On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we join with people around the world as we commemorate the many transgender, genderqueer and gender non-conforming people who were murdered because of who they are, the majority of whom are young, transgender women of color. Their deaths are a great loss to our community and to our world.
We recognize and mourn the role that religious rhetoric too often plays in furthering the irrational fear and hatred of those who different because of their gender identity. We affirm, instead, that people of all gender identities are beloved of God and made in God’s image, surely deserving of the sacred gift of life.
On this day, we call on all people of faith to
- Speak out against hate-motivated violence and prejudice in all its forms, including that directed at transgender and gender variant peoples, particularly people of color.
- Comfort those who mourn their lost loved ones, recognizing the pain borne by parents, siblings, friends, partners and community members.
- Welcome transgender and gender-variant people within their communities as fellow believers, recognizing our common humanity and blessedness.
- Act to address economic and social issues which lead to vulnerability, including discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, health care, and more, all of which is compounded by both anti-transgender bias and racism.
We believe in the power of transformation within individual lives and in our world. We pray and work actively for the day when our communities are known not for the rate at which we are killed but for the peace, dignity, and hopefulness of our world.