Faith campaign for Transgender Equal Rights Bill - UPDATE

Happy Spring, ICTE supporters!

Transgender Faith Action Week starts a week from this Sunday – Sunday, April 3rd through Sunday, April 10th! We and our partners – Keshet, MTPC and MassEquality – are looking forward to a successful Week and a powerful faith campaign for the Transgender Equal Rights Bill (An Act Relative to Transgender Equal Rights, House Bill 502 / Senate Bill 764).

We published a press release today – it’s here:

http://interfaithcoalition.blogspot.com/2011/03/transgender-faith-action-week-press.html.

If your faith community is participating in the Week -- thank you so much! Participating communities as of press time will be recognized in an ad in next week's issue of Bay Windows newspaper (next Thursday, March 31st ). All participating communities will be recognized in our other materials.

If you know a faith community that might like to participate -- there’s still time to do so and be publically recognized.

Here is what we are asking of communities:

1) RSVP, invite others, and promote the Week’s Facebook event:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188135257891766

2) Choose one or more of the following:

a) Have a postcard party (we provide pre-printed postcards and deliver them to your legislators)

b) Have a gathering that raises up the issue of transgender equal rights (you can adjust an existing service, coffee hour, oneg etc.; or request a live or video presentation or training)

c) Phone bank with MassEquality

d) Attend Transgender Equal Rights Lobby Day at the Statehouse – Lobby Day is being rescheduled from Thursday April 14th – stay tuned for the new date

http://interfaithcoalition.blogspot.com/2011/03/phone-banking-and-lobby-day.html

e) Support MTPC’s event Lawyers For Transgender Rights on Thursday, April 7th

http://www.masstpc.org/events/ltr/

f) Ask your members to do all of the above as individuals and groups

(through your community’s announcements, bulletin, newsletter, etc.)

g) Have another idea? Let us know!

3) Decide whether your community can be publicly listed as a participant. If not, you are still welcome to participate.

4) Email InterfaithCoalition@gmail.com to talk about what you can do and how we can help.

Thank you again for your support! Whatever your role in the Week and the rest of the campaign, we are deeply grateful to you for helping us send this powerful message to the legislature – the Massachusetts faith community wants to see this vital legislation passed this

session.

Best wishes for your April observances, and Shabbat shalom,

Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality (ICTE)

http://www.interfaithcoalition.blogspot.com