PC(USA) webinar offers the church a ‘sobering and inspiring’ call to advocate for trans lives
October’s monthly Advocacy Hour webinar was co-sponsored by More Light Presbyterians, Covenant Network of Presbyteriansand the Interim Unified Agency
As transgender youth and adults face ongoing and increasing dehumanization, discrimination, injustice, and violence at the hands of individuals and institutions — both civil and religious, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is confronted with a question: how will it boldly and faithfully live into its promise — affirmed by the 223rd General Assembly—“to stand for the right of people of all gender identities to live free from discrimination, violence, and every form of injustice?”
On Wednesday, a 90-minute webinar called “Full Dignity, Full Humanity: Advocating for Trans Lives” afforded attendees the opportunity to grapple with that question and engage in responsive action. The Oct. 22 event brought together speakers and participants from across the country and the world, with hundreds of Presbyterians gathering virtually to hear the stories and teachings of transgender people and their families and to learn about the far-reaching impacts of recent U. S. Supreme Court decisions and executive orders from the Trump administration. The webinar was not recorded for safety reasons.
The webinar was the eighth offering in an ongoing monthly series called Presbyterian Advocacy Hour, which was launched earlier this year by Office of Public Witness staff and others in the IUA. Each month has focused on a different advocacy area, partnering with other organizations concentrated on that work. This month’s webinar was organized in partnership with More Light Presbyterians and Covenant Network of Presbyterians, which both have long histories of working toward the full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ persons in the PC(USA).
The gathering began with an introduction from Mel Tubb, who serves as staff support for the Advocacy Committees for Women and Gender Justice, LGBTQIA+ Equity, and Racial Equity. Participants were then invited to participate in a spiritual grounding exercise led by Slats Toole, a trans Presbyterian poet, activist, and church leader who also serves as co-moderator of the Covenant Network board.
Toole acknowledged the diverse contexts of participants and encouraged attendees to check in with their bodies and take breaks or breaths as needed. They noted that a part of LGBTQIA+ experience for many includes learning that their bodies recognize truths before their minds do.
“Sharing stories is vulnerable for those sharing them, and witnessing those stories, while an honor and a gift, can also awaken things in us,” Toole said, emphasizing the vital role stories and relationships play in moving toward a more just and loving world. Toole continued to offer grounding check-ins throughout the webinar, especially after particularly challenging or emotional moments.
Samantha Davis, who leads the IUA’s Office of Race and Gender Justice, introduced “Ten Steps for Creating an Inclusive Space,” encouraging attendees to avoid making assumptions and to prioritize the safety of those at risk of harm over the comfort of others. Davis also shared several devastating statistics that underscored the significance of trans advocacy work.
One statistic revealed that 417 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures in 2025 alone. Another devastatingly relevant statistic highlighted a 2018 study finding that lesbian and gay youth who said religion was important to them experienced a 38% higher likelihood of suicidal ideation than those for whom religion was not important.
Davis also led the group in an interactive quiz that allowed participants to offer up their own answers — shared anonymously onscreen — about the importance of gender-affirming care. The quiz also challenged common misinformation, such as the idea that minors are regularly receiving gender-affirming surgeries.
The webinar then moved into a time of story-sharing, beginning with updates from Kevin Omondi Oyonge about the ripple effects of recent U.S. policies on LGBTQIA+ communities in Kenya. Oyonge leads the Kenyan organization Kartekri and is a member of Rainbow Pilgrims of Faith. He is a Seventh-Day Adventist who also works with PC(USA) Global Ecumenical Liaison Doug Tilton. Oyonge shared that there have been at least 73 recent cases of LGBTQ people in Kenya being beaten. raped, evicted, or otherwise harmed as part of the global fallout of US policies.
Finally, webinar participants heard from the Presbyterian parents of a transgender teen about their family’s struggles in the face of discriminatory policies and legislation, and pervasive anti-trans sentiment. The couple described having to travel eight hours to receive affirming care for their daughter and being advised by doctors to lie in order to secure necessary medical testing to protect their daughter’s health. They talked about having to withdraw from community life and limit their engagement even with friends and loved ones for fear of backlash.
In tears, the teen’s mother said that their family still experiences joy and everyday life, but they take none of it as guaranteed anymore. Sharing wisdom she had learned from another parent, she said, “Life is precious and you live differently when life is precious.”
The teen’s father also acknowledged his frustration and anger toward the denomination for not speaking out consistently and specifically against anti-trans actions by the government and others. Both parents have been longtime leaders in the church, and the father expressed heartbreak and dismay at the abandonment they feel from that same church. He challenged the church to live into its stated commitments beyond simply “including the T” in a list of letters or offering theological assurances that trans people are beloved without accompanying action.
He said he felt foolish for checking again and again for statements and actions from the church that would acknowledge his daughter, and finding over and over that “she didn’t make the list.” Still, he said that he was placing his hope in people like those attending the webinar.
Dozens of participants offered words of comfort, solidarity, and apology in the chat in response to the parents’ testimony.
The full group time concluded with the introduction of a new Trans Advent Devotional from Unbound, a digital publication focused on the intersection of faith and justice. The Rev. Lee Catoe, who's Unbound’s editor within the IUA, explained that this year’s devotional will be made up entirely of trans voices, though the group is broadly ecumenical rather than exclusively Presbyterian. Catoe expressed his appreciation for the blessing of seeing how trans people experience the Divine. He also acknowledged that the devotional’s contributors are putting themselves at risk by participating publicly and asked for webinar participants’ support for those efforts.
Attendees were then invited to divide into breakout sessions for the final half-hour of the gathering, based on four different areas of interest: red-state advocacy, worship and pastoral care, mutual aid, and global solidarity.
Reflecting on the experience afterwards, Toole described it as both sobering and inspiring, noting that the very real pain, anger, and fear expressed was “gut-wrenching.” They said that while the level of public callousness and vilification of the trans community feels dangerous and overwhelming, seeing people who have not necessarily engaged in trans advocacy work in the past stand up and push back gives them hope.
“Seeing people gathering to learn and join in, for the 400th time or for the first time, lifts my spirits and makes me feel less alone.”
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