Queer Interfaith Coalition co-founded by N.S. rabbi aims to fight 2SLGBTQ+ hate

For Cape Breton-based Rabbi Naj Siritsky, there’s euphoria in becoming true to oneself, even in the face of discrimination.

Siritsky is transgender and non-binary and said the process of transitioning has been deeply spiritual.

“I didn’t even know it was possible to feel the joy that I feel of becoming me … because it was denied to me by a lot of trauma of this world,” they said.

Siritsky and Alberta-based queer advocate Pam Rocker have founded a new Queer Interfaith Coalition. The coalition aims to unite queer and transgender people across different religious backgrounds and regions to fight hate and misinformation targeting the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Its members believe that advocacy for the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ people is compatible with and linked to core parts of their faith.

“For example, very few people know that Judaism teaches 2,000 years ago that there are eight genders, according to the Talmud, which is the sacred religious text of Judaism,” Siritsky said.

To Rocker, who is Christian, it’s the responsibility of people of faith to speak out when religion is used to attack others.

“So much of anti-2SLGBTQIA+ discrimination is religiously underwritten,” Rocker said. “There’s also an assumption that queer folks don’t have a spirituality, or can’t be or aren’t spiritual leaders.”

The interfaith advocacy Siritsky saw while living in the United States for two decades was one thing that inspired them to believe it was possible for people to work together despite religious differences. About 100 people have joined the coalition so far.

The coalition has also released an open letter, which calls on people of faith and allies to advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ rights. Siritsky said the United Church of Canada and the Reform Jewish Community of Canada have signed it.

In the Maritimes, one faith leader who has added their signature is the Anglican bishop of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Sandra Fyfe. She leads 93 parishes comprising more than 19,000 Anglicans.

“Denouncing hate, especially coming out of a religious context, is really important to me,” Fyfe said. “The church unfortunately has been part of dehumanizing people for a very long time.”

Fyfe believes everyone is equal and deserving of love. “I don’t see anything in scripture that contradicts that,” she said.

Last summer, the Anglican Church of Canada voted in favour of worship services that support transgender and non-binary people.

Fyfe said being visibly supportive and having more conversations are ways church communities can create welcoming spaces for 2SLBGTQ+ people and repair harm.

She said, “I’ve always found when you can have an open conversation and really talk to people, there’s a lot more openness than we realize.”