Transgender Individuals

[jazzytakara]

I came across an article about studies that have revealed evidence that male and female brains are structurally different, contain different white matter, etc. As such those who identify as transgender literally have a male brain in a female body or a female brain in a male body. Does this prove that people can be born in the 'wrong body' so to speak and thus be validated in opting for sex reassignment surgery. Some individuals suggested that the brain be altered rather than the body, but many transgender individual object to having their brains messed around with, and I can understand that, no one wants brain surgery altering who they are. So can someone tell me if this would change the Church's stance on transgender individuals or does it still remain the same, also what is the exact teaching? Thank you.

Here is the link to one of the articles:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20032-transsexual-differences-caught-on-brain-scan.html

 

 

[CatherineM]

The teaching is to treat transgendered individuals with charity and respect, as we should all humans.

As to their brains, we are way to complicated to put into just male/female brain. Our gender and sexuality is best thought of as on a bell curve. We have the Marlboro men at one end, and Miss America way on the other side. Most of us are somewhere inbetween. I was raised with all boys and have always been a tomboy, so I'm closer to the middle than to Miss America. Never had a desire to change my plumbing around though.

I've actually had transgendered clients, and gay ones, and tranvestites, and even two intersexual individuals. Since our gender and sexuality are at the very core of our beings, when we think something is wrong with either, well, it's about the heaviest cross we can be laid with.

Changing their plumbing isn't going to fix the problem in most cases. The exception are those rare individuals who are born with indeterminate gender due to a congenital or in-vitro problem. They may need surgery to function normally. Most transgendered people are physically healthy.

The Church has always taught that self mutilation is against God's plan for us. There are some exceptions, Angelina Jolie's surgery would be such an exception. She removed healthy tissue due to the very real likelihood that it could become diseased and kill her.

The real path to health and wholeness is acceptance. I long ago accepted the idea that I wasn't made for high heals and painted fingernails. It doesn't keep me from being a wife and a mother anymore than my husband's inability to use a hammer makes him any less of a man.

People can be who they are in life without mutilating themselves. Calling it an illness that needs surgical intervention isn't helping anyone really. Being a kid or adolescent is hard enough without people telling you that you're in the wrong body. It's this stuff that causes Asian kids to have eye surgery to look more European.

How do we treat transsexuals? First prayer never hurts. Listening to them, befriending them, all good. If a 6'2" ugly guy in a mini skirt wants me to call him Shirley, I will. If he wants my blessing to have surgical reassignment, not going to happen. We can disagree without being hateful, and we can be supportive of a person and their struggles without supporting their bad choices.

Post surgical individuals are treated by the Church for marriage purposes as the gender they were born. They can be in communion with us if they seek reconciliation and remain celibate. These are broad strokes, and people are more complicated. Many of these issues are dealt with pastorally and privately as should be.