Dee Dee was one of the peeps that helped push for the passage of the HERO, and the POD and Pastor Freedom Gulley was one of the progressive congregations and ministers speaking in favor of the passage of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.
In addition to hosting a well attended Wednesday TDOR service for the second consecutive year, it also hosted it's first annual Transgender Outreach Service that featured the Rev. Carmarion Anderson and Rev. Raymond Walker III.I was happy to be there in attendance for yesterday's service along with other members of the local trans community and our allies, and hope it grows next year.
In addition, at this Transgender Outreach Service that featured the trans reverends speaking and the trans deacon and deaconess of the POD, a resolution was read at the service that not only declared the POD as a safe worship space for the Houston trans community, they committed their church to being an inclusive and outspoken advocate for the Houston trans community and the trans human rights movement and deplored the acts of anti-trans violence aimed at us.. It also committed the POD to having this trans outreach service every year at this time. I will post the language to the declaration when I receive it so you can do the same for your faith community.
But it is nice to know that at least one Black church in the Houston metro area has stepped up to say boldly that trans people are children of God who are part of our kente cloth community. The POD in its message of radical inclusiveness is also boldly proclaiming they will have no problem saying it to their fellow Christians who seriously need to hear that message.
Because like many of us in the Houston trans community, I'm tired of the current status quo of either trans hate speech or silence from the pulpit on trans human rights issues that far too many congregations get from their pastors these days.
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