Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality

The Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality (ICTE) was founded last summer by Richard M. Juang (Masachusetts Lesbian & Gay Bar Association), Keshet (myself included), Dr. Alex Coleman, and a few others. The other current members are Rev. Michael Cooper (Metropolitan Community Church / Boston), Sean Delmore (United Methodist Church), Rev. Christopher Fike (Christ Church / Somerville, Episcopal), Orly Jacobovits (Keshet Senior Organizer & Community Educator) and Elyssa Cohen (Keshet Community Organizer), Rev. Cameron Partridge (St. Luke’s & St. Margaret’s, Episcopal), Robyn Robbins (MCC/B, ICTE webmistress).

We are transgender and allied people and organizations working for transgender inclusion in faith communities. Our primary goal is to help pass the bill formerly known as House Bill 1722, An Act Relative To Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes – it came close to passing during the legislative session that ended July 1st, and will be refiled with a new number and perhaps name early next year. ICTE increases and mobilizes faith-based support for the bill, much like similar organizations did for the legalization of same-sex marriage.

One of ICTE’s projects is our declaration of faith-based support for the bill. To see a PDF of ICTE’s declaration with its current signatories, click here. To sign, click here (you can also sign by email, phone, fax, or hard mail). To apply for membership, work with us otherwise, or for more information: InterfaithCoalition@GMail.com / 617.524.9227 (Keshet office).

THANK YOU to “my” signatories (those who signed primarily because I asked them to):

Angel(a) Buonopane
Michael Burggren
S. Glass
Christopher Hannon
Louise Kittredge*
Mary Madsen
Zev Michelson
Suzanne Morrison
Jessica Solomon

Your signature helped and will continue to, and you won’t have to resign. If you haven’t signed, I’ll be asking you to. If you’re not asked, it’s because we only need Massachusetts voters.

*Mrs. K also left the best comment: “Transgendered people are a smaller minority than gay and lesbian people, and are therefore more likely to be seen as “strange” and somehow unworthy of protection. That is why they must be protected by law.” There aren’t actually fewer trans people than gay/lesbian/bisexual people – and there’s a great deal of (perhaps even complete) overlap between the identities -- but there do seem to be fewer of us because even fewer of us are visible.