Minute of Concern: Safety and Societal Participation of Transgender and Gender Non-conforming People (Adopted 9 June 2024)
As Quakers, we attempt to answer that of God in every person. In light of recent events that have rocked our country and, in particular, our gender-fluid Friends, we feel that it is timely to state our support for transgender and gender non-conforming people, and affirm the safety and openness of our meeting space.
Orange County Friends Meeting welcomes transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming folks of all kinds into full participation in our Meeting. We recognize that our Meeting, and the Society of Friends in general, has not always been open and affirming to this integral part of humanity, and thus we have failed to act according to the values of Equality and Community. In light of this history, we endeavor to be tender to the concerns of these Friends and to learn about the barriers to their fellowship so that we may lift them.
In addition, we affirm that all humans have the right to express their identities and participate in the wider society as they define themselves, safely and on an equal footing with all others. We recognize that the Divine Light is not limited by societal convention, tradition, or law, and often surpasses human understanding. As Friends, we seek to create a society that welcomes diversity, recognizes that of God in each being regardless of appearance or gender identity, and is free of bigotry and exclusion.