Pope Francis was recently quoted on record as referring to transgender people as an "annihilation of man".
As a transgender woman, I know firsthand how comments like this can be harmful and regressive to my community. I also know that this Pope has previously shown moments of compassion towards LGBTQ individuals - and believe that he has it in his heart to once again reach out to my community.
I believe that if the Pope met with transgender people - especially notable advocates and advocacy organizations within my community - he would learn a lot about the day-to-day hardships that those facing gender identity issues face.
Please join me in urging the Pope to meet with transgender advocates, learn their story and hear their narratives of struggling for acceptance and understanding.
