A transgender pastor said on Tuesday that Texas voters who oppose allowing transgender individuals to use the bathroom of their choice were "using God as an excuse to hate people."
Rev. S. David Wynn, a senior pastor at Fort Worth's Agape Metropolitan Community Church, spoke at the Texas State Capitol on Tuesday to activists who were protesting Senate Bill 6, which would force people in Texas to use the bathroom of the gender on their birth certificate, the Huffington Post reports.
Wynn told the cheering crowd that God was transgender, before launching into the criticism of people who support the pending legislation.
"In the beginning, God created human kind, in God's image, God created them male and female, so God is transgender," he said. "So it's important you all remember that."
"We're all created in the image of what is holy, and divine, and sacred, and we should all be treated that way," Wynn continued.
Pastor: "Stop using God as an excuse to hate people" #txlege #sb6 pic.twitter.com/BAENGl2RjE
— LeAnn Wallace (@LeAnn_Wallace) March 7, 2017
"We’re going to stop using God as an excuse to hate people," Wynn said in response to comments from a Democratic senator who voted for the measure.
Senate Bill 6 passed the State Senate Affairs Committee on Wednesday 7-1, with all Republicans voting for it and one Democrat. The Democrat who supported the measure, Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. used religion in his defense of his vote.
"God created everything as far as I’m concerned, but especially man and woman," Lucio said.