CONTACT:
Logan Bayroff, West End Strategy Team
lbayroff@westendstrategy.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 4, 2024
WASHINGTON, DC – Interfaith Alliance, a national leader in defending religious freedom and multi-faith democracy, is proud to be among the very strong contingent of faith-based organizations rallying today in front of the Supreme Court in defense of trans rights, as the court hears oral arguments in the case of US v Skrmetti.
The case focuses on a Tennessee law that would affect access to transition-related care nationwide for both minors and adults for decades to come. If Tennessee’s law is upheld by the high court, the case could provide a precedent for states to bar puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery for trans minors – a devastating blow to the right of trans kids and their families to make their own decisions about care.
“Standing outside the Supreme Court today, I was inspired and energized to see so many different faith leaders and communities speaking out clearly in support of trans rights, and against efforts to cynically use a narrow religious worldview as an excuse to suppress those rights,” said Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at Interfaith Alliance. “In the face of the immoral targeting of trans youth for political gain by religious extremists, we loudly expressed our love for our trans neighbors. God loves trans youth.
“The government should not insert itself into medical decisions best handled by families and their doctors,” Graves-Fitzsimmons added. “Interfaith Alliance and our partners are proud to mobilize Americans of diverse faiths and beliefs who know that true religious freedom goes hand-in-hand with the freedom of all people to control their own lives, bodies, and best interests.”
Tennessee’s discriminatory law is part of the Christian nationalist agenda, which uses government coercion to strip away the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans. It seeks to enforce a narrow religious worldview and belief onto all Americans, and to help erase the LGTBQ+ community from public life. Whatever the Supreme Court’s decision in US v Skrmetti, Interfaith Alliance will continue to advance a vision of our country where religion is used to uplift people rather than to suppress their rights and crush their individuality and diversity.
Interfaith Alliance’s Graves-Fitzsimmons, a leading expert on Christian nationalism, attended the rally in Washington and is available for interviews to discuss the significance of this case and the growing movement of faith communities mobilizing in support of trans rights nationwide.
Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.