To: City Union Mission

Tell City Union Mission: Stop rejecting homeless LGBT people

There's nothing Christian about denying beds to homeless same-sex couples -- other Christian organizations serving the homeless accept families of all stripes. We call on you to end your discriminatory policy.

Why is this important?

If you're homeless in Kansas City, Missouri, you're always welcome at the City Union Mission shelter -- unless you're gay.

City Union's executive director says that because they are a "Christian, faith-based organization," they don't allow same-sex couples or families to stay together, and they require transgender people to dress according to the sex they were assigned at birth, regardless of how they identify today.

The shelter claims to be adhering to "biblical standards," but Jesus' words about welcoming the stranger didn't include any asterisks excluding LGBT people. That's probably why other Christian organizations in Kansas City, like the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities, welcome same-sex families.

City Union is rejecting people who badly need a warm welcome -- studies show that up to 30% of the homeless are LGBT.