Every week at All Saints Church we put our faith into action. This week we are urging our members of Congress to support and pass the Equality Act. The act affirms that discrimination against LGBTQ+ people violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and would, for the first time, explicitly protect the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and more.

The Episcopal Church believes that God is love, and God’s love extends to all LGBTQ+ people. In 2021, Executive Council affirmed that “over the course of more than 40 years, the Episcopal Church has prayed, studied, and declared the blessing that LGBTQ people are and always have been in the Church” (1976-A071). As Episcopalians, we celebrate the shining light that LGBTQ+ people bring to our church and our society. We also advocate for the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in all aspects of society.

The United States has made tremendous strides in recent history toward protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ people. Just last year, Congress passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which repealed the discriminatory so-called Defense of Marriage Act. Recent Supreme Court precedents have also recognized the right of LGBTQ+ people to protection from employment discrimination. We laud these actions.

However, in many states throughout the country, queer people can and do face discrimination in housing, access to credit, public accommodations and education. Most shockingly, we have recently seen wave after wave of extreme measures in the states and in Congress, to criminalize and strip transgender people of access to healthcare that keeps them alive and healthy. As we celebrate our LGBTQ family members, friends, and neighbors this Pride Month, we face a genuine moment of crisis assaulting the health and dignity of transgender people.

The attacks on the freedom and dignity of trans people and their families are just starting. One-third of the country has passed laws that criminalize and ban access to gender-affirming care. The next stage of the fight for basic LGBTQ freedoms is coming, and it affects everyone – even in states that haven’t seen any anti-trans attacks. A new bill has been introduced by the most extreme anti-LGBTQ Members of Congress, led by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, that would criminalize the health care trans people need. While such a law is beyond the pale, it won’t be the last. Any national ban on gender-affirming care would be devastating.

Patients and their doctors should be the ones making individual healthcare decisions, not cynical politicians looking to score political points and raise money through fear-mongering and ignorance. Transgender people deserve the same chance to thrive and live fulfilling lives as everyone else. Having the freedom to control our bodies and seek the healthcare we need, including gender-affirming care, is an essential right for all people.

This week we are calling on our members of Congress to support and pass the Equality Act. The act affirms that discrimination against LGBTQ+ people violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and would, for the first time, explicitly protect the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and more.

We are also urging them to not remain silent in this moment. We urge them to use their voices. To publicly show up in support with the transgender community and the rest of the LGBTQ+ community, not only during Pride Month but all year long. To pass the Equality Act and most urgently, use their power to protect life-saving healthcare for transgender youth and adults alike.

Options to Take Action:

1. Sign a letter at the Action Table on Sunday.
2. Download, sign and mail an action letter to your Members of Congress.
   Letter for California Residents                Letter for Residents of other states
3. Equality Act action EPPN website, Protect Trans Care Now action ACLU website

General Convention Resolutions:
2021- MW 040: Renewed Commitment to LGBTQ+ Equality
2006-A095: Reaffirm Support of Gay and Lesbian Persons
1976-A071: Support the Right of Homosexuals to Equal Protection

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If you ever need to look up your member of the U.S. House of Representatives or your U.S. Senators check here: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

To find contact information for your California State Senator or California State Assemblymember check here: www.senate.ca.gov and www.assembly.ca.gov.