“For too long, religious teachings have been misused – and are still being misused – to cause deep pain and offence to those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex. This must change.”

Says Paul Bayes, the bishop of Liverpool, co-chair of the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives in The Guardian.

In mid-December, religious leaders including the “…Archbishop Desmond Tutu and eight other archbishops, the Catholic former president of Ireland Mary McAleese, more than 60 rabbis, and senior Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists” signed a letter to the world titled, Declaring the Sanctity of life and the dignity of all which called for “an end to violence and criminalisation against LGBT+ people and for a global ban on conversion therapy.” Along with denominational leaders John Dorhauer, Traci Blackmon, Karen Georgia Thompson, and Michael Schuenemeyer, Coalition Leadership Team members and staff have signed on to support this effort.

And it is not too late for you to sign on and declare 2021 the year we end the harmful stigmatization of LGBTQIA+ people around the world and end the dignity-stripping practice of Conversion Therapy.

Can you help? Add your name to the list of over 1130 people around the world who are joining together to declare that love is what defines our faith.