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James Rowe
Director, Believe Out Loud
Email James Rowe
646-723-7826
1,062 Christians Support Transgender Students In South Dakota
LGBTQ-Affirming Christians Demand Governor Daugaard Veto HB 1008

New York, NY—Today, 1,062 Christians sent letters demanding that South Dakota Governor Daugaard veto the anti-transgender bill passed by the legislature, HB 1008. This bill singles out trans students by forcing them to use separate restrooms and locker rooms from their friends and peers.

“I don’t think people truly understand the damage this bill would do—this bill requires trans kids to deny a core piece of who they are each time they use the restroom or locker room,” says Reese Rathjen, Believe Out Loud’s Acting Campaigns Manager. “This law devalues transgender kids and underestimates the beauty and diversity of God’s creation.”

While proponents of this bill say it is about protecting children, HB 1008 does the exact opposite—it causes direct harm to transgender youth and teaches their peers that it is okay to ostracize and bully trans and gender nonconforming students.

HB 1008 is just one of more than 150 anti-LGBTQ bills proposed across the country. Of these proposed bills, 79 misuse religion to justify harm against LGBTQ people, and 44 specifically target trans and gender nonconforming people. In response, Believe Out Loud will launch campaigns throughout the spring to make LGBTQ-affirming Christianity more visible than ever before.

“Across the country, many people are using Christianity to mobilize resentment against LGBTQ people. They are using their faith to justify harm, and they are working to cement their harmful theologies into law,” says James Rowe, Director of Believe Out Loud. “As LGBTQ Christians and allies, we know it is our mission to mobilize love.”

About Believe Out Loud

Believe Out Loud is an online community that empowers Christians to work for justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. Reaching an average of 3–5 million people per month, Believe Out Loud is the leading platform in Christian faith and LGBTQ advocacy. Believe Out Loud is a program of Intersections International.