[AMENDED] UUA Business Resolution: Embracing Transgender, Nonbinary and Intersex People is a Fundamental Expression of UU Religious Values

General Assembly 2024 GA Business
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I need to end my participation in this post because I am quite simply, exhausted. I’m a trans scientist, but I’m also autistic, disabled, and hold other marginalized identities, and I don’t think some of the folks here know just how awful and exhausting it is to constantly defend our human rights, against words like “woke”, “identity politics”, “not researched enough”, or “it’s science against science” when something is demonstrably false. It’s been 15 days of providing data and education in various ways on various matters.

And for the record, presenting scientific research for the more general public is neutral. Not aggressive, or emotional. I’ve been a biologist since 2008, and anyone who is used to scientific writing knows to be clear, direct, and provide well-cited literature.

It’s hard to speak up and defend your own community from within it, even with others supporting you. I’m an advocate, and my life and existence is not political or forcing anyone else to be trans or have trans children. I receive death threats multiple times a month just for existing as an openly trans person, among other quite literal dangers to my life.

I, and we, simply want to exist, and know that we have my faith community completely behind our backs, because right now, it feels to me like I might go to UU spaces that don’t welcome me or think that I’m sick, broken, a groomer, forcing my identity on everyone, or just a nuisance, and that’s pretty heartbreaking.

Trans healthcare saves lives, trans youth healthcare is safe and extremely well studied, trans support saves lives, trans equity saves lives.

I will end here with what I said the general session III.

I am a transgender, non-binary, and genderfluid UU and a biologist, and I am in full support of this beautifully crafted business resolution. We exist, and have existed in different ways across the planet as long as humans have walked the earth. We are divine, if we choose to claim that word and affirmed by science.

However, our existence is challenged daily and we are literally dying. Hate crimes, specific legislation targeting our rights, bans on live saving healthcare, and violence against our community have only been growing more and more extreme the more we fight for our right to just simply exist in the world just as we are.

In Unitarian Universalism, we proclaim and affirm as a faith tradition that we uphold the inherent worthiness and dignity of every person. And that’s wonderful and inspiring. But at times, we must clearly and directly state WHAT and WHO we are upholding and affirming to the world and people around us.

We trans, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit, hijra, muxe, and other people with cultural genders and ways of being not defined by our imperialist false binary, we simply ask of you, the member congregations of the UUA, to rise up for our human rights openly like we inherently do for yours.

Stand up for our human rights just like inherently stand up for yours.

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This is a compelling reason to vote Yes.

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Trans people are not new. Trans health care is not new. Trans youth are not new. (For anyone interested in learning about 20th century trans history, I recommend the excellent 2018 book Histories of the Transgender Child by Jules Gill-Peterson; or if you’re more of a podcast person, One From the Vaults by Morgan M. Page; or if you’re a documentary person, Framing Agnes is available on streaming platforms.)

Gender-affirming health care is over 100 years old. It pre-dates the invention of the iron lung, penicillin, dialysis, and coronary bypass surgery. It is older than Unitarian Universalism.

Trans people existed before anyone participating in this conversation was born, and will continue to exist long after everyone in this conversation has died.

Denying access to care does not make trans kids into cis kids. It simply makes trans kids distressed.

Look closely at anti-trans activists who sound facially reasonable and notice the company they keep. The anti-trans activists who are pushing the most extreme rhetoric are funded by orgs like the Heritage Foundation. They are handing pre-written anti-trans legislation to conservative lawmakers. They welcome Neo-Nazis to their rallies. They harass trans people and their families, dox trans kids, threaten their doctors and therapists. They’re quite often homophobic, while claiming to speak for cis lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer people. Really look at the ugliness of their movement. Are these the people whose views you wish to align yourself with? Are these people who are genuinely trying to build a better world? No. They are demagogues who will jump on the next hate train to scapegoat some other tiny minority population as soon as they can’t outrage-bait for donations by scaremongering about trans people anymore. They are leaving a trail of bodies in their wake.

And we as a denomination have the power to at least say that we will try try to stop some of this harm instead of buying into the propaganda promoted by Christofascists and their allies. It will be a shame and a stain on our history if we as a denomination collectively don’t have the moral courage to meet this moment.

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I may be late to the party, but I had an epiphany before voting last night that I feel needs to be said. If we add that the queer community is “fundamental expression of UU values,” where does that leave other marginalized people? Shouldn’t we then add BIPOC, disabled and others? Seems to me, saying “MARGINALIZED people as a fundamental…” makes more sense.

I originally voted “yes” to this addition at the mini- assembly, but upon deep pondering, I had to vote “no” last night.

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I don’t think they are exclusive. Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that we can most certainly have a Study/Action issue (and subsequent Statement of Conscience) around this issue - indeed, a history of AIWs is often considered part of the justification for a Study / Action issue.

I understand that you are fairly new to UU and GA and between COVID and the Article II re-write our social justice activity has been different. I had a long UU / GA hiatus between 2009 and 2022 and I don’t know exactly what changes to the process may have happened then or may happen as a result of COVID.

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I see you and you are loved.

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This is like the exact same argument people made around “all lives matter” vs “black lives matter.”

Disappointing we’re still having that discussion.

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Hey you’re the guy yesterday who went off about his own church ‘s re committee instead of anything about what we were actually voting for, right?

I’m wondering if you researched this issue to the same extent you did the RECC amendment.

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Hello Tim.
You are correct, I am that person.
Good job !

Here’s a question for you:
Were you present for my on-mic admission of error about that issue during my 90 seconds to express CONcern about this one. ?

If you were not, am pleased to inform you I not only admitted my misunderstanding on the specific policy to be voted on, but I changed my vote to “support”.
If you were… then I am confused why that matters here on Discuss…

I can appreciate that some people were annoyed by my voicing experiences and opinion that were off-topic, even irrelevant to the specific vote…but like it or not, that is part of the cost of open democratic debate.

On that policy and on this, I am merely moved to share my concerns and values, based on my my lived experience.
Your wondering/question seems to suggest, IF I have not shared the same experience or research as you or others, THEN I should disregarded from share my perspective on this Amendment, OR even participate in discussion.

Is this the extent of your wonder ?

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I’m sorry it came across that way. I simply meant that I feel this topic doesn’t belong in UUA bylaws. Bylaws that only address one aspect of diversity and difference, does not show inclusion of all. If we want to grow as a liberal spiritual community, we need to be accepting of the diversity, not just one. I believe the bylaws should be inclusive of everyone. In a regular discussion I would agree with you, but this is not that. This was about the bylaws.

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I’m grateful that this has been brought as a business resolution. In my view, it is important to make this statement about affirmation of our trans, nonbinary, and intersex siblings as formal as possible, especially in this time where there is so much hostility toward their (actually our as I’m nonbinary) existence (let alone rights).

Thank you to those who have brought it forward!

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It has been posted that CSA/I proposals will be accepted in the Fall of 2024—welcome news, but also a distraction from by-law revision.

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O.K., this is a business resolution, NOT in the by-laws, so you should be good with it. I get how confusing it is to hop from one item to another.

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Thanks for clarifying. I am good with that and now wish I had voted for it. In other words, I sincerely hope it passes.

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Thank you for the tireless work you have put in on this, Sasha. You are seen and appreciated by so many folks.

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Thank you Kathy, and thank you so so much to everyone who supported this resolution. I’m crying and my heart feels full. It feels amzing to have the overwhelming support of the member congregations, and you have told us that we are loved

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@SashaBriarGast thanks for all your efforts and for sharing your views and perspective. it helped me, and based upon the vote yesterday, I think it helped others as well. congratulations on helping to get this passed! :slight_smile:

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So, this passed. But this is not part of the bylaws! Please research these things in the future before deciding if you are pro or against. This has NOTHING TO DO with bylaws. It is a business resolution that impacts the UUA.

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Thank you Don, for being willing to consider the science and lived experience of us. I truly appreciate that!

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I’m sorry, my first time at GA. this is all new to me and I was confused about it. As I stated in an earlier post, now understanding MY confusion, I am happy it passed.