Six senior religious leaders have released a video outlining the LGBTQ+ safeguarding principles agreed on at a conference earlier this year.
More than 150 officials met at the 2022 Global Interfaith Commission (GIC) on LGBTQ+ Lives on 21 and 22 March to agree on measures that will protect queer people who often experience discrimination by their religious communities.
Sponsored by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the event saw the likes of the Anglican Archbishop of Canada, the Chief Rabbi of Poland and the former President of Ireland, Dr Mary McAleese in attendance, among others.
A total of six safeguarding principles (empowerment, prevention, proportionality, protection, partnership and accountability) were agreed on and are based on those set out in the UK Care Act 2014.
Under the measures, the delegates agreed that everyone “should be free to live a life of dignity, consistent with their sexuality and gender identity within their faith communities without fear or judgement.”
Safeguarding #LGBT+ people in religious settings is essential to protect them from harm & enable them to thrive.
This video sets out Principles to #Safeguard LGBT+ Lives agreed by 150+ senior religious leaders from around the world earlier this year at @GlobalComLGBT conference. pic.twitter.com/DZMPGTU02A
— Jayne Ozanne 🇺🇦🏳️⚧️ (@JayneOzanne) November 30, 2022
Revd Michaela Youngson (Assistant Secretary to the Methodist Conference), Simran Stuelpnagel (Global Affairs Adviser, Sikhnet), Revd Theo Pannavamsa (Sri Lanka’s Mindfulness Ambassador to Europe), Sister Jeannine Gramick (Founder of New Ways Ministry, USA), Rabbanit Leah Shakdiel (Rabbis for Human Rights, Israel) and Dilwar Hussian (Co-Chair of the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives) each discuss the principles in more detail in the newly released clip.
“The principles are revolutionary and will, if adopted by religious organisations, transform the way LGBT+ people are treated within their religious communities,” said Jayne Ozanne, Director of the GIC.
“Everyone deserves to be protected from harm and empowered to be who God has created them to be. Religious leaders are duty bound to actively prevent abuse and must be held accountable when they fail to do so. It’s time the harm that so many LGBT+ people have experienced in their communities is recognised and addressed.”
You can watch the video below or by clicking here.
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