Ayden worries that his wife will leave him, Jim worries he’s going to lose his kids, and Sam feels he has nothing left to lose. It’s 2008 in NYC and a group of men with nothing in common but the fact that they’re all transgender try to figure out how to support one another.
After a personal crisis a trans priest gets sent to rural Kansas to save a dying congregation that doesn’t want to be saved. It’s a last ditch attempt for both of them and if he fails? It might be more than the congregation that dies.
After leaving the military (serving under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell), a transgender man forms a family by taking in kids who need a place to stay and teaches them to protect themselves and others. But as the city grows more violent around them, they need to decide how far they’re willing to go to protect the most vulnerable.
Plays
Want to know more about Shannon’s plays or read a script? Check him out on the New Play Exchange.
cast: 1
A transgender man talks about growing up in religious fundamentalism. This one person show, performed by the playwright, is a journey through evangelical pop culture of the 90’s telling stories of fear, first love, theatre, and what comes next.
The Body’s Rapture has been performed at First Christian Church, Bartlesville, OK. Ball State University. First Congregational UCC, Manhattan, KS, Park Church, Grand Rapids, MI.
If you would like to bring The Body’s Rapture to your venue, school, or organization, email maria@bmskcreative.com with as many details as available.
Cast: 2 transgender men, 4 cisgender men, 1 cisgender woman, 1 trans masculine teen.
A fever dream, a man caught in Limbo. In the midst of a crisis what do we remember and how? Joshua is a bartender who feels a calling to be a priest. Oh, and he also happens to be transgender. Caught between worlds, caught between his trans friend Peter and the guys at the bar and the stuffy church warden can he make a difference in anyone’s life or is he just not enough of anything to count? What does it mean to choose visibility in a world where the visible often lack safety?
Cast: 2 transgender men, 1 cisgender man, 1 cisgender woman
In this play big city idealism and small town realities intersect. Ben and Amanda love their town. They love their neighbors. Sure, they sometimes disagree, but they are comfortable. When Liam, Ben’s former college friend, comes to town on a campaign to get people to “vote blue” their idyllic life is threatened. Can people remain friends even when they disagree? How is it for transgender folks who live in rural areas? And who has the right to defend themselves?
Cast: 1 trans masculine teenager, 1 tgnc person, 5 people of various gender identities and ethnicities
Alex hates everything. He hates school. He hates being bullied by his classmates and teachers. He hates that his parents don’t accept him and keep trying to fix him. He hates how alone he feels. But what if Alex is more powerful than he thinks? In the midst of a tragic event, Alex discovers something supernatural inside of him that he didn’t know was there. But will it be enough to change what needs to change?
Cast: 4W, 2 transgender men
Pam and Ryan couldn’t be more different. He is a young transgender man and she is an older conservative woman but when they are both diagnosed with cancer their lives intersect in ways that neither of them could have ever imagined.
This work explores questions of identity, relationships, our health care system, and who has control over your body and life.
Cast: 4 cisgender women, 1 transgender man
Jamie, a transgender man, gets called back to his family home by his mother, Catherine, with the cryptic message that his sister, Emily, is in trouble. With the support of his loving wife, Alison, Jamie comes home to confront family struggles, a mother that doesn’t recognize him, and a past that he thought he had left behind but that impacts him in ways he can’t even see. A touching story about family, connections, and what it means to have a home.
Cast: 1 plus size cisgender woman, 1 transgender man
Ayden and Jess have been dating. They both think that tonight might be “the night”, but each one is nervous for their own reasons. Ayden hasn’t been with anyone since his transition. Jess is afraid that her size will make Ayden run away. Can they overcome their insecurities to be intimate with one another? How can they embrace vulnerability in the midst of fear?