The Question (and Statement):
➢ Given that some trans individuals suffer from gender dysphoria, thereby making it a real conflict of mind and body, the Church being in opposition to transitioning which eases the dysphoria is immoral, wrong, and/or transphobic. How could you defend it?
➣ Gender nonconformity is not a disorder.
The Answer:
This matter is multifaceted, and it is necessary to clarify terms before discussion can proceed.
First, sex and gender are not identical. Sex refers more strictly to biology, though historically the term has sometimes been used interchangeably with gender, which is linked to male and female classifications. Anomalous circumstances, such as in intersex individuals, exist, yet generally there are predominant sexual characteristics. These may differ internally and externally. In Christian pastoral practice, minor physical deviations may be addressed with cosmetic care, while more substantial incongruences require attentive spiritual and medical care.
Gender, by contrast, refers to social conditions but has historically been intimately linked to sex. In Scripture, distinctions are present yet intertwined: a male is a male and thus a man, a female is a female and thus a woman. The Cambridge Dictionary defines gender as "the physical and/or social condition of being male or female," indicating that gender expresses the social dimension of biological sex.
Gender dysphoria is a disorder defined by clinical criteria. Symptoms include: noticeable incongruence between the gender an individual identifies with and their assigned sex; an intense desire to remove primary or secondary sex characteristics; a profound wish to acquire the sex characteristics of the opposite gender; a deep desire to transform into another gender; a need for society to treat them as the other gender; and a strong identification with the feelings and responses of the opposite gender. Crucially, these factors must cause clinically significant distress or social impairment (Zucker, 2015).
The term gender dysphoria itself emphasises the distress rather than the identity. Zucker (2015) notes that the diagnostic label was revised to highlight the aversive emotional component. Similarly, the American Psychiatric Association states that a psychological state is considered a disorder only if it causes significant distress or disability (Drescher, Pula, & Yarbrough, n.d.). Not all transgender individuals experience gender dysphoria, which is an essential distinction in considering pastoral or medical interventions.
Even if gender dysphoria is present, transitioning is not the only solution. Psychotherapy and spiritual guidance can assist individuals in achieving a healthier mental state. Occasionally, minimal medical interventions may be allowed to prevent self-harm, as noted by Fr. Dr. Vasileios Thermos in his presentation on spiritual guidance for transgender persons. He emphasises that sex reassignment may be necessary in cases of persistent dysphoria, yet cautions against liberal cultural influences that distort God's design (Thermos, 2018). Though this is individual care with a pastoral guide.
In Christian thought, gender nonconformity in itself is not a disorder. Cross-cultural examples, such as the muxe of Zapotec culture, Two-Spirit individuals among Native Americans, hijras in India, and māhū in Hawaii, demonstrate historical recognition of diverse gender expressions. Alice B. Kehoe (2004) clarifies that such cultural practices involve complex spiritual and social understandings of identity rather than simple physical or psychological incongruence. From a Christian perspective, while elements of culture can be respected, practices that contradict God's design for male and female are considered distortions of divine order.
Some Christians may choose to accommodate preferred pronouns, though this is a matter of debate. Most in the Orthodox Church would not. Many believers consider such accommodation a compromise of their morals and understanding and therefore choose not to alter their language or practice. Within Christian culture, theology and anthropology, there are only two genders—male and female—as created by God. This understanding is foundational and cannot be overridden by another person's conception of gender. The pursuit of virtue and alignment with God's creation remains central, even amidst personal struggle, and Christians are called to uphold this order as revealed in sacred Scripture (Rom. 12:2; 1 Cor. 6:19-20).
References
Drescher, J., Pula, J., & Yarbrough, E. J. (n.d.). Expert Q & A: Gender dysphoria. American Psychiatric Association. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/expert-q-and-a
Kehoe, A. B. (2004, November 5). Appropriate terms. SAA Bulletin, 16(2). Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20041105120021/https://www.saa.org/publications/saabulletin/16-2/saa14.html
Thermos, V. (2018, November 8-10). Spiritual guidance and counseling of homosexual and transgender persons [Conference presentation]. Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion. Uploaded by Ancient Faith Ministries, YouTube.
Zucker, K. J. (2015). The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria. In C. Trombetta, G. Liguori, & G. Bertolotto (Eds.), Management of gender dysphoria (pp. 47-68). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5696-1_4
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LGBT+ and the Church
SpiritualThis book will be addressing the LGBT+ issues and the Church. The primary chapters will discuss God's design, the sin and reasoning, and more, and will eventually begin going into a question series. In the question segment, it will address questions...
