An open letter from the LGBTQ Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey:
(Read below to see how to add your signature)
Over the past weeks and months, we have seen an unprecedented amount of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation across the US. The most disturbing aspect of these laws and political directives is the targets—students and those who support them.
Among the goals of these legislative actions are such efforts as classifying gender-affirming care for minors as tantamount to child abuse, this includes gender-affirming counseling and medical care. Supportive parents and teachers are further implicated in potential criminal charges, as clearly stated in legislation in Texas and Idaho. Similar legislation is working its way through the Georgia state house. In Tennessee, teachers would be required to report suspected trans students to state authorities.
Recent legislation from the state of Florida, lately branded the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, would ban any discussion of LGBTQIA+ persons among elementary school students. This is a time when many young people are just beginning to understand their own sexual orientation. Such legislation will lead to further marginalization of children who are different from their peers and would prohibit teachers or school counselors from doing their job of supporting the students under their charge.
We, the undersigned, take Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves very seriously (Mark 12:31). We also have not forgotten the promises we make whenever we renew our baptismal vows, which include the promise to respect the dignity of every human being (BCP, p. 305). We further believe that our faith calls us to stand up for the oppressed and protect the vulnerable. The suicide rate among trans and LGBTQIA+ youth is alarming, but studies repeatedly show a marked decrease in suicide rates among trans and LGBTQIA+ youth who receive support both at home and at school.
We therefore repudiate all these legislative efforts to humiliate, isolate, and punish trans children and those who support them. We further repudiate efforts to stigmatize the LGBTQIA+ communities of our nation, regardless of their age.
We call on the legislators of every state as well as the federal government to protect these, our children, from further harm. And we call on Christians everywhere to denounce such legislation in the name of the one who shielded the vulnerable and protected the innocent.
Signed,
The Right Rev. William H. Stokes
12th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
The Rev. Daniel Scott Russell, Chair (he/him)
Episcopal Chaplain, Rutgers University
The Rev. Allison Burns-LaGreca, Rector
St. Mary’s, Stone Harbor
The Rev. Carolyn Bradley,
Trinity, Asbury Park
Micah Cronin
Trinity, Princeton
The Rev. Joanna P. Hollis, Rector (she/her)
Christ Church in the City of New Brunswick
The Rev. Robert J. Laws, III, D.Min, Rector
St. Martin’s, Bridgewater
Jon Carl Lewis (he, him, his)
Francesca Maresca, PhD
St. Luke’s, Metuchen
The Rev. Sharon Patterson, Vicar
St. Stephen’s, Mullica Hill
Alicia M. Rodriguez
Holy Trinity, South River
The. Rev. Jeffrey Roy, Rector
St. George’s by the River, Rumson
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Community Co-Signers
Steve Welch, Canon for Communications, Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
Connor Crafton-Tempel, Trinity Episcopal Church (LEM, Pride Committee Member
The Rev. Deborah Cook, All Saints’ Memorial Church, Rector
William Andel, St. George’s vestry member
Lois Selfridge, St Thomas, Alexandria
Dorothy Blindenbacher
The Rev Thomas B. Conway, Retired
Nancy Tinkham, Holy Trinity, Senior Warden
The Rev. Ryan Paetzold, Christ Church Palmyra; Sts. Stephen & Barnabas, Florence
Brenda Whiteman, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
Becky Foster, St.Thomas’ Glassboro
Charles Lochner
Jane Brady-Close, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Albany NY-Interim Rector
Rachel Rowe, St Stephens senior warden
Julia McGraw, Grace, Merchantville Parishioner and Administrative Assistant
Anne Kreiss, St. Mark’s at the Crossing
The Rev. Mark Chattin, Holy Trinity, Rector
Wendy Hallstrom, she/her/hers, Church of the Holy Spirit
Kathryn Megroz-Foley, Christ Episcopal Church
William Klun, Pennington
Stephanie Shockley, Church of the Holy Cross, Priest-in-Church
Tiffany Myers, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Medford, NJ (Christian Formation Director)
Kathy Waugh, Grace church, Pemberton
The Rev. Richard J. Wisniewski , St. Mark and All Saints, Deacon
Christine Ruland, Cliffwood Beach, NJ
Beth O’Connor, St. Peter’s Clarksboro
The Rev. Carol Rodgers, Dcn., St. Matthew’s Pennington
Jennifer McKay, East Windsor, NJ
The Rev. G. Richard Civalier, Deptford, NJ
Allie Graham, St. David’s Cranbury, Seminarian at Princeton Theological Seminary
Ben Hicks, Vestry Member, St. David’s Cranbury
Britt O’Connor
Jason Fleming, St. Mary’s Clementon
Arthur Lobdell, Senior Warden, St Johns Elizabeth; NJ School for Ministry
The Revd Canon Richard Wrede, Priest-in-charge, Church of St. John the Evangelist
Pat Hawkins, M.Div, Diocesan Benefits Administrator, Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
Mark Hernandez
David Harrison
Edward Ferrell, Christ Church in Woodbury (NJ)
Joan Sparrow
Barbara Harrison
Jonathan Wilson, St. Thomas, Glassboro
Chase Danford, Trinity Asbury Park, Rector
Frances Ann Jervis , Church of the Resurrection
Alicia Gilmartin, St John’s Somerville
Nicholas Orlando , Holy Trinity, Ocean City
Veronica Meyer, St. Peter’s Perth Amboy, Senior Warden
The Rev. Jack Zamboni, St. Francis Church, Rector
Kristen Lusk, St. Peter’s Church, NJ
