by the Advocacy Committee for LGBTQIA+ Equity | Special to Presbyterian News Service
Photo by Michele Wales via Unsplash
LOUISVILLE — During Trans Awareness Week, ACQ+E, the Advocacy Committee for LGBTQIA+ Equity, an advocacy committee for the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), recognizes our trans and gender non-binary parishioners, clergy, educators, chaplains and friends. We see you and, during these difficult times, we stand with you in accordance with the teachings of our church.
Trans Awareness Week calls us to honor the sacred journeys, resilience and divine beauty of our transgender and gender non-binary siblings. In a world that often struggles with difference, they reveal the boundless creativity of God’s vision. Their courage to live into their God-given truth reflects a holy call to authenticity and faithfulness. Each life lived with resilience and grace expands our understanding of divine inclusivity, reminding us of God’s love for all. Through the unique gifts of trans and non-binary people, we see the Gospel’s call to celebrate diversity and live together in love and compassion.
The PC(USA) has maintained a progressive welcome for people of all gender identities. The 223rd General Assembly (2018) unanimously voted to not only affirm, but to “celebrate the full dignity and humanity of people of all gender identities.”
The approved overture states, “These affirmations and this commitment are rooted and grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in the breadth of Scripture and in the Reformed tradition. … Honoring the breadth and variety of our gender identities and expressions is one of the ways we can come to an even deeper understanding of who we are created to be in relationship to God and each other.”
In affirming the full dignity and humanity of people of all gender identities, the 223rd General Assembly stated that “we share a mutual obligation to stand for the right of all people and all gender identities and gender expressions to live free from discrimination and from violence.” Therefore, the PC(USA) supports the right of people of all gender expressions to:
- Receive gender-affirming medical care
- Serve in the military and every type of government and public service
- Have full access to public accommodations, including gender-inclusive restrooms
- Have full legal protection against discrimination, particularly with regard to employment, housing, education and health care
- Have Title IX protections for transgender students against violence
- Have other legal protections that guarantee and safeguard the full rights of people of all gender expressions.
ACQ+E joins with the 223rd General Assembly in affirming and celebrating the gifts of LGBTQIA+ people for ministry. We are pleased that all, including LGBTQIA+ people, who are called to lead churches, preach the gospel and serve those in need can do so openly.
ACQ+E is proudly committed to upholding our church’s teachings and advocating for the rights of our trans and non-binary kin both within and outside the walls of our churches.
Learn more about “On Affirming and Celebrating the Full Dignity and Humanity of People of All Gender Identities” here. More information about “On Celebrating the Gifts of People of Diverse Sexual Orientations and Gender Identities in the Life of the Church” is here. Read an article by a Presbyterian trans woman doing ministry in New Jersey here.
Link to original article published at Presbyterian Mission Agency
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