Donations for General Convention 2012

 Three years ago, a small band of transgender Episcopalians and our allies made unprecedented progress at The Episcopal Church’s General Convention.  Against major odds, and with the help of our partner organizations, we won The Episcopal Church’s support in three areas:

 1)  secular anti-discrimination legislation at the federal, state and local levels (D012 & C048)

2)   ecclesial non-discrimination in lay hiring (D032)

3)   adoption of more transgender-friendly forms (D090)

 There was one resolution on which we fell just shy, however: the prohibition of discrimination against transgender people in access to the ordination process (C061). 

 As General Convention 2012 approaches in less than three months, a new version of that resolution has been filed:  D002.  Building on our groundbreaking success in 2009, TransEpiscopal is planning a stronger presence at convention this year, with a larger delegation, more varied and persuasive educational materials, and better preparation and coordination with our allies, The Consultation, Integrity-USA and The Chicago Consultation.

 Preparations are well under way. Working with our partners in Integrity, we’ve helped generate “Voices of Witness 3: Out of the Box” – a video and study guide which puts the "T" in LGBT.  Copies of “Out of the Box” will be given to all bishops and deputies to educate them to vote for resolutions coming forward for transgender equality.

 Knowing what a major difference our presence on the ground made at General Convention three years ago, we can’t wait to go back.  But in order to do that, TransEpiscopal needs your help.  We need to pay for our exhibit space, and educational materials, to cover travel and lodging for some of our members who otherwise won’t be able to join our effort in Indianapolis. In 2009 we raised several thousand dollars to help send an eight-person delegation to convention; this year, we hope to roughly double those numbers.

 A gift of $50, $100, $250 or $500 or any amount will make a crucial difference in our capacity to change hearts and minds this summer.

 If you contributed to our effort three years ago, we thank you and hope that you can help us move our work forward. If you are new to TransEpiscopal and its efforts, we would love to have you stand with us in expanding the borders of the body of Christ.

 Please give as generously as you possibly can.  To make your contribution online, simply click the “Donate” tab to your left on the web site.  Alternately, you can mail a check made out to our fiscal sponsor, Integrity USA -- just be sure to put TransEpiscopal in the memo line, then mail to:

               IntegrityUSA, 838 East High St. #291, Lexington, KY 40502.

Thank you again for your support, follow our progress online at our website or our Facebook page, and most of all, please keep us in your prayers.

This blog post will remain available on the Donations Tab of this site until after General Convention.