Post submitted by Lisbeth Meléndez Rivera, former Director of Faith Outreach and Training

This weekend more than 125 congregations from a variety of faith practices will be participating in National Weekend of Prayer for Transgender Justice. HRC is proud to be a sponsor of the event and HRC Foundation’s Religion and Faith Program has worked to ensure that HRC members, supporters and our advisory council are participating.

Why is this important to us?

Faith tells us embraces to marginalized, care for the sick, protect the vulnerable and embrace the different. We are called to act with humility and stand up for justice.

We are three months into 2017 and already eight of our sisters have died at the hands of hate. These transgender women of color did not deserve to have their lives brutally ended for being true to themselves and to us. Their lives, and that of every trans, gender-expansive, genderqueer and agender person is a precious gift from God, ultimately made in their image.

The gospel calls us to love one another as we love ourselves and yet trans individuals are denied basic rights afford to all. Access to facilities, health care and other basic necessities in life are often denied while citing selected bible verses as justification to injury.

Furthermore, this year alone we have seen more than 115 bills introduced in legislative sessions, many of which are focused on our transgender siblings, particularly trans youth and the elimination of current protections. These attacks are growing and we, as people of faith and believers in a welcoming, embracing world, must reject them with all our might, as evidenced by Texas' SB6 and Tennessee's SB 771, two bills that double down on discrimination.

Today we call on congregations and faith communities across the country to take a moment to reflect on how our communities can become sanctuaries to our trans community and to all who suffer discrimination. Today we call on all our communities of faith to work for transgender justice today, tomorrow and always.