Fellowship Of Affirming Ministries Trans Support Resolution

During the Friday City Hall vigil for Shante and Willie, a resolution was read by Pastor Freedom K.D. Gulley of Progressive Open Door Christian Center at the event expressing support for the Houston trans community.

Here is the full text of the April 15 resolution that was signed by Pastor Gulley and Rev Alex D. Byrd, the Southern Regional Bishop for the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries.

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Resolution of Support and Action
April 15, 2016

Whereas, a double murder occurred on Sunday, April 10, 2016 in the midtown area of the city of Houston involving a young transgender woman, Shante Thompson and a young man Willie Sims.

Whereas, The fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM) has been committed to providing pastoral care to transgender men and women, and protecting their civil rights since its inception in 1999, as evidenced by the TransSaints ministry,

Whereas. the South Region of TFAM includes the city of Houston, Texas and two churches which provides direct pastoral care to transgender men and women in their congregations and within the communities they serve,

Whereas, we are concerned about the negative perceptions, biases and discrimination of the public in regards to transgender men and women and how such attitudes may impact the way these murders will be perceived in the public, governmental and law enforcement arenas,

Whereas, we are compelled by a Christian imperative to speak up for those who are perceived to be the least among us and fight for the causes of justice,

Whereas, we are also compelled by our call to minister to the spiritual needs whom God entrusts in our care, especially those who are respected and marginalized by society,

Be it resolved that the South Region of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries lends our support to the family of Ms. Shante Thompson and Mr. Willie Sims.  We offer our prayers, our actions and our ear to you--- weeping as you weep and fighting as you fight the good fight.  We stand  with our arms open without judgment or shame representing the love of our God which is eternal and without respect of person.

Be it further resolved that we stand in solidarity with those who call for justice to be done in this unjust situation. Regardless of the circumstances that may surround it, Shante Thompson and Willie Sims were murdered.  Such acts deserve an unbiased commitment to justice.

Therefore, we are calling for the Houston Police Department and any other law enforcement agency that shall undertake the investigation of these murders to do so without regard to and prejudice or bias against the transgender experience.  We ask that they would treat this case with the same fervor and dignity as they would any other investigation.

We implore the city, the law enforcement agencies, and the news media to respect the lives of the transgender individuals in this case by calling them by the name and gender by which each of them have been known to self-identify.

We further pray that justice be served against the perpetrators of this crime.  We wholly expect that a fair trial and due process be given to anyone indicted in this matter.

This is our calling and our service to Christ and to the people we serve.  To this call we hereto put our hand and faith.

Done this 15th day of April Two Thousand Sixteen,

Rev. Alex D. Byrd
Regional Bishop for the South

Pastor Freedom K.D. Gulley, D. Min.
Member of the Executive Council for the South Region            .

Trans Ally Bingo Card

One of the things that is microaggresively maddening to those of us in Trans World is hearing all these comments on this BINGO card.

So if you consider yourself a trans ally, these are a sample of the microaggressive comments that irritate the hell out of me and other trans folks.

Please avoid them, especially for the upcoming holidays and beyond.

Girl Scouts Return Transphobe`s Donation, Get Paid

`If a girl is recognized by her family, school and community as a girl and lives culturally as a girl, Girl Scouts is an organization that can serve her in a setting that is both emotionally and physically safe.`
-Girl Scouts statement welcoming transgender girls

Over the last few years, the Girl Scouts of America have been standup allies for the trans community, and opened their doors so that trans girls can participate.

That support of trans feminine girls created a problem for the Western Washington Girl Scout council and its CEO Megan Ferland recently.

They received a $100K donation during their fundraising drive which was a quarter of their fundraising goal.  However, it came with a transphobic string attached.

In a letter she received five weeks later, the donor requested that none of the donated money be used to assist transgender girls, and if they couldn't guarantee that, the donor wanted their money returned.

Ferland knew because the parents chose to share that information, there are trans girls participating in some Western Washington area troops.  Even though that monetary gift would have allowed 200 fiscally challenged girls to attend summer camp, Ferland quickly returned the money and on June 29 launched a `Girl Scouts is #ForEVERYGirl  Indiegogo campaign with a YouTube video to accompany it in order to replace the funds they lost.

They recouped the money they lost in 24 hours and tripled it, raising $300K, and benefit all girls in the Western Washington area that will need some financial assistance in order to attend camp.

People also supported the campaign on social media, using the #ForEVERYGirl hashtag.

My congratulations to the Western Washington Girl Scouts, who demonstrated principled leadership,  returned a transphobic donation and were rewarded for it.

I sure would like to know who that transphobe is so they can receive the proper level of scorn they deserve..

But I;m definitely tripling my Girl Scout cookie order next year.

Houston Britney and Crystal Candelight Vigil Tomorrow

For those of you in the Houston area and can do so, hope you're planning on joining me in the chapel of the AD Bruce Religion Center on the University of Houston main campus tomorrow evening, April 2  for the candlelight vigil honoring our fallen sisters Britney Cosby and Crystal Jackson.

Both died on March 8 and were just 24 years old.

I will be speaking along with Tamira 'Augie' Augustine, Dr. Rachel Afi Quinn and Pastor Ernie Turney from Bering United Methodist Church.

The event starts at 6:30 PM CDT and is being sponsored by the UH Women's Resource Center , UH LGBT Resource Center, Global at UH, NAACP UH Chapter, Equality Texas, Texas Freedom Network, the Student Feminist Organization at UH and  The Montrose Center .

AD Bruce Religion Center is on the Wheeler St/Cullen Blvd side of the campus with the closest entrance to AD Bruce and parking lot being Entrance 13 off of Cullen Blvd.    

Please consider joining us and the Houston community tomorrow  as we remember these young women and begin an open and honest dialogue about violence against the LGBT community.

And since it is being hosted on campus, I hope to see a strong UH Cougar presence at the vigil.