We are living in the time of Rev. Martin Niemöller poem it is now more important than ever that we speak up not only over the persecution of the trans community, but also of the immigrant community, women's rights, the attack on poverty, and all the other communities that Trump & Company are trying to destroy!
And many of those who should be leading are not!
NPR Heard on All Things ConsideredBy Rose ConlonMarch 12, 2025On a recent Sunday morning in this small Kansas town, worshippers gathered for service at Grace United Methodist Church. Sunlight filtered in through stained glass windows depicting the life of Christ.At the pulpit was Pastor Charles McKinzie."I use he/him pronouns," he told congregants, "and I welcome you into this space."McKinzie, who calls himself a lifelong Republican, grew up in a Protestant church that taught that homosexuality and gender diversity are counter to Christian teachings. He says that prompted a crisis of faith when he came to believe that all humans, no matter their gender identity, are made in the image of God — a belief that has become personal for him.[...]But not McKinzie. Earlier this year, he traveled to Topeka to testify against Senate Bill 63, which bans minors experiencing gender dysphoria from accessing puberty blockers, hormone therapy and other medical treatments.In a packed legislative committee room, Bible in hand, he rose.
More have to come out! To paraphrase Harvey Milk... Come out! Come out! Come out wherever you are and preach love, understanding, and acceptance of us.
Other faith leaders are speaking out, too. The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism condemned recent executive orders by the Trump administration limiting the federal recognition of gender to male and female, and banning transgender soldiers from military service. The center also organized a sign-on letter, joined by more than 100 Jewish organizations, urging Congress to reject a law that would have prevented transgender athletes from women and girls' sports teams.
If you truly believe in what you preach you must come out to support us!
The United Church of Christ their webpage, Resources for Solidarity and Action writes...
Given what is at stake for our trans, nonbinary and queer kin, we are calling on UCC communities to center trans experience, advocacy, and care in your PRIDE celebrations and beyond this year. Add your voice to the collective effort toward justice for trans and nonbinary people. This Toolkit is designed to provided resources for your engagement.[...]These talking points are for use in general conversation, panel presentations, interviews, church legislative bodies, and other settings of engagement on the issues. Anti-trans political forces are trying to criminalize families and doctors as they work to address the trauma of being assigned a gender at birth that is incongruous with the child’s or adult’s actual gender identity. Children are being targeted by banning them from sports teams that match their gender. These attacks not only impact trans and nonbinary children and youth, but adults and seniors, as well, and are drivers of crimes against trans and nonbinary people that continue to escalate. These actions threaten the safety and well-being of the whole community.
Rabbi Victor S. AppellReform Judaism has a long and proud history of working for the full inclusion and affirmation of LGBTQ+ people in Jewish life and for their full civil rights. As early as 1965, the Women of Reform Judaism called for the decriminalization of "homosexuality," a term no longer used as it was oppressively pathologized and included in the DSM (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual) as a medical diagnosis until 1973. Resolutions by the Union for Reform Judaism, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and NFTY – The Reform Youth Movement followed. Both NFTY and the URJ’s summer camps have taken steps to become more affirming of transgender participants in their religious materials and content, application forms, facilities, and programs. The social justice hub of the Reform Movement, the Religious Action Center (RAC), has been at the forefront of the fight for LGBTQ+ equality. That being said, we recognize both our Movement and the world at large has much more work to do with respect to LGBTQ+ and gender equity.
At one of our Transgender Day of Remembrance a Rabbi brought their “Window of Hope” that is made of glass from a Krystal Nacht (Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass) service many years ago. You can read the whole beautiful story here.
Even the Vatican soften their stance on us...
If it would not cause scandal or confusion among other Catholics, "a transsexual -- even one who has undergone hormone treatment and gender reassignment surgery -- may receive baptism under the same conditions as other faithful," said a document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.The document, signed Oct. 31 by Pope Francis and by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, was posted on the dicastery's website Nov. 8.
This weekend holy services should ALL be on the inhuman cuts to social services programs!
And it is not just the religious leaders but also their parishioners must speak out! If you truly believe in you faith you cannot keep quite! You must speak up because remain silent is conformation of Trump's policies! Like all freedoms, sometimes you have to go against the flow and speak up. It is time to speak up and not be like Rev. Niemöller poem.
As a good friend likes to say "If you hear mean, intervene!"
Rev. Niemöller poem.I always love it when this the poem of Rev. Niemoller is quoted or referred to. He was certainly no beacon of goodness in the holocaust. According to work that has been done even on his death bed he refused to acknowledge his trans and homophobia and set the record correctly. He knew darn well that first they came for the Trans community or what was then known as Transvestites. So Niemoller and everyone who recites that poem are once again denying that our community was murdered in the holocaust. Of course, to queer historians this make sense as in all fascist nations those who cross their boundaries are the first to go. Whether it be by starvation, worked to death in camps, executed by firing squad, dropped from airplanes it is a fact. So, say it with First they Came For the Transgender Community.
ReplyDeleteNiemoller himself had Nazi ties and it was only when his church was attacked by the fascists that he spoke out. Selfish to say the least. We have learned in Stories past from the Communist poet and journalist Roque Dalton that, “Never forget even the least fascist among you is still a fascist.” I can see why many in the mainstream LGBT movement would be attracted to someone like Niemoller as it is the easy way out. A selfish way out. I continue to state this whenever his name and his Trans/Homophobic poem is mentioned. As a queer left OurStorian I will not deny the Transgender Community in Our Stories past as if I do I am no better than the fascists that are trying to suppress and erase the community today.
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