A Christian Group Is Paying For Transgender People's Surgeries To Atone For The Church's Discrimination

Transitioning is a varied process that differs from individual to individual, so it doesn't always involve surgery. But when it does, those surgeries might not be covered by insurance and are often expensive — which is why a Christian group is encouraging church members to donate to help transgender people with surgery costs.

Faithfully LGBT, an organization that seeks to share the stories of LGBTQ people of faith, has started a campaign called the Tithe Trans Campaign to raise money for the transgender community. The campaign takes its name from a practice in which some Christians donate a tenth of their earnings to the church.

"For those who do need surgeries in order to be at peace in their own bodies it can be a hard to gain access to," the Tithe Campaign's statement reads. "The trans community is disproportionately in poverty and gender affirming surgeries can range anywhere from 10k-90k."

Faithfully LGBT is collecting donations to send to the Jim Collins Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money to provide grants to cover gender affirming surgeries.

Not only can surgery be expensive, but transgender people are also often excluded from proper health care — about 20% of trans people lack any form of health insurance. The donations would help relieve the significant cost of procedures to help them feel affirmed in their bodies. Moreover, Faithfully LGBT is hoping to help alleviate the discrimination trans people have faced in the Christian community.

"Christians have disparaged the bodies of trans people which has contributed to a culture of violence against them," the campaign's fundraising website reads. "From promoting anti-trans bathroom legislation to theology that has lead to suicides and homelessness. For those Christians who have seen this violence and have been horrified by it, it’s time to put your tithe money where your beliefs are."