FIGHTING TOGETHER FOR A WORLD IN WHICH EVERY BODY IS SACRED

Xan Hendrick, Program Assistant

When I learned the seven principles as a kid, “The right to a free and responsible search for truth and meaning” always stood out to me. It inspired me to know that I could continue to question and grow for my whole life. If each person has this right, then we must support the freedom to explore gender, sexuality, and expression for everyone. At this time in our country, we are facing a coordinated, aggressive attack on trans health care and safety. It is urgent for us to live our UU principles, and fight for the rights of everyone in the LGBTQIA community. While the issue is huge and can seem overwhelming, our community at First Unitarian can be a great place to have a positive impact, especially for our children and youth.

My earliest memory of meeting out and proud LGBTQIA+ people was in my UU church growing up. Our minister was a lesbian, as were many of the teachers in my Religious Exploration classes. My first time meeting a trans woman was also in church. Several kids in my youth group came from families with two moms, or were adopted, or lived with extended family. I met queer youth and received comprehensive queer affirming sex ed through our teen programming. These early experiences taught me to respect differences and be a loving, well-rounded person. Growing up in this environment also made me confident that my family would fully accept me and love me, when I came out as queer as a young adult.

However, far too many young people do not have this experience. It takes a lot of courage to live as your authentic self, and while it can be deeply fulfilling and beautiful to come into our identities as queer and/or trans people, it does not always feel that way. These legislative and cultural attacks on the LGBTQ community impact people of all ages, but youth are especially vulnerable.

• 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.

• Nearly 1 in 5 transgender and nonbinary youth attempted suicide and LGBTQ youth of color reported higher rates than their white peers.

• LGBTQ youth who live in a community that is accepting of LGBTQ people reported significantly lower rates of attempting suicide than those who do not.

• Risk of suicide in trans and nonbinary youth drops by 73% when receiving gender-affirming medical care. (This same care is now being denied in several states, and youth are being forced to detransition.)

Source: The Trevor Project 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health

Each of us can do our part to become more informed about these issues and speak up for trans rights. We can all strive to be more welcoming as a community, volunteer with our children and youth, and take action against hateful legislation. Our collective resistance to the rising wave of hatred can take many forms, and we don’t have to do it alone. ◊