‘We are committed to fostering a spirit of loving unity within Quakerism.’

Young Friends General Meeting has been working on gender and inclusion. Here, its trustees explain.

by YFGM trustees 8th March 2019

As Young Friends General Meeting (YFGM), we have been aware of, and sometimes troubled by, the growing conversation in Quakerism about trans and non-binary identities. Relative to cis people (whose gender matches the sex they were assigned at birth), trans and non-binary people face unique challenges, ranging from obtaining adequate medical care to navigating social spaces that do not accommodate deviation from traditional views of gender. Too often, these challenges continue in our Meetings, where – generally driven more by a lack of information and understanding than a desire to hurt – Friends don’t always succeed in being inclusive.