I am grateful and honored to be part of a growing group of interfaith leaders joining together across Canada to reclaim the religious voice and advocate for the human rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ people. As of right now, over one hundred leaders and more than twenty different faith traditions have signed on, including at least one religious denomination in its entirety! More on getting ready to vote on signing on in the next few weeks!
The launch was only a few days ago: We are excited and hopeful to more than double this amount by June 6th when we hold our first virtual and national interfaith pride service. Please go here to learn more and get your faith community to sign on: https://affirmingconnections.com/interfaith-coalition
The video of our launch event included several of us sharing some of our story and reflections, as well as some interfaith songs and prayers to inspire us to keep advocating against hate, remembering that we do this to save lives. We may disagree on all sorts of things, but in an era of such divisiveness, it is healing to remember that unity is possible. I am praying that the next few months will see more people of faith speaking out to reclaim the religious voice that has too often been weaponized to support hate: may the memory of Nex Benedict (z”l) inspire us all to understand that 2SLGBTQIA+ hate is not only ignorant, it is lethal. Every religion ought to believe in saving lives and protecting the most vulnerable and marginalized.
If you don’t know what it is like to be afraid to go to the bathroom because you are afraid you will be bullied or assaulted, consider yourself lucky. Bathroom bans like the one that Poilievre is now suggesting or that are spreading like a toxic plague across Turtle Island and beyond are very dangerous. If you don’t know what it is like to be bullied or assaulted in a bathroom: be glad, but take it from me, they are a unique form of gender-based violence that is very common, and that causes profound and lasting mental health trauma. If you don’t want to take it from me, here is a link to learn more about this dangerously spreading hate that is making it more acceptable to bully children.
Not far from where I live, a parent proudly boasted on social media about his daughter beating up a transgender child in the bathroom. Incidents of violence are escalating. Every community of faith ought to have inclusive and accessible bathrooms that are nonbinary: if yours does not, then please begin to advocate for them. But inclusive communities of faith are just the start. How many more children must die because of transphobia until the world understands that gender-based violence is never okay. This is just one example amongst so many of the ways in which basic human rights like bathroom access are increasingly under attack because of growing misinformation. This documentary explains a little more about this suddenly popular misinterpretation of scripture. And the consequence is lethal. How many more children must die?
We are starting north of the colonial border (=Canada) and are eager to see this healing balm of restorative faith and healing prophetic advocacy continue to grow and shine brightly across Turtle Island (=North America). Click below to watch the video and join us in advocating to save lives and fight hate:
Emerging Torah as Rabbi Nachshon emerges 