We call for an end to all violence against transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people, for vigorous investigation into any incidents reported to civil authorities, and to perpetrators to be held to account for their actions.

We urge all medical institutions, including religiously affiliated health care centers, to adopt the WPATH standards of care to better serve our nonbinary and transgender communities and urge intensive promotion of the 988 National Suicide and Mental Health Lifeline and the Trans Lifeline (877-565-8860) in all settings that serve transgender and nonbinary people.

We actively challenge anyone in civil or religious authority who works to limit the rights or inclusion of transgender and nonbinary people.

We work to ensure they have housing, education, health care and social services that are safe, supportive, and foster their ongoing growth and development. These include services provided by Catholic and other faith-based agencies.

We pledge to do all we can to further equity and full inclusion in public and community spaces, by using language that does not assume a gender binary, ensuring comfortable and safe access to restrooms and dressing rooms, encouraging everyone to state their pronouns in introductions, and actively supporting public policy that protects the civil and human rights of transgender and nonbinary people.

We promote their ability to participate in sports and other activities according to their gender identity, in accordance with governing body rules, where applicable, that are equitable and supported by national transgender equity organizations.

We call for programs serving transgender, nonbinary, and questioning children and youth to take all steps necessary to protect their safety, physical and mental health, and to respect their identity. All employees and volunteers in these programs should be mandated to undergo trainings to help them understand how to effectively serve transgender, nonbinary, and questioning young people.

We will honor their identities by using the names, pronouns, and gender terms they have told us are right for them.

We will help people understand that many challenges faced by nonbinary and transgender people are due to gender dysphoria, and the stress of navigating a culture largely based in a gender binary and that has long assumed everyone’s gender identity matches the sex assigned to them at birth.

We urge families to obtain help understanding a loved one’s gender identities from credible medical or mental health professionals who have experience in working in this area, or from organizations such as PFLAG, the Trevor Project, the Family Acceptance Project, etc.

We adamantly reject any efforts to direct transgender and nonbinary people to counseling programs aimed at having them become comfortable with a cisgender identity. We pledge to work to ban so-called conversion therapies, whether by licensed or unlicensed counselors, including religious counselors.

We acknowledge every individual’s transition is uniquely theirs and support their right to transition socially and/or medically if they so desire and at their own pace.