Indiana clergy members sent an open letter to the governor and state legislators, calling for an end to anti-trans legislation.
The letter is signed by a grassroots coalition of 87 Hoosier clergy members and begins by addressing Indiana State senators and Representatives: “We, the many diverse undersigned Hoosier pastors, rabbis, imams, ministers, and religious professionals, are writing you an open letter to publicly express an urgent spiritual concern.”
“Most of our political leaders have the impression that people of faith in Indiana uniformly favor legislation restricting the rights of transgender people,” the Rev. Jeff Miner, of LifeJourney Church in Indianapolis, said in a statement. “Our letter makes clear that’s not the case. Many, many of us stand with our transgender neighbors.”
In recent sessions of the Indiana General Assembly, at least 16 bills were filed — and a few passed — targeting transgender people, the letter states. This includes bills “attempting to prevent gender affirming medical care,” “deny trans people the ability to amend governmental identification documents” and “interfere with the ability of parents to make vital medical decisions for their children.”
The letter continues, stating that bills such as those not only restrict basic civil rights, but creates an environment that instigates fear, threatening both the safety and wellbeing of transgender people in Indiana.
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“We respectfully ask you to do everything in your power to halt the targeting of transgender people and to focus legislative efforts on a positive agenda that will build unity among Hoosiers, address the real problems facing our communities, and make Indiana a more attractive place to live, work, and locate businesses,” the letter states
“I work with trans youth each week, and they are some of the most profound, loving, kind, and caring individuals any parent would be proud to have as a child,” Brandon Wallace, Minister of Christian Education of North United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, said in a statement. “It breaks my heart to think that these same beautiful and vulnerable souls are the very ones that our system seems to care least about.”
This is just the beginning, Miner said. The clergy coalition intends to accept additional signatories, periodically send updates to political leaders and “mobilize people of faith across the state in our congregations and beyond to find our voice and stand strong against further legislative attacks.”
For more information about the clergy coalition or to learn more about the trans justice initiative, contact PastorJeff@LifeJourney.church.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
