SEATTLE, Jan. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — When Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi and J Mase III began co-editing the Black Trans Prayer Book a few years ago, they had no idea how much the idea of dismantling toxic religious practices would resonate around the globe. In January of 2019, they hosted the first of what would become an annual event called the #TransphobiaIsASin Campaign. This social media event’s purpose is to bring attention to religious violence impacting Trans, Non-Binary and Gender Expansive people globally (especially those that are Black, Brown and/or Indigenous.)
On Saturday, January 15th, Dane and Mase will launch the fourth iteration of this campaign which has had thousands of participants from countries all over the world, and they want to invite anyone to participate that is “invested in ending religious (ie: all) violence against Trans, Non-Binary and Gender Expansive Peoples.” Dane and Mase go on to say, “Anti-Trans religious violence does not just look like demonizing Trans people within worship spaces. It is the theology that finds its way to the tongues of politicians who create anti-Trans policies. It manifests as the framework that blooms violence against Trans people on the street, in their families, and in community at large.”
The two say one of their ultimate goals is to make theologies of liberation more accessible than theologies of violence. For them, this campaign gives people from all over, looking to share in that vision, a space to connect and build. Currently working on adapting their text, the Black Trans Prayer Book into a documentary, they have outlined ways for people everywhere to participate in this weekend’s #TransphobiaIsASin event:
- Take a photo of yourself with a sign saying one of the following lines: “Transphobia is a Sin,” “Transphobia is Haram,” “Trans People are Divine,” or “Trans People Exist Because Our Ancestors Existed”
- Use the hashtag #TransphobiaIsASin
- Post to social media on or close to Jan 15th
To close out the campaign, Lady Dane and J Mase will be holding a workshop to delve deeper into healing from religious trauma on Tuesday January 18th at 4pm PST/7pm EST. Follow along by checking out the hashtag #TransphobiaIsASin on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and all social media platforms. Learn more about their work at www.TheBlackTransPrayerBook.org.