Keshet, the leading Jewish LGBTQ education and advocacy organization in the country, has launched, “Kavod Achshav (Dignity Now) – For the Sake of Dignity: A Campaign for Trans Youth” in partnership with the Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and Renewal movements of Judaism; BBYO; the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY); United Synagogue Youth (USY); and the national LGBTQ Orthodox Jewish community organization Eshel.

Kavod Achshav calls on Jewish organizations and individuals across the country to publicly support and protect transgender youth from harassment, bullying, discrimination, and violence.

The campaign’s sign-on statement reads: “We are living in a time of tremendous vulnerability for trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people, whose rights and basic human dignity are under attack. No one is more vulnerable to these threats than trans youth who are still nine times more likely to attempt suicide than cisgender youth. …We must ensure that trans youth are treated with respect and dignity, are safe from bullying, bigotry, and violence, and are fully embraced in our homes, classrooms, synagogues, and public spaces.”

The statement ends with a commitment to transgender youth, ‘To trans youth: we pledge to make your Jewish community safe, affirming, and inclusive. We declare, today and every day: Trans Jews Belong Here.”

Signatories commit to supporting trans youth, and are encouraged to take action in local Jewish institutions and public schools to ensure that trans young people are protected and safe.