The
Christian Right and Transgender
Nowhere in society is
there more unified activism opposed to transgender than in the Christian
Right. While I personally disagree with their thinking and logic I
also believe they have a right to be heard. It is only fair to
present both sides of the argument. That is what is done here; a
debate on the web.
I do not invite nor will
I entertain debate by correspondence on this subject. The views of
the Christian Right are very well articulated and forcefully argued
already. For anyone wishing to add to this please contact your
favourite religious organization to express your views. The
rebuttal views presented here are by the transgender community at large
to already published points of view by various Christian organizations.
All are correctly annotated and appropriately linked for investigative
reference. If any links are broken or changed, then please do
inform us so we can investigate and correct them.
* *
* * *
Let us start with Focus on the Family and its
associates.
According to the American Psychological Association,
“transgender is an umbrella term used to describe people
whose gender identity (sense of themselves as male or
female) or gender expression differs from that usually
associated with their birth sex.”[17]
In other words, “transgendered” individuals do not
perceive that their biological gender corresponds to the
way they feel about their gender or how they self-define
their ‘gender identity.’ This condition is also referred
to as Gender Identity Disorder or Gender Dysphoria.[18]
Focus on the Family; "Hope in a World of Gender
Confusion" Williams, Devon and Johnston, Jeff.
http://www.citizenlink.org/FOSI/homosexuality/hgeducation/A000008402.cfm
Okay so lets just see
what the APA wrote on their website from which the authors above quoted.
Transgender is an umbrella term used to describe people whose gender
identity (sense of themselves as male or female) or gender expression
differs from that usually associated with their birth sex. Many
transgender people live part-time or full-time as members of the other
gender. Broadly speaking, anyone whose identity, appearance, or behavior
falls outside of conventional gender norms can be described as
transgender. However, not everyone whose appearance or behavior is
gender-atypical will identify as a transgender person.
http://www.apa.org/topics/transgender.html#whatdoes
It seems as though the
authors chose to stop somewhat short in their quotation. Not only
that but they also chose to ignore the APA warnings that the DSM-IV is
to be used as a guide TOWARD diagnosis and not as a definitive diagnosis
tool. Additionally they have attempted in their argument to place
their own definition as an addendum to the partial one printed.
(They have done this by not paragraphing their opinion/interpretation of
definition separate from their quote. As academics they should
know better,) They have also COMPLETELY ignored the WPATH
Standards of Care for a detailed definition which varies with biological
sex as well as age and time of becoming aware of transgender feelings.
In short they have painted everyone with the same brush and ignored the
acknowledged world experts in transgender.
“Transsexuals” are those who have “successfully” completed the
“transition” from one gender to another through hormone treatment and
sexual reassignment surgeries[19]
– ignoring the medical fact that surgery can not change underlying
genetic biology. Indeed, every cell in a so-called transsexual’s body
still retains the biological sex he or she was born with. While surgery
and hormones may change the outward appearance, they cannot change
underlying biological reality. Focus on the Family; "Hope in a
World of Gender Confusion" Williams, Devon and Johnston, Jeff.
http://www.citizenlink.org/FOSI/homosexuality/hgeducation/A000008402.cfm
Oh now this one is just
too rare to ignore. It ignores just about every known detail of
transsexualism from the fact that one can be transsexual and not
transition to the overwhelming medical and scientific evidence that
refutes this argument. See this
article. The real error come in the lead in sentence. If
these authors are to quote the DSM then they should read all of the
text. A transsexual must be diagnosed before any surgery or
hormone treatment can occur. We'll give them credit for a mistake
though; failure to read the large print.
[Randy] Thomas believes that the popularity and acceptance of
“transgenderism” emerged with the breakdown of the deeply held and
historic sex-role distinctions that have been supported by previous
generations.
"Hope in a World of Gender Confusion"
Williams, Devon and Johnston, Jeff.
http://www.citizenlink.org/FOSI/homosexuality/hgeducation/A000008402.cfm
Note: Randy Thomas is
Executive Vice President of
Exodus International
a Christian Ministry that opposes homosexuality. Apparently Mr.
Thomas missed the part where Sex and Gender are not related.
Apparently he didn't read the DSM-IV or the HBSOC either.
The failure here is to
recognize that transgender has been around since the dawn of man.
It is nothing new and certainly precedes Christianity. The mistake
here is to argue that transgender is a social disorder which of course
contradicts the author's assertions that it is a mental disorder.
Though there are many theories about what causes this gender disconnect,
the emotional and/or physical absence of a child’s father may play a
significant role. Jerry Leach, director of Reality Resources, knows
first-hand the truth of such a statement. A former “transsexual” and
transvestite, Leach says the “disconnect” with his father was very much
a part of his lifelong struggle with gender confusion.http://www.citizenlink.org/FOSI/homosexuality/hgeducation/A000008402.cfm
The authors offer NO
statistical evidence to assert this claim. All "supporting"
argument is anecdotal and therefore suspect. It certainly holds no
argument validity and must be considered as hearsay and as such of no
value what so ever.
More
recently, researchers and psychologists such as Ray Blanchard and J.
Michael Bailey have suggested that some “transgender” people – in
particular, men – may be motivated more by the erotic feelings they
obtain by dressing and acting as the opposite sex. For these
“transgender” men and women, dressing as the opposite sex has become
associated with sexual activity of some sort and is like a fetish that
creates arousal and leads to orgasm. Blanchard and Bailey’s view has
been heavily criticized by some in the “transgendered” community who
believe that it trivializes their contention that they are men or women
who are “trapped in the wrong body.”
http://www.citizenlink.org/FOSI/homosexuality/hgeducation/A000008402.cfm
Again the authors are
quoting "researchers" whose works have been refuted by the APA these
writer so love to reference. Additionally, both have been expelled
from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and
Bailey was censured by his own university for producing unscientific
study and failure to follow established guidelines of research.
While
the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual IV-TR still lists "Gender Identity
Disorder" as a classifiable condition, there is much
discussion about how to treat the gender confused.
But
regardless of the causes of the disorder and the
treatments available, there is no denying that people
who struggle with gender identity disorder are often
undergoing a great deal of emotional pain and confusion.
“It’s a
deep-seated emotional disorder which is accompanied with
a chemical rush that is equal in strength to cocaine.
That’s pretty powerful stuff,” Leach said. “If there’s
any one condition that I could have in my life that
would … put me in the hospital, that would ruin my
marriage and possibly, very probably end my life by
suicide or overdose, it would be this.”
http://www.citizenlink.org/FOSI/homosexuality/hgeducation/A000008402.cfm
Jerry Leach is Director
of Reality Resources.
It is an "organization" devoted to changing LGBT behaviours through
Christian teachings and practice. This is Reparative Therapy which
is counter to all Psychiatric Bodies worldwide. Not one condones
this approach of Behaviour Modification. A search for the academic
credentials of Jerry Leach yielded no results. The APA make a very
strong statement about Reparative/Conversion Therapy
here. Although it is referencing homosexuality, the same
approaches are being used with transgender clients. In some
jurisdictions (New York State), the use of Reparative Therapy on
Children and Youth is being considered as grounds for Child Abuse and
Neglect. To this writer's knowledge it has yet to be tested in the
courts.
Enough of
Focus on the Family. If
their writers quoted above were trying to produce a piece of journalism
they have failed due to their misinterpretation of fact, misquoting or
partial quote of sources, use of discredited research, use of
unsubstantiated claims as fact among other failures. While the
above was taken from a single article, review of others in this same
series held the same flaws.
Let's now look at
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Church used its deep
pockets to be the major financier of the Proposition 8 referendum
question in California and elsewhere that sought to reinforce the
definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. This
was a DIRECT and malicious attack on the LGB community, and by extension
the transgender community. The church makes no distinction between
homosexuality and transgender. All efforts to research transgender
within their website yielded no direct results.
From the Church website
regarding
Political Neutrality http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/public-issues/political-neutrality
The
Church does not:
-
Endorse, promote or oppose political parties,
candidates or platforms.
-
Allow its church buildings, membership lists or
other resources to be used for partisan political
purposes.
-
Attempt to direct its members as to which candidate
or party they should give their votes to. This
policy applies whether or not a candidate for office
is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.
-
Attempt to direct or dictate to a government leader.
The
Church does:
-
Encourage its members to play a role as responsible
citizens in their communities, including becoming
informed about issues and voting in elections.
-
Expect its members to engage in the political
process in an informed and civil manner, respecting
the fact that members of the Church come from a
variety of backgrounds and experiences and may have
differences of opinion in partisan political
matters.
-
Request candidates for office not to imply that
their candidacy or platforms are endorsed by the
Church.
-
Reserve the right as an institution to address, in a
nonpartisan way, issues that it believes have
significant community or moral consequences or that
directly affect the interests of the Church.
It does seem as
though there is a conflict of interest here in regards to their own
policies. It would hardly be a stretch of the imagination that
their influence on Proposition 8 followed their own guidelines.
The Church has its right to opinion certainly and its stance on marriage
is unquestionably Christian and above reproach. However this very
stance when applied to a secular society with the aim of limiting
marriage as defined by others becomes nothing short of discrimination.
In other words, it is "My way or the highway". Is their position
then that marriage in another faith is not a marriage because it is non
Christian? Should these couples be forced to civil unions that
deny them the full benefits of marriage.
It seems that the Church
is overlooking a single factor. Love. It is stating that two
people of the same sex are incapable of pure love and therefore their
love cannot be sanctioned by the state as a valid marriage. These
couples are certainly not asking for the blessing of the church and
likely would never set foot inside a Mormon Church. Their love for
one another does not reduce the church definitions or its beliefs by its
members. They are still free to marry and procreate at will.
Of course those who cannot have children can adopt and that adoption is
recognized as if it were a natal child. Can the same not be said
of the homosexual couple? Are they incapable of loving a child and
raising it?
The statistics on divorce
are frightening so even a blessed union is not guaranteed. Neither
is spousal or child abuse guaranteed from happening. I am sure the
Church has its share of every social malady within its confines that
exist beyond.
The Church cannot produce
any scientifically verifiable statistics that its membership is immune
from social problems nor can it produce the same proving its
effectiveness at resolution or prevention. It is a church made up
of people. They are well intentioned and devout but they are also
people who are subject to the same ills as society at large.
Now to the Roman Catholic
Church.
After
years of study, the Vatican's doctrinal congregation has sent church
leaders a confidential document concluding that "sex-change" procedures
do not change a person's gender in the eyes of the church.
"The
key point is that the (transsexual) surgical operation is so superficial
and external that it does not change the personality. If the person was
male, he remains male. If she was female, she remains female," said the
source.
The
Vatican text defines transsexualism as "a psychic disorder of those
whose genetic makeup and physical characteristics are unambiguously of
one sex but who feel that they belong to the opposite sex. In some
cases, the urge is so strong that the person undergoes a "sex-change"
operation to acquire the opposite sex's external sexual organs. The new
organs have no reproductive function."
http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/CatholicTSDecision.html
Okay so they too are
misinformed. Let us continue.
Given
church teaching that only males can be validly ordained priests, the
question posed ... was whether a priest who undergoes a "sex-change"
operation remains a priest -- the answer is "yes" -- and whether a woman
who undergoes the procedure can be ordained -- "no."
The
Vatican document's specific points include:
-
An analysis of the moral licitness of "sex-change" operations. It
concludes that the procedure could be morally acceptable in certain
extreme cases if a medical probability exists that it will "cure"
the patient's internal turmoil.
-
But a source familiar with the document said recent medical evidence
suggested that in a majority of cases the procedure increases the
likelihood of depression and psychic disturbance.
-
A
provision giving religious superiors administrative authority to
expel a member of the community who has undergone the procedure. In
most cases of expulsion from religious life, the superior must
conduct a trial.
-
A
recommendation of psychiatric treatment and spiritual counseling for
transsexual priests. It suggests they can continue to exercise their
ministry privately if it does not cause scandal.
-
A
conclusion that those who undergo sex-change operations are
unsuitable candidates for priesthood and religious life because of
mental instability.
-
A
conclusion that people who have undergone a sex-change operation
cannot enter into a valid marriage, either because they would be
marrying someone of the same sex in the eyes of the church or
because their mental state casts doubt on their ability to make and
uphold their marriage vows.
-
An affirmation of the validity of marriages in which one partner
later undergoes the procedure, unless a church tribunal determines
that a transsexual disposition predated the wedding ceremony.
As usual the Roman
Catholic Church is a living paradox. It is okay for a transitioned
F2M to be a priest but an M2F cannot. Those who do transition are
subject to excommunication and their marriages are deemed null. A
priest who identifies as TS can continue his ministry as long as it
doesn't make waves.
I have to hand it to the
Mormons, they at least are unidirectional.
Vatican says
'sex-change' operation does not change person's gender
By John Norton
Catholic News Service
Under the influence of
Paul McHugh, a transphobic Johns Hopkins psychiatrist and conservative
Catholic ideologue (and advisor to the Vatican on sexual matters), the
Vatican pronounced in 2000 that transsexualism "does not exist" -
claiming that it is a form of insanity instead.
So once again the right
wing nuts have kicked more doors in their quest to have Transsexualism
established as a pathology. It does lead one to wonder if the
Church has any psychiatrists and where did they get their credentials.
Equally curious is whether they belong to any Psychiatric bodies.
How could they reconcile their professional and ecclesiastical beliefs?
By this point I think I
have made my point. There is no room for acceptance by any of the
religious right whether mainstream or fundamental for acceptance of LGBT
people. Certainly there are religious groups who do see worship as
a personal relationship with God first and foremost. These
churches are few and far between. Even if the church tolerates
diversity, the congregants may not.
For us who wish to
exercise our religious beliefs, it is a crap shoot. Sad, sick and
true. May God have mercy on THEIR souls. Their exclusion and
discrimination was never taught by Moses, Jesus or any other religious
figure.
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