Transgender people in the Church

[_Zoidberg]

I think the first thread I started on MAD was about gender being an eternal attribute, as defined in the Proclamation. We have strong antagonism against LGBT people on the one hand and complete lack of policy on intersex people on the other (as in they can get married and go to the temple even if their biological sex is relatively unclear). Of course, most responses I got stated that we should follow the example set by the Church and completely ignore the people with the intersex condition because there are relatively few of them and they don't matter because they fall into the category of exceptions so hated by the Brethren, and mainly because they don't fit into the picture painted by the Church.

I've read some articles about the gender question in the Church in Sunstone and Dialogue since then, but they weren't very helpful. Especially when it came to people who have undergone SRS.

As some of you probably know, people who have undergone SRS are allowed to join the Church but denied the right to go to the temple or hold the priesthood. I suppose they participate in their preferred gender, so an mtf transsexual would go to Relief Society and vice versa. But how would the Church react to a member marrying someone who has undergone SRS and legally changed their sex? It's allowed in some countries and a few states in the US. What about a heterosexual marriage where one of the spouses undergoes SRS and they continue to live together as a gay couple? Do you think there would be any discipline involved? Would it go to the FP? Have there been any cases like that?

Also, it would be very interesting to see some stats on how many post-op transsexuals (or any transsexuals) actually join the Church. I wonder why anyone would want to join a church that so clearly discriminates against them; of course, we have all those African converts prior to 1978. Go figure. But anyway, it must have happened on more than one occasion for such detailed rules on transsexual baptism to be in the CHI.

So, any experience with transgender converts in the Church, anyone? Or a member marrying a post-op transgender person and the discipline/lack thereof such a marriage evoked/would evoke?

[_Coggins7]

As far as I know, someone who has undergone elective SRS cannot be baptized and enter the Church. If a "transgendered" person (I'll use the PC newspeak for the sake of brevity) is baptized, he cannot hold the Priesthood or enter the Temple if he is considering elective sex change surgery. What happens if he or she goes through with it, I don't know.

[_Zoidberg]

As far as I know, someone who has undergone elective SRS cannot be baptized and enter the Church.

Yes they can, it's in the CHI. It requires an interview with a mission/stake president, but they can get baptized. Unless they've recently changed the policy, of which I'm not aware.

[_Mercury]

As far as I know, someone who has undergone elective SRS cannot be baptized and enter the Church.

Yes they can, it's in the CHI. It requires an interview with a mission/stake president, but they can get baptized. Unless they've recently changed the policy, of which I'm not aware.

Oh Snap! Coggy is wrong...again.

[_Runtu]

As far as I know, someone who has undergone elective SRS cannot be baptized and enter the Church.

Yes they can, it's in the CHI. It requires an interview with a mission/stake president, but they can get baptized. Unless they've recently changed the policy, of which I'm not aware.

The larger question is, "Why would a transgendered person want to join the LDS church?"

[_Sethbag]

As far as I know, someone who has undergone elective SRS cannot be baptized and enter the Church.

Yes they can, it's in the CHI. It requires an interview with a mission/stake president, but they can get baptized. Unless they've recently changed the policy, of which I'm not aware.

The larger question is, "Why would a transgendered person want to join the LDS church?"

Maybe they're into BDSM? Too funny when the find out that bondage part of the church is all mental.

[_Runtu]

Maybe they're into BDSM? Too funny when the find out that bondage part of the church is all mental.

Spiritual masochism?

Reminds me of a joke: "I haven't had sex in so long I forget which one of us gets tied up."

[_Doctor Steuss]

When did GRS become the unpardonable sin? If it was performed before they joined the Church, what is it about that one particular "sin" that makes it worse than any others that would still allow for a person to go through the temple?

Maybe I'm not seeing something (which is quite possible), but I don't get it.

[_Zoidberg]

As far as I know, someone who has undergone elective SRS cannot be baptized and enter the Church.

Yes they can, it's in the CHI. It requires an interview with a mission/stake president, but they can get baptized. Unless they've recently changed the policy, of which I'm not aware.

The larger question is, "Why would a transgendered person want to join the LDS church?"

That's what I'm wondering myself, which is exactly why I started this thread. Maybe some lurker will pop up who knows a trans convert. I just think that the policy being there means there has been at least one case of this happening; otherwise, why bother with putting it in the CHI? If the situation occurs in the future, just refer them to the FP as a special case. But there is a policy outlined in the CHI, no First Presidency involvement required, as if it's no big deal.

[_harmony]

I actually have something to add to this (odd though that may seem). One of my neighbors' daughters married a man whose brother had a sex change operation while the daughter's husband was on his mission. He went out with a brother, Christopher. He came home to a sister, Christine.

Chris was ex'ed because of it.