With pride for our Unitarian Universalist faith and for our national leader, Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt, I share an excerpt from a statement on which she was lead author. This statement was signed by many other national faith leaders (Jewish, Quaker, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Episcopal, and more):
To The American Public, Its Political Leaders, and Moral Teachers,
As heads of diverse religious traditions in the United States, our faiths call on us to proclaim that transgender, intersex, and nonbinary people deserve respect, love, and equal rights. During a time when our country is placing their lives under increasingly serious threat, there is a disgraceful misconception that all people of faith do not affirm the full spectrum of gender – a great many of us do. Let it be known instead that our beloveds are created in the image of God – Holy and whole.
Our religions vary, yet we share a fundamental belief across our traditions that all people hold infinite value and dignity, and we are morally compelled to care for those living under persecution. Our scriptures vary, but they share a common conviction. As we make justice our aim we must give voice to those who are silenced. Our shared values, held across many faiths, teach us that we are all children of God and that we must cultivate a discipline of hope, especially in difficult times. As such, we raise our voices in solidarity to unequivocally proclaim the holiness of transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people, as well as the recognition of the entire spectrum of gender identity and expression….
Blessed be the people of faith whose conviction and moral clarity led them to put forth this proclamation. I agree that such a statement is important in these times.
Unfortunately, on the same day that this statement was published, bad news came from another religious denomination. Catholic bishops voted to ban gender affirming care at Catholic hospitals with this statement: “Catholic health care services must not perform interventions, whether surgical or chemical, that aim to transform the sexual characteristics of a human body into those of the opposite sex, or take part in the development of such procedures.” As reporter Tiffany Stanley notes in her article from the Boston Herald on November 12, “More than one in seven patients in the U.S. are treated each day at Catholic hospitals, according to the Catholic Health Association. Catholic hospitals are the only medical center in some communities.”
We do live in a nation that is divided along political and religious lines. I am saddened by the stance of the Catholic church, which will have harmful ramifications for transgender people who are already marginalized and at-risk. In my view their health care ban stems from a misguided sense of morality and a fundamental misunderstanding of what being transgender even means. And--I celebrate the stance of our faith along with many others in affirming the dignity and holiness of all people.
PRAYER:
Blessed be the leaders who articulate their faith and proclaim the worth and dignity of all God’s children.
May we all work for the day when all people enjoy the rights of food, shelter, health care, and freedoms of expression and religion.
Let us summon our courage in this time of national crisis, when our beliefs and convictions will be tested—and when they matter most.
Amen.
Rev. Drew Frantz
November 25, 2025
To The American Public, Its Political Leaders, and Moral Teachers,
As heads of diverse religious traditions in the United States, our faiths call on us to proclaim that transgender, intersex, and nonbinary people deserve respect, love, and equal rights. During a time when our country is placing their lives under increasingly serious threat, there is a disgraceful misconception that all people of faith do not affirm the full spectrum of gender – a great many of us do. Let it be known instead that our beloveds are created in the image of God – Holy and whole.
Our religions vary, yet we share a fundamental belief across our traditions that all people hold infinite value and dignity, and we are morally compelled to care for those living under persecution. Our scriptures vary, but they share a common conviction. As we make justice our aim we must give voice to those who are silenced. Our shared values, held across many faiths, teach us that we are all children of God and that we must cultivate a discipline of hope, especially in difficult times. As such, we raise our voices in solidarity to unequivocally proclaim the holiness of transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people, as well as the recognition of the entire spectrum of gender identity and expression….
Blessed be the people of faith whose conviction and moral clarity led them to put forth this proclamation. I agree that such a statement is important in these times.
Unfortunately, on the same day that this statement was published, bad news came from another religious denomination. Catholic bishops voted to ban gender affirming care at Catholic hospitals with this statement: “Catholic health care services must not perform interventions, whether surgical or chemical, that aim to transform the sexual characteristics of a human body into those of the opposite sex, or take part in the development of such procedures.” As reporter Tiffany Stanley notes in her article from the Boston Herald on November 12, “More than one in seven patients in the U.S. are treated each day at Catholic hospitals, according to the Catholic Health Association. Catholic hospitals are the only medical center in some communities.”
We do live in a nation that is divided along political and religious lines. I am saddened by the stance of the Catholic church, which will have harmful ramifications for transgender people who are already marginalized and at-risk. In my view their health care ban stems from a misguided sense of morality and a fundamental misunderstanding of what being transgender even means. And--I celebrate the stance of our faith along with many others in affirming the dignity and holiness of all people.
PRAYER:
Blessed be the leaders who articulate their faith and proclaim the worth and dignity of all God’s children.
May we all work for the day when all people enjoy the rights of food, shelter, health care, and freedoms of expression and religion.
Let us summon our courage in this time of national crisis, when our beliefs and convictions will be tested—and when they matter most.
Amen.
Rev. Drew Frantz
November 25, 2025
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