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Opinion: Our church aspires to support and affirm our transgender siblings amid rising hate

 Reverend Brandon Duran, senior minister at Kensington Community Church
Reverend Brandon Duran, senior minister at Kensington Community Church, stands at the church on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
(Sandy Huffaker/SD Union-Tribune)

To those who are tempted by fear or the empty promises of hate, we proclaim the gospel truth that grace overcomes judgment.

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The Rev. Duran is senior minister at Kensington Community Church and lives in Scripps Ranch.

When I arrived at the La Mesa City Council chambers on May 23, the room was already overflowing. On the same night that the La Mesa City Council would proclaim June Pride Month in La Mesa, one member had proposed a rule amendment that would effectively ban the pride flag from flying over City Hall. It was evident that the La Mesa City Council would vote against this proposal. Even still, dozens of advocates, allies, youth and longtime residents showed up to the meeting to support the LGBTQIA+ community and testify against the amendment.

The personal testimonies and well-reasoned arguments in favor of flying the pride flag were powerful. I was one of several clergy who spoke against the amendment and in support of the LGBTQIA+ community. One concern that I, and many others raised, was the recent rise of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation and discrimination around the country. We have seen this trend locally, particularly in regard to the transgender community.

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June is Pride Month in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Riots when patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City fought discrimination against the LGBTQ community. The fight for rights continues from the Santee YMCA locker room to all 50 state legislatures. We are publishing 11 essays from local faith leaders writing about allyship, in particular with transgender people.

June 2, 2023

The public expressions of hate at the Boo Bash in Hillcrest last October and the vitriol at the YMCA in Santee in January were heartbreaking. While those two events received public attention, there are, unfortunately, many more everyday instances where transgender individuals and other LGBTQIA+ folx suffer abuse and experience prejudice. Such dehumanizing acts are affronts to the gospel values of love, compassion and the sacred dignity inherent to all.

My role as a pastor includes celebrating the goodness of God manifested in all of creation. It is a joy to see the sacred spark alight in others. In my church, and in many other churches throughout San Diego, we celebrate the divine light in our LGBTQIA+ members, friends and visitors. Our pride flag flies all year because we want everyone to know that we are a safe place to experience an inclusive and liberating love.

Kensington Community Church is one of several open and affirming churches that believe supporting the LGBTQIA+ community is a sacred responsibility, like The Table United Church of Christ, Pioneer Ocean View United Church of Christ, Mission Hills United Church of Christ, Christian Fellowship United Church of Christ and University City United Church. As the transgender community becomes a growing target of violence, the church must act. We have and must continue to highlight the joys and struggles of the transgender community in our prayers, teach an inclusive and affirming faith and sexuality curriculum, be mindful of the gendered language in our worship, and be ready to show up as a public witness. We don’t miss an opportunity to clearly affirm the inherent, immeasurable worth of our transgender siblings.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I came that you may have life and have it in abundance.” In our tradition, we affirm that there is an abundance of life and light that overcomes fear and lies. To our transgender and nonbinary friends, we see such a glorious light in you. We pray that you have heard affirmation from loved ones and that you hear the voices of support like those who showed up at the La Mesa City Council meeting. People from all walks of life are finding ways to show up for you. Let these voices of love be the ones you hear because these voices testify to the truth that ancient theologian Irenaeus of Lyons said: “the glory of God is the human being fully alive.”

When the church proclaims, in word and deed, the good news of unfailing love, it will nurture a culture of acceptance and affirmation for the transgender community and for all. In this time of division and discrimination, the church cannot be silent. When people are subjected to public defamation, the church is called to raise its voice. To those who are tempted by fear or the empty promises of hate, we proclaim the gospel truth that grace overcomes judgmentalism.

And to the LGBTQIA+ community, we joyfully add our voice to the choir that sings of your sacred and beautiful diversity. To you we say, we need you as you truly are. Your courage brings strength to more people than you know. Your integrity inspires others to lay aside self-deception and be their true selves. Your joy makes the world a better place.

I am a Christian minister, and there are many clergy who feel as I do. But you don’t have to be a minister, or be a Christian, or even be religious, to see the glorious light in others. You only have to look at someone with dignity and respect. The only beliefs you need are that we can do better in how we treat each other and that every one of us has the ability to make the world a brighter place.

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