Episcopal faculty and staff at BC speak out on Trans Day of Visibility

A group of Episcopal faculty and staff members at Boston College signed on to a statement of support and solidarity on Trans Day of Visibility on March 31. Read the statement here.

"As Episcopalians, rooted in our baptismal call to 'strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being,' we unabashedly affirm the dignity of trans, nonbinary, two-spirit and gender-nonconforming people, especially those here in our Boston College community. Sharing in the Jesuit tenet of cura personalis and recognizing the image of God in all people, we are here to tell you that we support you, we love you and—most importantly—that God loves you. Your identities are sacred, your existence is holy and we as a community are made better by your witness," the statement said. 

The Rev. Daniel Bell, the affiliate campus minister for the Episcopal Community at Boston College, and the Rev. Dorie Goehring, a Ph.D. candidate at the college, drafted and set the statement in motion.

"Like so many, we definitely see the connection between our faith and making a public witness in terms of justice issues," Bell said in a Zoom interview. "We wanted to say and do something positive, especially given the current political climate, as a way to articulate our values to the BC community and to those who have not felt as welcome as they should."

And while the statement was intended for the BC community, he said, the hope is that its message can have a wider reach beyond a one-day commemoration.

"Opportunities like Trans Day of Visibility are reminders of how we should be living and articulating our values day in and day out, raising awareness to these issues, being in solidarity with those who are experiencing marginalization right now. It's important to think about how we integrate all of that into our everyday lives," he said.