Come and Experience the Power of the TRANSFAITH Connection
Our Response
To address this, the Charlotte, NC-based Freedom Center for Social Justice (FCSJ) invited a group of transgender people of color from across the country to a 2009 convening for the purpose of laying out the framework for the 2010 Summit. That convening led to the establishment of a broader planning committee who is guiding the work of the Summit.
The Summit is a racially, culturally, and spiritually diverse dynamic environment that welcomes transgender people from a range of faith communities and spiritual traditions. It is designed to train a cohort of transgender people of faith and allies to work as grassroots activists and opinion leaders around issues of sexuality within their respective faith communities. Ultimately, the Summit will provide resources and technical support to educate, develop appropriate strategies, and increase networking opportunities for transgender individuals as they build, grow, and mobilize around ‘personal’ and policy-relevant issues.
The Summit is a racially, culturally, and spiritually diverse dynamic environment that welcomes transgender people from a range of faith communities and spiritual traditions. It is designed to train a cohort of transgender people of faith and allies to work as grassroots activists and opinion leaders around issues of sexuality within their respective faith communities. Ultimately, the Summit will provide resources and technical support to educate, develop appropriate strategies, and increase networking opportunities for transgender individuals as they build, grow, and mobilize around ‘personal’ and policy-relevant issues.
TransFaith Summit 2010
Within the broad LGBT movement, there have been problematic disconnects with the transgender community. These were particularly noticeable in the 2009 Employment Non-Discrimination Act’s political and social organizing efforts. Allies and members within the LGB community struggled with whether the transgender population should be included in this first wave of those being given access to employment protection under the law. Within the trans community this disconnect is also present in regard to race and socio-economics. All of this is compounded by the challenges members of the transgender community face within communities of faith – even those who profess to be progressive and inclusive. To have the strongest communities of faith and social justice movement, we must not only affirm but actively include those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and yes, transgender. One of the most effective ways to fill this gap is to support members of the transgender community as they engage with broader segments of the LGB movement and beyond.
The Challenge
