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Across the United States, state legislatures have enacted laws designed to disenfranchise and endanger transgender people. Two laws in Texas have banned transgender children from playing on sports teams and criminalized gender-affirming healthcare for transgender children as a form of child abuse. These are the laws that have kicked up a national outcry, but Texas is not alone in its passage of laws that harm transgender youth and adults. 2021 was the worst year on record for anti-LGBTQ+ bills nationwide. (https://www.them.us/story/anti-lgbtq-bills-2022-explained-trans-sports-laws-youth-healthcare-mandated-reporter)

These laws damage the mental well-being and futures of children whose only desire is to be accepted for who they are, just as any child has the right to be accepted and loved by their communities, and as every child is already accepted and loved by God their creator.

The Just Grace Committee of All Saints Lutheran Church in Bowie, MD, denounces the actions of a privileged majority who abuse positions of authority and power to harass families and endanger the welfare of children in their states. Christ said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10). A life of abundance includes safe schools, quality mental and physical healthcare, stability in homes and families, and opportunities for rest, recreation and leisure. As a community of and in Christ, we believe that all children regardless of their gender identity deserve all parts of that abundant life, and we declare that any legislation which attempts to deprive any child of it is contrary to the will of God.

We are aware that the faith we profess is often used to support such discrimination against our LGBTQ+ siblings in Christ. We apologize for the ways we collectively and individually have allowed this misuse of our God’s name and Word to occur. We ask for forgiveness from those who have been harmed by our inaction and our actions. We pledge to devote ourselves to spreading the Gospel of Christ in ways that are loving to all of our neighbors, as “’God has shown [us] that [we] should not call anyone profane or unclean.’” (Acts 10:28)

We call on everyone who serves in state governments to actively protect transgender youth and advance gender-affirming practices across their states. We are encouraged by recent actions from Arizona’s legislature and Utah’s governor to prevent harmful bills like those in Texas from passing into law. More must be done across the country to overcome generations of stigma and oppression. We call on our national leaders to act with haste to cement equal protection under the law for our transgender and LGBTQ+ neighbors. We demand equitable treatment for our transgender siblings, regardless of personal identity or expression in every city, state, and nation.

The Just Grace Committee was established in 2018 by the congregation of All Saints Lutheran Church, Bowie, Md. Just Grace advocates for racial and social justice through education, facilitating the difficult conversations that lead to change, and working within the congregation and surrounding communities to dismantle systemic racism.