LDS Church updates policies on transgender members

In August, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints updated its General Handbook, altering policies regarding the treatment of transgender individuals within the Church. This move has sparked concern among activists and LGBTQ organization leaders, who worry about its impact on transgender Mormons. They express hope that the Church will eventually reverse these policies, drawing parallels to the Church’s 2019 reversal of its 2015 exclusionary policy, which labeled same-sex married couples as “apostates” and generally barred their children from baby blessings and baptisms.

According to leaders of Affirmation LGBTQ Mormons, Families & Friends, before these updates, transgender members of the Church could expect their gender identities to be respected through the use of their chosen names, to participate in church meetings aligning with their gender identities, and to have some opportunities to be called to serve within the Church.

“The recent updates reduce the hope that the gender identities of transgender members will be respected, prohibit transgender members from church meetings aligning with their gender identities, restrict access to restrooms, and explicitly prohibit transgender members from serving in the Church as teachers or working with children,” the group said in a statement.

“Rather than seek to better understand, include, and affirm transgender individuals who are also Latter-day Saints, leaders of the Church have opted to further restrict these members’ ability to participate,” the statement reads. “While these changes specifically impact individuals who have socially or medically transitioned, all are affected by the messages conveyed in these policies, which reject authentic experience and identity.”

The Utah Pride Center released a statement saying, “The policy appears to undermine a core value common to both the LDS Church and The Utah Pride Center: that ALL visitors are welcome here.”

“This policy forms unnecessary barriers for trans youth and adults who just want to stand in what they believe are holy places. These new rules produce a tremendous amount of shame for individuals who choose to live authentic, vulnerable, and honest lives,” the statement continued. “Our doors are always open, and we are dedicated to providing a safe, affirming space where you will always be celebrated for who you are.”

The Church, in a statement, said the updates were made to “help local leaders minister more effectively to individuals who identify as transgender and their families,” to ensure “consistency in policies while allowing local leaders flexibility to minister based on each person’s needs.”

The updated policies are available on the church’s website and are summarized here:

Definition of Gender

According to the church handbook, “Gender is an essential characteristic in Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness (see Genesis 1:27). The intended meaning of gender in ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World‘ is biological sex at birth.”

Addressing those who are born with ambiguous gender, the policy states that it is up to parents and doctors to determine how the child will be raised. If the individual experiences emotional conflict later in life because of that decision, they should receive “special compassion and wisdom” and should involve the Office of the First Presidency on how to move forward.

Baptism

The church policy stipulates that baptism and confirmation are conducted according to one’s biological sex at birth. Worthy individuals who do not undergo any surgical, medical, or social transition away from their birth sex may be baptized. Exceptions to this policy require First Presidency approval, or in the case of an 8-year-old, stake president approval. If granted, the individual is restricted from receiving the priesthood, temple recommend, or certain Church callings while transitioned.

“Individuals who have taken steps to transition and then transition back to their biological sex at birth and are worthy and committed to keeping God’s commandments may be baptized and confirmed,” the policy reads.

Baptism

The church policy stipulates that baptism and confirmation are conducted according to one’s biological sex at birth. “Worthy” individuals who do not undergo any surgical, medical, or social transition away from their birth sex may be baptized. Exceptions to this policy require First Presidency approval, or in the case of an 8-year-old, stake president approval. If granted, the individual is restricted from receiving the priesthood, temple recommend, or certain Church callings while transitioned. “Individuals who have taken steps to transition and then transition back to their biological sex at birth and are worthy and committed to keeping God’s commandments may be baptized and confirmed,” the policy reads.

Temple Ordinances

Temple ordinances are received according to a person’s biological sex at birth. Worthy members who do not pursue surgical, medical, or social transition away from their biological sex at birth may receive a temple recommend and temple ordinances. Social transitioning is defined in the policy as “intentionally identifying and presenting oneself as other than one’s biological sex at birth, and may include changing dress, grooming, names, or pronouns.”

Church leaders are encouraged to approach these situations with sensitivity and Christlike love, the policies state.

Preferred Name

A supplement to the policy states that preferred names and pronouns should be left among the individuals and their family, friends, and church members. Local leaders should not determine or prescribe how members address an individual.

Overnight Activities

Transgender individuals are required to attend overnight activities based on their biological sex at birth when those activities are gender-specific, such as Young Women camps and Aaronic Priesthood quorum camps. For gender-neutral overnight activities, individuals who have pursued surgical, medical, or social transitions away from their biological sex are required to leave the activity at night and find other overnight accommodations. Gender-neutral activities include young single adult conferences, For the Strength of Youth conferences, and youth conferences.

Callings

Transgender individuals who pursue surgical, medical, or social transition away from their biological sex at birth may not be assigned to fulfill gender-specific roles, serve as teachers, or work with children or youth. They may receive other callings or assignments that provide opportunities to progress and serve others.

Restrooms at Church

“Restrooms should provide a private and safe environment. Care must be taken to respect the privacy and dignity of all individuals,” a supplement to the policy reads. “Individuals who pursue surgical, medical, or social transition away from their biological sex at birth should use a single-occupancy restroom when available. If a single-occupancy restroom is not available, a local leader counsels with the individual (and the parents or guardians of a youth) to find a solution, such as using a restroom that aligns with the individual’s biological sex at birth, or using a restroom that corresponds to the individual’s feeling of their inner sense of gender, with a trusted person ensuring that others are not using the restroom at the same time.

Taylor Petrey, editor-in-chief of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought told The Salt Lake Tribune’s “Mormon Land” podcast that the updated policies stigmatized transgender people.

“It fed into a lot of the fearmongering that has been happening about trans people in the world right now,” Petrey said. “The new policies remove a lot of the space that local leaders had to really minister to trans people and to find appropriate ways of engaging them in their congregations and communities, and this new document and the new policies really undercut their ability to do so. The old policy was a little bit more relaxed with respect to social transitioning. It certainly allowed for a wider range of callings that people might be able to hold.”