To our fellow Georgians,

Today, a handful of politicians will host faith leaders who are outliers in our community at the Capitol, giving a platform to anti-transgender activists, dangerous rhetoric, and misinformation. They will exploit a small, but vocal, minority within the faith community and misconstrue our religious texts and faith traditions in attempts to lay the groundwork for a hostile legislative session.

As faith leaders from all across the state, we are appalled that this group is promoting such a hateful and divisive agenda; one that directly contradicts the central tenets of our religions, as well as the majority views of both Georgians and people of faith. Many of us see not condemnation, but celebration of LGBTQ+ people in our sacred texts, and reject these homophobic and transphobic readings of those texts. 

Year-round, we work hard to create welcoming environments, where every person is treated equally. We provide care and counseling for our congregations, regardless of their background or circumstances. We know that being a true Georgian of faith means providing a home to all those in need or in harm’s way – welcoming them into our community with open arms – and certainly not wielding our beliefs to alienate them. 

Unfortunately, this small group of faith leaders has lost sight of that. They are caving to the pressure of national special interest groups with partisan agendas, rather than listening to the needs and values of their own congregations. With disregard for the damage it will cause, they are equipping lawmakers with the justification to incite harm and hate against LGBTQ+ Georgians – and they are doing it in our name. Those efforts won’t stop here. 

Allowing faith to be wielded against certain groups of people opens the door for discrimination against people of all different backgrounds, including people of color, women, and people of different religions. This kind of discrimination has absolutely no place in our home state. 

Let us be clear – freedom of religion is one of our country’s most important and foundational rights. But our right to worship as we choose is not under attack. It is explicitly protected by both the U.S. Constitution and Georgia State Constitution. Trying to infringe on others’ rights to freely exist in such a way is inexcusable and in direct opposition to our values and beliefs. To codify religious hate into law is a violation of our First Amendment right to raise up our LGBTQ+ community members as human beings created in the image of the Divine. Here in Georgia, we can and must do better. 

The fact is, a vast majority of our state supports the LGBTQ+ community. Nearly 3 in 4 Georgians, across political affiliations, are in favor of passing protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ people – who are our friends, neighbors, and coworkers who simply want to live their lives without fear and discrimination. This majority recognizes that when all people feel safe and welcome, our communities thrive. And they are taking action to ensure that this remains our reality. In recent years, a growing number of Georgians have turned out in support of their community members and passed protections against discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, faith, race, ability, and much more. 

This majority support is why the attempts of these bad actors continue to fail, year after year. But it’s time for these bad faith efforts to stop altogether. 

As we head further into this legislative session, we’re calling on all faith leaders to stand with us in a united front against partisan attacks that sow division in our home state. In our places of worship, our homes, and our communities, we will stand firmly by our faith and continue to affirm that every person – including LGBTQ+ Georgians – is welcome, supported, and able to live their life freely. 

Signed by,

Rev. Dr. Don Randall, Minister, Watkinsville

Rev. Dalton T. Rushing, Pastor, Decatur

Rabbi Michael Bernstein, Alpharetta

Pastor Candace Hardnett, Savannah

Pastor Daniel Brower, Decatur

Steven J. Lebow, Senior Rabbi Emeritus, Marietta

Rev. Richard Burdick, Senior Minister, Marietta

Rev. Paul M. Turner, Senior Pastor, Decatur

Rev. Thomas L. Hart, Savannah

Rev. Dr. Susan Martin Taylor, Flowery Branch

Rev. Dr. Joshua M. Noblitt, Pastor, Atlanta

Rev. Alexis Chase, Atlanta

Reverend David Lewicki, Decatur

Pastor David Alexander, Atlanta

Reverend Linda Herzer, Atlanta

Mr. Jason Arnold, Atlanta

Rev. Kathy McDowell, Liburn

Rev. Kimble Sorrells, Ordained Minister, United Church of Christ, Avondale Estates

Reverend Louis F. Kavar, Ph.D., Atlanta

Pastor Mercy Packer-Monroe, Atlanta

Rector Tim Meyers, Snellville

Reverend Andi Woodworth, Atlanta

Reverend Dale Worley, Savannah

Reverend Wendy Peacock, Americus

Reverend Ashley Robinson, Decatur

Rev. Nancy Palmer Jones, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett, Lawrenceville

Pastor Sara Pugh Montgomery, Macon

Rev. Julia Norman, Macon

Rev. Jon Brown, Warner Robins

Reverend Amanda Schuber, Macon

Faith Organizer Jai Davis, Decatur

Pastor Alex Dyer, Cartersville 

O.C. Allen III, Bishop, Atlanta

Pastor, Rev. Melanie Vaughn-Colwell, Decatur

Rev. Dr. Joseph McBrayer, Decatur

Rev. Drew Bongiovanni, Clarkston

Archdeacon Janet Tidwell, Warner Robins

Rev. Tom Hagood, Decatur

Rev. Andrew Peabody, Atlanta

Rev. Sarah McClelland-Brown, Pastor, Warner Robins

Toni Belin Ingram, Presiding Elder, Atlanta

Rev. Dr. Timothy C. Downs, Atlanta

Archdeacon Carole Maddux, Roswell

Rabbi Michael Rothbaum, Atlanta

Pastor Michael Schulte, Pastor, Atlanta

Rev. Duncan E. Teague, Atlanta

Reverend Misha Sanders, Sandy Springs

Pastor Jennie Sankey, Duluth

Pastor Katie Day, Duluth

Reverend Christina Branum-Martin, Marietta

Rev. Matthew D. O’Rear, Pastor, Atlanta

Kevin Strickland, Bishop, Atlanta

Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker, Athens

Officer Kevin Turner, East Point

Pastor Emeritus Bob Thompson, Atlanta

Minister Nibs Stroupe, Decatur

Rev. Harry Knox, Quitman

Rev. Courtney Jones, Marietta

Rev. Michael W Bovingdon, Douglasville

Rabbi Emeritus Neil Sandler, Atlanta

Rev. Randy Jones, Kennesaw

Rev. Keyanna Jones, Atlanta

Rev. Michael W Bovingdon, Douglasville

Rabbi Lauren Henderson, Sandy Springs

Vicar Dr. Kat Folk, Kennesaw

Rev. Dr. Lisa Heilig, Decatur

Rev. Marianne Turner, Watkinsville

Rev. Truman A Moore, Peachtree Corners

Rabbi Pamela Gottfried, Atlanta

Pastor Ray D. Waters, Hapeville

Rev. Angela Rivers, Cartersville

Rev. Martha Dye, Carrollton

Rev. Raymond Walker III, Tucker

Rev. Sara Webb Phillips, Decatur

Rev. Dr. Nathan C. Brown, Sandy Springs

Pastor Christopher Hermansen, Suwanee

Pastor Mark H Larson, Atlanta

Rev. Matthew Babcock, Atlanta

Rev. Dr. Angela Shepherd, Atlanta

Rev. Jimmy Moor, Atlanta

Rev. James Cantrell, Atlanta

Senior Pastor Joel M. Saucedo, Johns Creek

Rev. Shannon Johnson Kershner, Atlanta

Rabbi Bradley Levenberg, Atlanta

Rabbi Rachael Miller, Sandy Springs

Rabbi Pamela Gottfried, Atlanta

Elder Dewayne Queen, Atlanta

Rabbi Alexandria Shuval-Weiner, Roswell

Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser, Sandy Springs

Rabbi Elana Perry, Decatur

Rabbi Rachael M. Bregman, Brunswick

Pastor Jane Page, Statesboro

Cantorial Chair, Beth Schafer, Sandy Springs

Rev. Dr. Canon David, Atlanta

Rabbi Lauren S. Cohn, Atlanta

Lay Religious Leader Elizabeth Sutton, Brunswick

Pastor Tom Walker, St. Simons Island

Elder Elijah Henderson, Brunswick

Pastor E. Marie Kane, Brunswick

Pastor DeWayne Cope, Brunswick

Elder Omar Douglass, Brunswick

Pastor Jason Peterson, Augusta

Pastor Andrea Windsor-Peterson, Augusta

Rev. Dr. Renee DuBose, Athens & Flowery Branch

Pastor Catherine Renken, Acworth

** If you are a faith leader who would like to add your name to the sign-on letter, please click here.