Ecumenical/Interfaith Anti-Violence Initiative
Sunday, October 6, 2024 (or anytime in October)

Join us in observing Solidarity Sunday, October 6th, 2024. This day offers congregations from various faith traditions the opportunity to pray for an end to violence, hate, and harassment directed against marginalized communities, including—but not limited to—religious, racial, and ethnic minorities; gender and sexual minorities; women; immigrants; people with disabilities; and all groups who experience targeted violence and injustice.

How this day is observed is up to each local congregation. We encourage your leadership to decide how best to mark the day in your context, whether through prayer, education, advocacy, or other meaningful actions. A powerful way to visibly show your support of marginalized communities visible is by wearing a rainbow ribbon to your religious services—both in person and online—during the week of October 6, 2024, and throughout the month of October.

The number of reported hate crimes — crimes motivated by bias against someone’s race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity —rose by 7% between 2021 and 2022, according to the latest 2022 hate crime data from the FBI. Black and/or African American people were the most frequent targets reported overall. Among gender-motivated hate crimes, anti-transgender hate crimes increased 35% year over year. Religiously motivated hate crimes increased 27%, and specifically, antisemitic hate crimes increased by 36% from 2021 to 2022. (Updated on Thu, December 14, 2023 by the USAFacts Team)

In 2021, following anti-Asian rhetoric related to COVID-19, which demonstrated the power of speech to incite violence, anti-Asian hate crimes surged by 339 percent nationwide, according to a report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

Hateful words lead to hateful actions. Anti-trans rhetoric spreads hate and falsehoods about transgender people, leading to increased violence against them. In reality, transgender individuals are four times more likely to be victims of violent crime compared to cisgender people. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals also face significant violence and hatred. Addressing the needs and safety of the entire LGBTQ+ spectrum is crucial for promoting equality and creating safer communities for all. As people of faith, we can counter these harmful narratives and falsehoods by raising awareness, educating others, and showing love toward our transgender and LGBTQ+ neighbors.

Anti-LGBTQI+ violence, hate, and harassment are a plague upon our churches, communities and world. In the USA, our LGBTQI+ neighbors are among the most targeted groups for hate crimes. Globally, 69 countries criminalize consensual sexual acts between adults of the same sex and 15 countries criminalize the gender identity and/or expression of transgender people. Consensual same-sex acts are punishable by death in eleven countries.

While people of faith may hold differing views on issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity, we can all agree that violence, hate, and harassment are unacceptable and that we must do our part to end them. Solidarity means coming together despite our differences to protect the vulnerable and to stand against violence, hate, and harassment in our congregations and society.

The Cumberland Presbyterian Confession of Faith and the 190th General Assembly’s Statement Against Oppression call on Cumberland Presbyterians to advocate for ALL victims of violence, without excluding those who are LGBTQI+ from our concern, and to work together to end the oppression of sexual minorities in both church and society, as expressed through the perpetuation of hate, denigration, and violence.

“The church is an advocate for all victims of violence and all those whom the law or society treats as less than persons for whom Christ died.” (Cumberland Presbyterian Confession of Faith, 6.31)

“Echoing the Holy Scriptures, the Confession declares that humans are created in the image of God, so we believe that there is no place in any form in our church or in our world for hate, denigration, unkind confrontation, and/or physical violence perpetrated on anyone, or oppression of any person based on gender or sexual expression.” (The 190th General Assembly, Cumberland Presbyterian Church)

“Be it resolved that the Cumberland Presbyterian Church encourages all members, congregations, and affiliated institutions, to commit to practicing non-violence in their own lives and to speak out against speech which incites or encourages violence and violent actions directed at any individual or group of individuals, and to share this resolution with all congregations, affiliated institutions, and denominational bodies, and promote its adoption.” (192nd General Assembly, Cumberland Presbyterian Church)

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

  • register and plan your congregation’s participation
  • Pray for victims and for an end to hate and violence
  • Share a message denouncing violence, hatred, and harassment directed against marginalized groups.
  • Educate yourself, your children, your faith community, your colleagues, your friends about the problem of hatred and violence, and the need to stop violence against all people
  • Wear your Solidarity rainbow ribbon at all times (on Zoom), and especially at worship services(rainbow ribbon not required to participate).
  • Share a message wearing the ribbon on social media with a message denouncing violence, hatred, and harassment of marginalized communities
  • Take the Solidarity pledge.

It is up to each person and congregation to determine exactly how they will participate. Some congregations will acknowledge Solidarity Sunday in their announcements; some will have a special speaker, film or discussion on the topic; sermons may be preached and articles posted to raise awareness; others will stand in public vigil against violence.

Solidarity Sunday is dedicated to the memory of the many who lost their lives through violence because of who they were or who they were perceived to be. May their deaths not have been in vain. Let us work together to end verbal and physical violence against all people, especially gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people!

MAKE YOUR OPPOSITION TO HATRED & VIOLENCE VISIBLE

Look for rainbow ribbon online or at your local fabric store or in the department store’s fabric or craft section. Prepare the ribbons and distribute them on Sunday to those interested in participating. Wear the rainbow ribbon to worship services and on social media and Zoom as a way to stand with and advocate for our LGBTQI+ neighbors who are vulnerable to violence.

WORSHIP RESOURCES

VIDEOS

Watch and share these videos with your congregation on social media, and/or include in your Sunday services online and in-person.

FACT SHEETS/GRAPHICS

Create your own updated fact/info sheets.

NEWS

The news has been distressing: Hate crimes are rising as anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passes and misinformation thrives. References to pedophiles and “grooming” rose by more than 400 percent online in the month following Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” measure was approved. Disturbingly, the false accusation of pedophilia is a long standing tactic used to incite hatred and violence against the LGBTQ+ community and its use has reemerged in force. In a deeply troubling and hate-filled sermon earlier this year, Texas “Pastor” Dillon Awes said gay people “are dangerous to society” and “all homosexuals are pedophiles” and should be ‘shot in the back of the head’.

According to an analysis of National Crime Victimization Survey data, in about 1 in 5 violent hate crime victimizations, victims believed the hate crime was motivated by bias against persons or groups they were associated with (23%) or by bias against their sexual orientation (20%).

GRAPHICS

SHARE FACEBOOK EVENT

If you are considering participating, please add yourself to our Facebook event and invite others as well. Read the event discussion area for relevant posts and information. Share a photo of yourself wearing the ribbon and let us know how your congregation is observing Solidarity Sunday.

SOLIDARITY SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE

The Dignity/San Antonio chapter (where Solidarity Sunday began) has traditionally marked the day with an Interfaith Prayer Service that promotes non-violence, especially non-violence against LGBTQI persons, commemorates those LGBT persons who have died violent deaths in past year, and asks participants to take the Solidary Pledge–to practice non-violence in their own lives and to speak out against violent speech and actions directed at GLBTQI persons.

Brunswick Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee observed Solidarity Sunday on October 10th, 2021, at 11am Central.

RELATED OBSERVANCE:
TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. We encourage folks to participate in a service locally or in a nearby urban area or look for a service online.

REPORT CRIMES

Hate crimes are those committed due to biases based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or gender. Examples include: unlawful discrimination; verbal or written threats, including those in texts, emails and on social media; harassment, sexual harassment; physical assault or attempted assault; intimidation; blackmail; vandalism or property damage; hate-related graffiti; arson, burning a rainbow flag; bomb threat; robbery, and homicide.

Report hate crimes to the proper authorities, such as your local police or sheriff’s department or the FBI. To maintain privacy, rural victims of cyberstalking may report to police in the nearest large city. Get the names, descriptions and addresses of the perpetrators and other victims. Document and save any and all evidence (emails, screenshots, etc) that can be used to investigate what has happened. If hate crimes are not reported to law enforcement, the perpetrators will continue to act and will continue to pose a threat to you and society. If you or someone you know has experienced anti-LGBTQI+ violence, you can reach an advocate by contacting the Anti-Violence Project at their 24-hour free and confidential hotline at 212-714-1141 or visiting their Report Violence page.

DignityUSA initiated Solidarity Sunday in 1995 as a way people of faith could make visible their opposition to anti-LGBTQI+ violence and hate. 

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