Transgender Intro: The UMC & Gender

Decades of debate about the place of gay and lesbian people in the UMC means that most United Methodists are aware of a range of sexual orientations: gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual.  But as our church prepares to gather for General Conference, we’ll likely be talking about a kind of diversity that is much less familiar: gender diversity.  It may seem pretty commonsensical that people are either male or female, so some may be wondering: What’s all this talk about “transgender” people? 

When we say “transgender,” most people think about a person who was raised male, but knows herself to be female.  She seeks out medical treatment that makes her body better match her feminine spirit.  Similarly, there are people who are raised female, but have received medical care that enables their bodies to better match their male identity.  We often use the somewhat cold, clinical term of “transsexual” to describe such people.  But “transgender” is a term that includes a broad range of people.  What they all have in common is that they don’t meet gender stereotypes and expectations.

I am SO proud to be a member of denomination that recognized a long time ago that gender discrimination is wrong, that it runs contrary to the good news that the transformative spirit of Jesus Christ moves through all of us.  In my church, the pastor and the two lay leaders are women.  I have been touched by their ministry, by their witness to God’s redemptive love.  Sometimes they wear high heels and makeup, sometimes they watch football games – and sometimes they do both at the same time!  My point is this: 50 years ago, we granted full ordination rights to women.  We decided that stereotypes about the “proper” role and place for women were outdated, were divisive, and – most importantly – ran counter to God’s work on earth.  We decided that God does not discriminate on the basis of gender.

Now, some may say that it’s just “different” when we’re talking transgender people.

They worry about:

1. Psychological diagnoses.  It’s true that the diagnostic manual used by mental health professionals includes the technical-sounding “Gender Identity Disorder,” with which some transgender people are diagnosed. Some people worry about ministers having mental disorders.  But there is a cure for this disorder, which is receiving medical treatment that matches a person’s body with their identity.  Don’t we want our ministers with mental health issues to receive treatment? Our ministers give pastoral care to people who are dying, being abused, and living in misery every day.  We shouldn’t be surprised if they sometimes suffer from depression.  Barring people from ministry on the basis of mental health diagnoses is wrong.  It stigmatizes all people with mental health challenges, and it could needlessly force many to avoid or delay treatment for curable conditions.
2. Genetics.  Do you know your genetic code?  When the International Olympic Committee instituted mandatory genetics testing, many women – people who were raised female and identified as women – were shocked to discover they were not the XX female they assumed themselves.  Some women are XY (the “male” chromosome set), and some people are born with atypical gender sequences – XXY, XYY, etc.  It can be tempting to hold onto male-or-female, black-and-white ways of thinking.  But the truth is, God’s creation is so much more diverse than that.  Look around you – God is too creative to be restrained by our two simple categories!
3. God’s creation.  We all were created in god’s image, male and female – not one or the other.  Some of us match gender stereotypes better than others, but all of us change our bodies.  We get circumcised, we pierce ears, we have breast implants or reductions, we may have a testicle removed when diagnosed with cancer, we dye our hair, we repair cleft palates, we receive cochlear implants.  All of these body modifications change us, in bigger or lesser ways.   

God is with us.  God is transformative.  Let us not be afraid when God is doing something new amongst us.

Comments

[Jayson Dobney]

Sean, Thanks for this well-written and informative post that makes the arguments really clear for why it is so important to keeps the ordination track open to people of all gender identities.

I am really afraid of what might happen at this General Conference and I don't think that many delegates have the tools necessary to discuss this issue. As you say, this is a new conversation for the church. This is important information to get to people. Peace with Justice.

[TLS]

Thanks, Sean, for this post!

I only pray that our Church will continue its tradition of gender inclusivity, affirmed 52 years ago with the ordination of women!