From
www.jamestownsun.com –
Faith leaders condemn bills that target LGBTQ+ people – Jamestown Sun
Excerpt:
The 2023 Legislature has over a month of work under its belt, with hundreds of bills being considered by our state representatives and senators. As they consider these bills, we hope each legislator is guided by spiritual values we all hold dear — values such as compassion, kindness, charity and love for all people created in the image of God.
However, as ordained and lay faith leaders from across North Dakota, we believe a number of bills fall short of those shared values. More than 20 bills target our LGBTQ+ family, friends, neighbors, and parishioners. These bills contribute to an environment where LGBTQ+ young people already face bullying in schools and experience greater struggles with depression, chemical dependency and suicide.
These bills run the gamut from banning trans athletes from participating in school sports to endorsement of conversion therapy — a long discredited and dangerous practice. These fear-based bills are efforts to remove people from participating fully as members of our society, church and communities.