A package of anti-trans bills affecting public schools went into effect in Louisiana on August 1. As leaders of Thrive, a coalition of 255 Jewish organizations, we are concerned with and opposed to the dangers these bills pose for transgender and all LGBTQ+ people in Louisiana. These bills were drafted and pushed by conservative Christian legal advocacy groups, directly harming Jews and LGBTQ+ people, along with all marginalized communities.

The 2024 legislative session hit transgender students in Louisiana particularly hard. As of August 1, it is illegal for teachers to discuss gender identity or sexual orientation in the classroom with students in grades K-12. Teachers and students are immune from repercussions if they refuse to refer to a trans student by their chosen name or pronouns. School restrooms and changing rooms, as well as prisons and domestic violence shelters, can only be used based on sex at birth, not someone’s affirmed sex or gender. This violates our Jewish values of kavod (respect, dignity) and tzedek (justice).

These bills will do an immense amount of harm to transgender Louisianians. Eighty-six percent of trans and/or non-binary youth sampled reported that debates and laws that target transgender people have a negative impact on them. While we know that rampant transphobia in our culture causes one in five trans youth to attempt suicide, we’ve seen that supportive polices have the opposite effect: the use of someone’s chosen name and gender pronouns causes a 56% decrease in suicidal behavior. Adolescent health experts have long spoken of the need for policies that reduce discrimination and victimization based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

While these bills are now law, they are not moral. As Jews, our tradition teaches us that everyone is created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of the Divine. That includes each and every member of the LGBTQ+ community and informs our obligation to resist laws that undermine human dignity.

Mutual responsibility is another core Jewish value; we must pursue justice for the most marginalized among our communities. With the current legislative attacks in Louisiana, that means supporting and fighting for trans youth. Too often in history, Jews have had to hide our identities in order to stay safe. The idea that students and teachers will have to hide who they are or,  that students from LGBTQ+ families might not be able to talk about their loved ones in the classroom, is heartbreaking and ignores the lessons of our own Jewish history.

Louisiana is just one example of a broader nationwide trend that uses Christian nationalist values to attack trans folks, hinder actual religious freedom, and create a future that attempts to exclude queer people, BIPOC communities, immigrants, and other marginalized groups. Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are anti-democratic, anti-Jewish, and anti-American. Our Jewish communities thrive best in multiracial, diverse democracies.

We also see this agenda reflected in Louisiana passing a bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms, claiming that they reflect “American values.” Public schools should be inclusive for people of diverse faiths, ensuring students of all backgrounds feel safe, respected, and supported, no matter their religious beliefs. The fight against the idea that the U.S. should be a Christian nation and the fight against anti-trans ideas and legislation are the same fight. As Jews, it’s not only our moral obligation but in our best interest to fight for both religious liberty and transgender liberation.

As a Jewish community, in Louisiana and nationwide, we have a responsibility to act. Stay up to date on legislation affecting trans youth and adults. Vote at the state and local levels for candidates that make LGBTQ+ rights a priority. Create Jewish spaces that provide an affirming, supportive respite for LGBTQ+ youth who may not have that environment in school. Join Jewish and interfaith coalitions to oppose new anti-LGBTQ+ state-level legislation when the 2025 legislative session begins.

We are not obligated to finish the work; nor are we free to desist from it. We all have a role to play in creating the world we want to see.

Lanie Cohen  is the community mobilization manager at Keshet. Rose Kantorczyk is the communications and legislative affairs coordinator at SOJOURN and the Thrive Coalition.

The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the CCJN.