Neil Thomas: Congress must address LGBTQ discrimination

(Neil G. Thomas is the senior pastor of Cathedral of Hope in Dallas.) Despite an escalating wave of anti-LGBTQ hostility and cultural polarization in our state and our nation, Pride persists here in Dallas and is set to be celebrated June 4 and 5. As senior pastor at Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, I celebrate the progress our LGBTQ community has made in my lifetime. Cathedral of Hope is a United Church of Christ congregation of some 4,500 members, widely regarded as the largest church in the world serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. Given the size, vitality, and visibility of our congregation, I once expected so-called gayborhoods — concentrations of LGBTQ people in select big city neighborhoods — to go out of business. As members of our community became more integrated into everyday life, I assumed many would make decisions about where to live based on the very same considerations used by our non-LGBTQ counterparts. Unfortunately, in recent years, old fears we thought were behind us have reemerged, and I’m seeing LGBTQ people in the Dallas area again seeking out gayborhoods for the safety and community they provide.

This renewed climate of fear, harassment, and discrimination is difficult to understand — especially given the ever-growing percentage of Americans, of all backgrounds and regions, who support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people. The majorities in favor of such protections are lopsided, no matter what demographic you look at. A recent survey by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 69% of people of faith in America support nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Despite Americans’ decisive support for ensuring fair play for the LGBTQ community, discrimination persists and, in some situations, has become more virulent. It is long past time for legislators in Washington to catch up with the attitudes of the American people and enact comprehensive federal nondiscrimination protections. As so-called bathroom bills have been debated in state capitols across the nation, I’ve heard stories about transgender youth choosing to avoid drinking water, juice, or milk before going to school so they don’t have to face humiliating restrictions on their use of facilities. No child should have to endure the health risks of that choice. I know one mother of a transgender daughter here in Dallas who resorted to a GoFundMe page to raise money so she can move her family out of state.