100 Louisiana clergy call anti-transgender bill ‘cynical and frivolous’

Clergy representing dozens of faith traditions from across Louisiana released an open letter Wednesday Louisiana House members not to override Governor John Bel Edward’s veto of Senate Bill 156. The bill prohibits transgender girls and women from competing in girl’s and women’s athletic competitions.  The Louisiana Senate voted to override the veto Tuesday.

The clergy members characterize the bill sponsored by Sen. Beth Mizell (R-Franklinton) as “cynical and frivolous” and say it targets “those least able to defend themselves — trans youth.”

According to the group’s statement, among the signatories of the letter are ” Lutheran and Episcopalian Bishops, Jewish rabbis, Catholic priests and pastors from the United Methodist, Baptist, United Church of Christ, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Christian Methodist Episcoplian, Unitarian Universalist and other faith traditions.”

Rabbi Katie Bauman, Senior Rabbi of Touro Synagogue in New Orleans, helped write the letter. She said, “All our faiths teach that we should protect the vulnerable and love our neighbors as ourselves. This bill targets vulnerable children, and the Governor was right to veto it. We felt we had to stand up and say so.”

As of Wednesday morning, the signatories included:

Rabbi Katie Bauman, Senior Rabbi, Touro Synagogue, New Orleans, LA (Jewish)
Rev. Dr. John Henson, Church for the Highlands, Shreveport, LA (Baptist)
Rev. Gregory C. Mills, Sr., Pastor, Starlight Baptist Church, Alexandria, LA (Baptist)
Rev Fred Jeff Smith, Baton Rouge, LA (Baptist)
Rev. Karli D. Pidgeon, Lake Charles District Superintendent (United Methodist)
The Rev. Dr. Bette J. Kauffman, Monroe, LA (Episcopal)
Bishop Michael Rinehart, Southern Louisiana (Lutheran)
The Rt. Rev Morris K Thompson, Episcopal Bishop (Episcopal)
Rev Jay Hogewood, PhD, Rayne Memorial UMC, New Orleans, LA (United Methodist)
Rev. Dr. Willie Gable Jr., Progressive Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA (Baptist)
Fr. Richard R. Andrus, Jr, SVD M.Div, Lafayette, LA (Catholic)
Rev. Dr. Tom Dolph, Lafayette, LA (United Methodist)
Rev. Marissa Horvath, New Orleans, LA (United Methodist)
Rev. Elizabeth M. Lott, Pastor, The St. Charles Ave. Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA (Baptist)
Rev. Sarah Chancellor-Watson, Associate Pastor, New Orleans, LA (Presbyterian)
Cantor Kevin A. Margolius, New Orleans, LA (Jewish)
Dr. J. C. Richardson, Cornerstone United Methodist Church, New Orleans, LA (United Methodist)
Rev. Benjamin Groth, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, New Orleans, LA (Lutheran)
Rebecca Meriwether, Board President, St. Charles Center for Faith+Action, New Orleans, LA (Baptist)
Rev. Jane-Allison Wiggin, New Orleans, LA (Episcopal)
Rev. Denise Graves, New Orleans, LA
Rev. Nathan Ryan, Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, LA (Unitarian Universalist)
The Reverend Bobby Hadzor, New Orleans, LA (Episcopal)
Rev Zoë Garry, NOLA Wesley Campus Ministry, New Orleans, LA (United Methodist)
Rev. Daniel Vanek, Hammond, LA (Presbyterian)
Rev Benjamin J Nobles, New Orleans, LA (Episcopal)
Rev Barbara Jarrell, Shreveport, LA (Unitarian Universalist)
Rev. Chris Andrews, Jubilee Pioneers, Baton Rouge, LA
The Rev’d Don Brown, New Roads, LA (Episcopal)
The Reverend Melanie Morel-Ensminger, New Orleans, LA (Unitarian Universalist)
Rabbi David Gerber, Congregation Gates of Prayer, Metairie, LA (Jewish)
Rev. James R Morrison, New Orleans, LA (Episcopal)
Rev. Jo Cooper, Gretna, LA (United Methodist)
Rev Lisa Baumgartner (United Methodist)
Rev. Linda Baker, Elm Grove, LA (Christian Methodist Episcopal)
The Rev. Sandra Barnes, Chalmette, LA (Lutheran)
Pastor Lee A. Jeter, Sr., Bossier City, LA (Baptist)
Rev. Ed Cooper, New Orleans, LA (United Methodist)
Rev. Claire Helton, Monroe, LA (Baptist)
Rev. Robert Gnuse, New Orleans, LA (Catholic)
Rev Tom Howe, Baton Rouge, LA (United Methodist)
Alison McCrary, New Orleans, LA (Catholic)
The Rev. Canon John Bedingfield, Alexandria, LA (Episcopal)
Rev. Rob Courtney, New Orleans, LA (Episcopal)
Brother Christopher Markert, Order of Lutheran Franciscans (Lutheran)
Rev. Katie McKay Simpson, Baton Rouge, LA (United Methodist)
Father R Christopher Heying, Simsboro, LA (Episcopal)
The Rev. Deacon Elaine Gant Clements (Episcopal)
The Very Rev William H. Terry, Saint Anna’s Episcopal Church, New Orleans, LA (Episcopal)
Rev. Mamie Broadhurst, Baton Rouge, LA (Presbyterian)
Rev. Todd LaGrange, Metairie, LA (Lutheran)
The Very Rev. Tommy Dillon, St Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge, LA (Episcopal)
Rabbi Lexi Erdheim, Metairie, LA (Jewish)
Rev. Charlene Heaton, Retired Presbyterian USA Minister, Baton Rouge, LA (Presbyterian)
Rev. Dr. Marc Boswell, Shreveport, LA (Baptist)
Rev. Colleen Bookter, New Orleans, LA (United Methodist)
Rabbi Cantor Raina Siroty, The Jewish Temple, Alexandria, LA (Jewish)
Rev. Alexis Anderson, Baton Rouge, LA
Rev. Kathleen Crighton, First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans, LA (Presbyterian)
Rev. Martha Canizales, La Place, LA (United Methodist)
Rev. Joseph M Clavijo, New Orleans, LA (Episcopal)
Rev. Jessica Lowe, Lafayette, LA (United Methodist)
Fr. Mark Watson, Shreveport, LA (Catholic)
Laurence M. Hamric, J.D., M.Div., New Orleans, LA
Rev. Eric Posa, Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, LA (Unitarian Universalist)
Rabbi Sydni Rubinstein, Shreveport, LA (Jewish)
Rabbi Feivel Rubinstein, Shreveport, LA (Jewish)
The Rev. Mary B. Richard, Shreveport, LA (Episcopal)
Rabbi Edward Paul Cohn, New Orleans, LA (Jewish)
Rev. Nancy L. Andrews, Baton Rouge, LA (Lutheran)
Rev. K C Roberson, Baton Rouge, LA (United Methodist)
Rev. Jim VanderWeele, Baton Rouge, LA (Unitarian Universalist)
Rabbi Todd Silverman, New Orleans, LA (Jewish)
Rev. Philip K. Brockett, New Orleans, LA (United Church of Christ)
The Very Rev. Ronald Clingenpeel, New Orleans, LA (Episcopal)
Rev. Margaret Ayers, Shreveport, LA (Episcopal)
Rev. T. Keith Abramowski, Slidell, LA (Presbyterian)
Susan K. Caldwell, Director of Religious Education, All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church of Shreveport, LA (Unitarian Universalist)
Bishop Iram Chedikah, Evening Star Missionary Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA (Baptist)
Rev. Fred Devall, Metairie, LA (Episcopal)
Rev. Patti Snyder, Baton Rouge, LA (Presbyterian)
Reverend Richard W. Pitcher D.Min, LPC, Baton Rouge, LA (Presbyterian)
Rev. Laura Stephenson, Kenner, LA (Lutheran)
Rabbi Daniel Sherman, Temple Sinai, New Orleans, LA (Jewish)
The Rev. Skully Knight, Baton Rouge, LA (Episcopal)
Kathy E. Smith, CRE, Director of Family Ministries, Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, LA (Unitarian Universalist)
Pastor Bruce Carroll, Shreveport, LA (Baptist)
The Very Reverend David Allard duPlantier, New Orleans, LA (Episcopal)
Rev. Jacqueline Luck, Community Church, New Orleans, LA (Unitarian Universalist)
Rev. Jean Sanders, retired clergy, Alexandria, LA (United Methodist)
Rev. Zach Sasser, Lafayette, LA (Presbyterian)
Rev. Dr. Kimberly Rodrigue, New Orleans (Presbyterian)
The Rev. Watson Lamb, New Orleans (Episcopal)
Rev. Lane Cotton Winn, Baton Rouge (United Methodist)
The Rev. Dr. JoAnn Garma, Metairie (Episcoopal)
Rev Ann M Philbrick, New Orleans (Presbyterian)