Louisiana Trans Advocates
Faith & Family Council
Mission Statement:
Louisiana Trans Advocates Faith & Family Council is a group of faith leaders from many religious traditions working to support all Louisiana families and protect them from discrimination.
Who we are and What we do:
Council members are leaders from across Louisiana who have committed to work for justice and healing in their faith communities. The Faith & Family Council provides a space for prophetic leadership from religious communities to support Louisiana families at an elevated risk for experiencing discrimination. The Council consults with LTA leadership many faith issues including, religious resources supportive of LGBT Louisianians, work being done by faith communities to include and protect the most vulnerable, matters related to religious liberty, among others. Council members practice loving inclusion of LGBT people, and in so doing, write statements, speak to the press, provide testimony to legislative committees, and collaborate across many faith traditions to raise a prophetic voice for justice.
Council Values
Though we come from many different faiths and religious traditions, we are brought together by a core tenet-- that all human beings, including those of all sexual orientations and gender identities, are endowed with a shared human dignity that grants them the right to be treated with kindness, respect and loving inclusion. That shared belief guides our religious practice and the values we hold as they relate to LGBT people.
As such, we state that:
People who are LGBT should not be fired from their jobs or lose their homes because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
We will speak out against political rhetoric that causes harm to people who are LGBT, their friends, and families.
We will stand against harmful efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity, which must end because being LGBT is not sinful nor a mental illness or disease.
Religious freedom is an important and guaranteed right to freely practice one’s religion and follow one’s conscience, but does not include the power to impose any religion or religious belief on other people; therefore, we will oppose attempts to use the virtue and right of religious freedom to create a “right to discriminate.”
If you are a member of the clergy, or a lay person doing faith-based advocacy on this issue, who are interested in being a part of this work, please sign up to be a member of the Louisiana Trans Advocates Faith & Family Council: