At age 18, Vontrice Hemingway joined the Episcopal church that was within walking distance of her house.
“I am a Christian,” said Hemingway, a transgender woman who, as a child, was teased and bullied because she did not fit other people’s definition of what a boy or man should look like. Hemingway, now 33, hoped attending her new church would bring her comfort.
But the first time she wore a woman’s wig to church, the pastor kicked her out.
“She said I had to leave because I was confusing the children and it was not right,” Hemingway recalled. “She said, ‘You’re going to hell because homosexuality is a sin.’”
Hemingway didn’t return to that church and eventually found a new place to worship: Sacred Souls United Church of Christ.
“It felt great. I felt loved. I felt welcomed,” Hemingway said.
There are 2.8 million people in the United States who identify as transgender, according to an August 2025 study done by the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute, and a progression of state- and national-level legislation has targeted their medical, personal and legal rights.
In spaces of faith, visibility, safety and participation vary with a denomination’s inclusivity.
In 2021, 153 bills that would have negative impacts on the lives of trans people were considered. Of these, 18 passed, according to Trans Legislation Tracker, an independent organization that follows legislation affecting the lives of trans and gender-diverse people. By 2025, those numbers had expanded to 1,022 bills considered and 128 passed.
Areas of impact scaled every part of life, including education (aiming at gender non-conformity and preferred pronouns), healthcare (sometimes making provision to gender-affirming hormones for minors a felony punishable by life imprisonment), sports (codifying gender identification and banning trans athletes from participation), bathroom accessibility (requiring people to use the bathroom of the gender assigned at birth), and performance (focusing on functions that challenge traditional gender expression and presentation, such as drag or gender-neutral fashion shows).
In January 2025, the White House issued an order that eliminated the option of gender choice on passports, stating, “we only issue a passport with an M or F sex marker that matches the customer’s biological sex at birth.” A page on the Department of State’s website further notes a response to a district court injunction, stating, “we are only issuing passports reflecting sex at birth.” Current passports with an “X” marker would be valid until expiration, replacement, or changes in federal regulations. As of March 2026, 738 bills that would adversely impact trans and non-binary people are being considered, according to Trans Legislation Tracker, and the number is expected to grow.
In spaces of faith, visibility, safety and participation vary with a denomination’s inclusivity.
In 2011, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) removed barriers for all LGBTQ+ individuals, allowing for ordination with a “local option” provision for individual presbyteries’ discretion on candidates’ ordination. In 2018, the General Assembly voted for the full welcome and inclusion of transgender and non-binary people in the church’s life. More recently, at the 226th General Assembly in 2024, a joint resolution was passed recognizing March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility on the Presbyterian Church calendar.
Related reading: “Transgender teen’s testimony at GA challenges PC(USA) toward greater inclusivity,” by Eric Ledermann, Outlook reporting
In November 2025, the PC(USA) joined other major denominations in issuing a landmark statement supporting trans, intersex and non-binary people as holy, beloved, and worthy of full dignity.
But while the national body of the PC(USA) is affirming, as well as other denominations, individual experiences and local church cultures can still vary.
“There is a growing awareness in the Presbyterian Church that our trans siblings are both making valuable contributions to our life in church and facing increasing threats in the broader society,” said Brian Ellison, executive director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, which seeks equity for LGBTQIA+ people in church and society. “I think many congregations want to be supportive and affirming and struggle with how best to do that.”
Hemingway’s saving grace was Sacred Souls United Church of Christ (UCC) in Charlotte, founded by Bishop Tonyia Rawls, who recalls the first time Hemingway attended.
“She came with a dress and said, ‘I was coming from work, and I didn’t have time to put on my full face.’ I said, ‘You are beautiful the way you are.’ Hemingway had not known a clergy person to support her in her early stages of transition.
“I opened Sacred Souls United Church of Christ to open a spiritual door that would welcome and support all of God’s children,” said Rawls, who founded her church 25 years ago specifically for the LGBTQ+ community because, she said, she has seen the “church-hurt” suffered by many others.
The level of inclusivity can vary
There is a lot to be learned from the pioneering work of the United Church of Christ, as it has welcomed gay people as full members of its congregations. In 1972, UCC became the first of the mainline Protestant denominations to ordain an openly gay minister, and in 2005, it became the first mainline Protestant denomination to affirm same-sex marriage.
But, like other denominations, churches today still vary in their level of inclusivity.
“God asks us to attend to each other. Tending isn’t clean. It isn’t just one step.” — Rachael Ward
“We’re honest in the reality that our denomination is not fully affirming. Probably 35% of UCC is affirming; the rest is not,” said Rachael Ward (they/them), a member of the Open and Affirming Coalition of UCC and Minister for Gender and Sexuality Justice for the church. “You could walk into any UCC church and experience God differently. I think that’s profound. Of course, that comes with complexities.”
But Ward is glad that local churches can make their own decisions about how inclusive they want to be. “What behooves any denomination is to see that people see there is a way for your national setting and your version of open and affirming to work together in parallel and not be at odds with each other,” said Ward.
Ward also put out a call to UCC churches for liturgies, prayers and devotional resources that affirmed the LGBTQ+ community and created Love is Louder: The Book of Love, a free digital download available to anyone on the UCC website.
“We want churches to reach out and ask for help or ask, ‘Can I run these questions by you?’” said Ward.
“If anyone is asking what they can do, I say pick one thing. If there’s a group that no longer has a place to meet and you have space at your church, let them meet there. If there are books they need, you can make a library. God asks us to attend to each other. Tending isn’t clean. It isn’t just one step.”
People just want to love their neighbors
At the 226th General Assembly in 2024, the PC(USA) approved amendments to the denomination’s Book of Order to add gender identity and sexual orientation to the list of protected categories in the church’s anti-discrimination clause. The amendment was subsequently ratified by a majority of the presbyteries, making it a permanent part of the constitution.
Related reading: “Olympia Overture overview” by Presbyterian Outlook
Nevertheless, as with other denominations, the level of inclusivity of LGBTQIA+ members in the full life of the church varies.
“Since I started, there has been a steady increase in the number of congregations that are interested in learning more about LGBTQ+ members, specifically the trans community,” said the Rev. Claudia Aguilar Rubalcava, who has been director of engagement for More Light Presbyterians for three years. More Light Presbyterians is a non-profit organization dedicated to allowing the full participation of LGBTQIA+ people in the PC(USA) church and in society.
“I think many churches are not going to be More Light churches,” Aguilar Rubalcava said, “but they are seeing more of a need for serving people in the margins, and those people right now are trans.”
Last year, for Transgender Visibility Day, Hickory Grove Presbyterian Church in Charlotte invited a transgender health organization to hold an educational panel. A physician, a therapist and two transgender people shared their experiences with attendees.
“For us at The Grove, it is as simple as saying we believe that all people are created in the image of God,” said Kate Murphy, pastor of The Grove. “We have guiding principles and the first is ‘We believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, therefore we welcome, include, respect and serve all of God’s children.’ It is clear then that at this time, the trans community is incredibly vulnerable and vilified, and the church needs to come along the side of them.”
“…people just want to love their neighbors. Even if they don’t quite understand things or know what to do.” — Claudia Aguilar Rubalcava
First Presbyterian Church in Daytona Beach, Florida, contacted Aguilar Rubalcava of More Light last year with what she described as “a very small but tangible way of loving your queer and trans siblings.”
“They emailed me and said, ‘We want to write love letters to our queer friends, and we can just send them to you, and you can distribute them,” said Aguilar Rubalcava, who put out an additional call and received letters from other churches as well.
“There is a new worshiping community with Latinx immigrants … they reached out and said, ‘Hey, we are not open and affirming, but we are Christian, and we have a trans person that has started coming to our church, and we want to know how to love this person,’” Aguilar Rubalcava said. “It was the most honest and loving thing I’ve seen. I think people just want to love their neighbors. Even if they don’t quite understand things or know what to do.”
Aguilar Rubalcava’s observations may indicate that actions by the General Assembly have helped encourage churches to do the work of becoming more inclusive.
“There has definitely been an uptick in the last 12 months that has been a little bigger increase than I’ve seen in the last few years before,” she said. “I see more congregations trying to grapple with the whole idea of pronouns — and welcoming.”
Aguilar Rubalcava still observes a lot of resistance “to the usage specifically of any pronouns that are not he or she,” which she thinks is absurd, noting that when she uses the wrong pronoun, she simply apologizes and corrects herself.
On the other hand, she has witnessed some impressive changes that give her hope.
“The few trans pastors that I know are having a little less resistance,” she said. “Some of them are getting good jobs in good congregations where people are trying to provide for them, respect them and follow their lead. That is a major positive change.”
She said More Light is receiving more requests for their education workshops, such as Trans 101, and that the workshops are well-attended. Still, Aguilar Rubalcava also hears churches express caution about changing.
“One thing I hear quite often is, ‘We want to do this but don’t want to be known as the gay church,’” she said. “People say, ‘We don’t know what the consequences of loving our neighbor will be.’ Some churches say if we do this, we will be vandalized, we will be persecuted by our neighbors or attacked.”
“Our trans and nonbinary members and friends are yearning and desperate for a place where they don’t have to explain or defend their existence in order to just belong” — T.J. Remaley
In Boise, Idaho, Pastor T.J. Remaley said his congregation has tried to consider all the ways it is possible to give trans and nonbinary members the same worship experience other people receive and participate in, which often means not calling attention to their gender.
“I hear it over and over again that it’s exhausting to have to define your own humanity and worth as your identity is being attacked. To come to a sanctuary on Sunday morning and not have to defend their existence is a balm in a time of trial,” said Remaley, pastor of Southminster Presbyterian Church and co-moderator of the board of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians. “So, for me as a pastor, what that has led me to learn in these past couple of years is to emphasize a ministry in a way that trans and nonbinary folks are not the topic.
“What I have found at Southminster as our practice of inclusion and affirmation is lived out, is that our trans and nonbinary members and friends are yearning and desperate for a place where they don’t have to explain or defend their existence in order to just belong,” said Remaley, “I’ve been trying to do a whole lot more listening to hear what it feels like and how I can best stand up to support and be a pastoral presence.”
In his work with Covenant Network, he said, he’s seen an increase in the number of calls “to walk alongside sessions and pastors as they seek to become more authentically welcoming.”
Though Southminster has joined other congregations in holding ecumenical events specifically for the trans and nonbinary community, within the church, the congregation’s focus is to simply build upon Southminster’s legacy of affirming and including everyone in full membership as they worship.
“We do this through worship language,” Remaley said, offering an example. “The use of pronouns and that kind of thing.”
Related reading: “Why the pronouns used for God matter” by Annie Selak
He said his church answered questions such as: If a trans member joins the church, can they serve on sessions or as deacons? Do they light the Advent candle in the month before Christmas? Or, is there a barrier there, and what are those barriers?
“For me, it is a question of ‘how do trans folks experience safety and belonging in the building’” said Remaley.
Southminster is dedicated to ensuring that everyone can serve as a full member of the church. A trans and nonbinary member occasionally leads a popular book study series on Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians by Austen Hartke.
The church tried to assign bathrooms so that every member would feel comfortable.
“Part of what affirmation looks like is safety and a sense of belonging. We have single-stall, all-gender restrooms, and we also have assigned gender bathrooms in other parts of the building,” Remaley said.
“Part of what affirmation looks like is safety and a sense of belonging” — T.J. Remaley
Southminster celebrates Transgender Day of Remembrance, an international event held each November 20 to memorialize people murdered as a result of transphobia. Last year, the church also joined other local congregations to have a paperwork party for everyone, but especially for trans folks who needed to do paperwork for passports, driver’s licenses, birth certificates and other documents. An attorney and a notary were present to assist in completing legal papers. Remaley said at least one of his church members has received a passport on which the gender marker was changed without their permission.
In the meantime, pastors and activists say there is so much work that congregations and church members can do on the local level.
“Go to your city council, get involved with local groups, look for alliances like the ACLU of your state,” said Aguilar Rubalcava.
She suggests Presbyterians educate themselves and sign up to receive newsletters and alerts from the Office of Public Witness.
“Show up at board meetings or public hearings. Testify in front of committee hearings,” said Remaley. “Show up at rallies and protests. Those sorts of public acts of witness are part of what we see as moving beyond symbolism and into greater solidarity.
“I think one of the biggest failures we can make is the failure of silence, as a faith leader, as a congregation, as a denomination.”
