Suggestions for Including Transgender People and Families in Your Catholic Parish, School, or Community
- Have a specific meeting to watch videos and read some of the resources listed below.
- If you have a book club, include some of the books on transgender experiences.
- Speak about needs, concerns, joys of transgender people in homilies, prayers, group sharing, talks, bulletins.
- Be visibly supportive of transgender people in work, prayer, and social environments.
- Develop a transgender-friendly resource library; subscribe to transgender-friendly periodicals.
- Recognize and/or participate in public transgender events.
- Invite support groups for transgender people to use church/community space.
- Hold an inclusive Mass celebrating all forms of diversity.
- Sponsor a retreat or day of recollection for transgender people and their families.
- Include transgender topics in adult religious education and youth ministry programs.
- Put an ad in the local LGBTQ paper inviting transgender people to your parish events and liturgies.
- Sponsor a panel inviting transgender people to speak about their faith.
- Form support groups for transgender people and for their parents, families, and friends
- Become involved and/or educate parish around pro/anti-transgender initiatives in legislation.
- Work with neighboring parishes to sponsor education days on transgender topics.
- Include transgender organizations in potential parish stewardship opportunities as both donors and recipients.
- Provide an all-gender restroom.
- Respect a person’s pronoun preference.