Congress must address LGBTQ discrimination

Despite an escalating wave of anti-LGBTQ hostility and cultural polarization in our state and our nation, Pride persists right here in Dallas and is about to be celebrated June 4 and 5.

As senior pastor at Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, I have a good time the progress our LGBTQ neighborhood has made in my lifetime. Cathedral of Hope is a United Church of Christ congregation of some 4,500 members, extensively considered the most important church on the earth serving lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals.

Given the scale, vitality, and visibility of our congregation, I as soon as anticipated so-called gayborhoods — concentrations of LGBTQ individuals in choose massive metropolis neighborhoods — to exit of enterprise. As members of our neighborhood turned extra built-in into on a regular basis life, I assumed many would make selections about the place to reside based mostly on the exact same issues utilized by our non-LGBTQ counterparts. Unfortunately, lately, previous fears we thought have been behind us have reemerged, and I’m seeing LGBTQ individuals within the Dallas space once more in search of out gayborhoods for the protection and neighborhood they supply.

This renewed local weather of worry, harassment, and discrimination is obscure — particularly given the ever-growing proportion of Americans, of all backgrounds and areas, who assist nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals. The majorities in favor of such protections are lopsided, it doesn’t matter what demographic you take a look at. A current survey by the Public Religion Research Institute discovered that 69% of individuals of religion in America assist nondiscrimination protections based mostly on sexual orientation and gender id in employment, housing, and public lodging.

Despite Americans’ decisive assist for making certain honest play for the LGBTQ neighborhood, discrimination persists and, in some conditions, has grow to be extra virulent. It is gone time for legislators in Washington to meet up with the attitudes of the American individuals and enact complete federal nondiscrimination protections.

As so-called lavatory payments have been debated in state capitols throughout the nation, I’ve heard tales about transgender youth selecting to keep away from consuming water, juice, or milk earlier than going to highschool in order that they don’t must face humiliating restrictions on their use of amenities. No youngster ought to must endure the well being dangers of that alternative.

I do know one mom of a transgender daughter right here in Dallas who resorted to a GoFundMe web page to lift cash so she will be able to transfer her household out of state.

The development of demonizing transgender individuals has produced deadly penalties lately. In 2021, a report 57 transgender or gender-nonconforming individuals have been murdered within the U.S., most of them trans girls of shade.

The hostile rhetoric we hear as we speak about LGBTQ individuals has widespread penalties, typically undermining even fundamental neighborly civility in our communities. One couple in our congregation determined to place their Dallas dwelling up on the market after their rainbow flag was repeatedly destroyed.

As a neighborhood of religion, Cathedral of Hope is named to take a daring — although at instances scary — stand in opposition to hate, discrimination and harassment. Over the long term, I’ve religion that the pendulum will swing again towards kindness, acceptance and inclusiveness. But, as a result of so many in our neighborhood endure discrimination as a every day reality of life, we can not stay silent or complacent. Action is required now.

That is why we glance to Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Republican Party management in Congress, to step up and take a optimistic position in making certain that complete bipartisan nondiscrimination protections are enacted this yr. The Equality Act, which obtained bipartisan assist from the House and had a Senate listening to, with members on each side of the aisle working to seek out frequent floor, is ripe to be voted on and handed this congressional session.

More than 1,000,000 LGBTQ Texans, in addition to those that love them, need to the senator to face tall on this challenge.

Neil G. Thomas is the senior pastor of Cathedral of Hope in Dallas. He wrote this for The Dallas Morning News.