Faith leaders are among the activists gearing up for this year's National Trans Visibility March, set for Saturday, August 24. The march is returning to Washington, D.C., which hosted the first iteration of the event in 2019, and will be from the Human Rights Campaign's headquarters at 1640 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., to Dupont Circle.
The event will also see faith leaders offering liturgical services, as well as for gathering in prayer before the march.
The United Church of Christ agreed to team up with the National City Christian Church for an empowerment service at the National City Christian Church ahead of the march on Friday, August 23, at 11 a.m.
Hope Giselle, a Black trans woman who is the executive director, president, and CEO of the march, told the Bay Area Reporter in a phone interview that highlighting faith is important because it calls attention to the lived experience of transgender people, to whom faith is important despite right-wing weaponization.
"This is not just a march about visibility," Giselle said. "It's a march about understanding trans people are full and well-rounded. ... It's about understanding us as people."
The United Church of Christ has been LGBTQ-affirming for decades. The National City Christian Church has long been an advocate for LGBTQ people, welcoming individuals of all sexual orientations and gender expressions into the congregation with open arms, according to a news release.
"National City Christian Church, the national church of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is honored to host this year's Empowerment Service. National City is a place where all are welcome, celebrated, and safe to explore their relationship with God, wherever it may lead," the Reverend Stephanie Kendell, the senior minister at National City Christian Church, stated in the release. "We are excited to help build up the Kingdom of God by partnering with local and national leaders and welcoming all who attend this important event to live and worship freely and expansively in our beloved community."
The service will be led by the Reverend Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey, who is the Alabama state director for the Human Rights Campaign, and a National Trans Visibility March ambassador.
"In a time when the rights and dignity of transgender individuals are under threat, this Empowerment worship service serves as a beacon of hope and unity," Anderson-Harvey stated. "It is a powerful reminder of our shared commitment to justice, equality, and love for everyone, regardless of gender identity. As people of faith, we are called to act justly, love mercy, and live humbly, trusting in [your] God. This worship service embodies these principles as we honor and celebrate the diversity and visibility within the transgender community and stand against discrimination and injustice through faith and love."
Initially, the faith leaders were going to gather for prayer and hold a news conference at the White House, but now they will be at the National City Christian Church.
Giselle told the B.A.R. that queer people "look for faith as a well to serve, and for praise and worship" despite anti-trans people often using religious arguments against them.
"They say who we are is immoral. They refer to us as things," Giselle said.
The march itself will focus on the importance of political visibility and the need for trans people to be visible not only in society but in the political sphere, according to the website. Another goal is education. The march seeks to highlight the intersectionality of HIV prevention and education with broader social justice concerns. Finally, the march seeks to advocate for trans rights, especially with so many anti-trans laws being debated and passed in various states.
Giselle said that activists look forward to networking and organizing on the ground instead of pushing for national legislation "especially right now, with the political climate."
The federal Equality Act, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, is stalled in Congress, where the House of Representatives has a slight Republican majority. The Senate is controlled by the Democrats, but bills need to pass both houses.
"What we are really doing for ourselves is partnering with local D.C. organizations," Giselle said.
The Human Rights Campaign didn't return a request for comment for this report.
LGBTQ Agenda is an online column that appears weekly. Got a tip on queer news? Contact John Ferrannini at [email protected]
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