[View the Full Statement Here]
The undersigned religious communities represent over 6,000 vowed Catholic religious and partners in mission in over 18 states.
As vowed Catholic religious and our partners in mission, we wholeheartedly affirm that transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive individuals are beloved and cherished by God. We mark March 31, International Day of Transgender Visibility, as a time to celebrate, acknowledge, and uplift folks who identify as transgender, nonbinary, and/or gender-expansive. We know our actions and commitments must extend beyond this day’s observance.
As members of the body of Christ, we cannot be whole without the full inclusion of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive individuals. At this moment in the United States, transgender people are experiencing harm and erasure due to:
- The introduction and approval of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across several states
- Harmful rhetoric from some Christian institutions and their leaders, including the Catholic Church
- Daily discrimination and violence
The Gospel call of unifying love compels us to actively interrupt harmful interactions in daily life and dismantle the systems that reinforce this rhetoric and violence in society, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and other folks of color. We will remain oppressors until we — as vowed Catholic religious — acknowledge the existence of LGBTQ+ people in our own congregations. We seek to cultivate a faith community where all, especially our transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive siblings, experience a deep belonging.
May we act to transform our hearts, our church, our politics, and our country to ensure that the dignity of our trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive siblings are acknowledged, boldly accepted, and celebrated.
Stirred to Act
Learn: Check if elected officials are attacking LGBTQ+ rights in your state legislature with the Trans Legislation Tracker
Support: The Trevor Project, Transgender Law Center, New Ways Ministry or another organization supporting transgender individuals
Evaluate: Assess your religious community’s capacity to fully welcome trans folks, including internal attitudes, behaviors, policies, and having gender-neutral restrooms
Act: Consider signing on as an individual, congregation or organization to the declaration “Beloved by God”
Statement Endorsers
This statement and call to action was prepared by representatives of several religious communities: U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of- the-Woods, Indiana, and Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth JPIC office on behalf of the undersigned communities:
- Adorers of the Blood of Christ, U.S. Region JPIC office
- Atlantic-Midwest Provincial Council of the School Sisters of Notre Dame
- Department of Social & Environmental Justice, Congregation of St. Joseph
- Dominican Sisters of Houston Franciscan Peace Center, Clinton, Iowa
- Leadership Council of the IHM Sisters, Monroe, MI
- Leadership Team of the Sisters of Providence of Indiana Leadership Team
- Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa Leadership
- Presentation Sisters of Dubuque
- Leadership Team, Congregation of St. Joseph
- Loretto at the United Nations
- Loretto Feminist Network
- Medical Mission Sisters — Justice Office
- Office of Peace, Justice, and Ecological Integrity Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
- Provincial Council of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Central Pacific Province
- Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Office of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation
- Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Congregational Leadership
- Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Western Province Leadership
- Sisters of Charity, BVM Leadership Team
- Sisters of Loretto/Loretto Community
- Sisters of Providence of Indiana Justice Coordinating Commission
- Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet — Albany
- Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi
- Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
- Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield
- Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood
- The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes Leadership Team and JPIC Office
- U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph
For Immediate Release
(314) 925-7676 | info@cssjfed.org
