As senior pastor of Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ in Dallas, I strongly condemn the reported distribution of political mailers addressed directly to children in Texas households that invoke transgender and LGBTQ+ student resources while raising serious questions about their authenticity, authorship, and purpose.
According to numerous reports, including FOX 26 Houston, the mailers were addressed to “Students Of The Family” and featured the branding and resources of the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT). TENT has publicly stated that it did not author, authorize, approve or distribute these materials. The reported circumstances demand answers.
Let me be clear: Children must never become props in a political campaign designed to provoke fear, manufacture outrage or misrepresent the work of organizations serving vulnerable communities.
Political disagreement is part of a democratic society. Deception, misrepresentation and the deliberate exploitation of children’s identities and family relationships for political effect should never be accepted as the cost of doing politics.
Whatever one’s political affiliation, we should be able to agree that honesty, accountability and basic decency are not partisan values.
What makes this situation particularly troubling is the potential harm to transgender and LGBTQ+ young people who are already navigating a climate in which their identities and dignity are routinely turned into political talking points. These young people are not abstractions, campaign strategies or talking points. They are human beings deserving of safety, compassion and respect.
As a Christian, I believe every person is created in the image of God and possesses inherent worth and dignity. Our faith calls us to protect those who are vulnerable, to speak truthfully and to love our neighbors — not to exploit fear or turn one community against another.
Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). That is a standard of integrity that should guide our public life as well as our private convictions.
I call on those responsible for producing and distributing these mailers to identify themselves, explain their intentions, and take responsibility for their actions. Political organizations and campaigns must be held to standards of transparency and accountability. The public deserves to know who is communicating with our children and in whose name they are speaking.
I also urge Texans to verify the source of political communications before accepting or sharing their claims. We can disagree about public policy without abandoning the truth or sacrificing the well-being of our children.
Cathedral of Hope will continue to stand with transgender and LGBTQ+ people, their families and all who are targeted by misinformation and discrimination. We will not be silent when the dignity of our neighbors is placed at risk.
Our children deserve better. Our democracy deserves better. And our faith demands better.
The. Rev. Dr. Neil G. Thomas, senior pastor
Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ
— Tammye Nash