LGBTQ Agenda: US Bishops' Document On Trans Health Care 'harms People,' Queer Catholics Say

LGBTQ Roman Catholics respond to US Bishops paper on how church health services should respond to requests for gender-based assistance.

As expected, the document, released on March 20, does not recognize that what has been called "gender dysphoria" and "gender incongruity" should be treated with the operation "Sexual signs reflecting the human body", aimed at changing the characteristics of race or participation in the development of such processes.

In Amoris Laetitia (an authoritative document of church doctrine), "biological sex and the sociocultural role of sex (gender) may differ, but not be separated," says a document drafted by the Doctrinal Committee of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Among them is Bishop Michael Barber of the Diocese of Auckland. Unlike homosexuality, the last catechism of the Church does not deal with this issue.

The Catholic Church is the largest non-governmental organization providing medical services in the country. Barber's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report, but the Archdiocese of San Francisco responded when it contacted BAR on Monday, saying it was "in solidarity with Pope Francis and the USCCB."

“The Catholic Church has always considered the body and soul to be an integral part of human identity. The soul can never be in another body, let alone the wrong body,” said Peter Marlow, the archdiocese’s executive director of communications and media relations. “Any technological intervention that does not correspond to the basic structure of a person, such as the unity of body and soul, including gender difference engraved on the body, ultimately does not help, but harms a person who is a minor who is not able to give informed consent To protect children and youth .

Paul Riofsky, the gay co-chair of Dignity SF, a Catholic LGBT advocacy group, told the Bay Area Reporter that "this document is indeed a forgery."

“This is yet another example of USCCB leadership going its own way, looking at case-by-case solutions and how people can live to the fullest as Christians, Catholics, and human beings, instead of taking a pastoral approach. ", - said Riofsky. "This [document] completely denies modern medical and scientific knowledge. It completely ignores the reality of intersex people, which is that if you look at human biology, many people are born without XX or XY chromosomes, and the definition is "sex before birth." determined by the doctor who gave birth to the child.

Intersex is a general term for differences in sexual characteristics or reproductive anatomy. People are born with these differences or develop them during childhood. There are many possible differences in sex organs, hormones, internal anatomy, or chromosomes.

Riofsky said the committee could not consider anything other than its preliminary findings.

“There is nothing narrower in God’s creation than the definition of gender,” Riofsky said.

Sara Mullin, a member of Nonbinary Dignity SF, agreed.

“I don’t understand these specific bishops consulting transgender and transgender people or the science behind transgender care standards,” Mullin said.

Mullin also said that the document ignored people's conscience.

“Clearly, a transgender person cannot go through a surgical or medical transition thoughtfully, kindly, and prayerfully,” Mullin said. "I think it's because people who are transitioning for medical reasons are, at best, being scammed at the conference, and at worst, being bad at their own bodies."

New Ways Ministry, a national LGBTQ Catholic advocacy group, released a statement. Executive Director Francis DeBernardo wrote, “A new US Catholic Bishops Conference document on transgender health explains Jesus' intention to continue the ministry of healing. However, neglecting the experience of transgender people and ignoring modern science harms people, not cures them.”

DeBernardo explained that it is up to each bishop to set the policy in his or her diocese.

“Fortunately, the scope of this document is currently limited,” DeBernardo said.

“It is not yet clear whether this will become a national policy. Each bishop must always decide for himself whether the recommendations contained in this document for the pastoral care of transgender people in his own community are useful,” he said. "We hope that local bishops will reach out to transgender people and the wider medical community to decide what policies to implement regarding transgender health care."

A transgender man living in the Bay Area, who asked not to be named, told BAR: "I feel like I was born so naturally and I need surgery that fits with how I feel about what I need."

Although he is not a Catholic — he was a Seventh-day Adventist and a Latter-day Saint as a child — he believes that conservative Christians “often dislike LGBT people. They don't want us to have rights and be okay with ourselves and our bodies They don't see this as an operation like I said to fit what we consider a religious issue and all because they don't I don't get it ".

The LGBTQ Agenda is an online column that comes out weekly. Do you know any unusual news? Contact John Ferrannini at j.ferrannini@ebar.com

Help save a Bay Area reporter during these difficult times. To support local independent LGBTQ journalism, consider becoming a BAR member.

Crazy fig does not stop | #OscarsSoMale LMAO!!! Real BBC with Heelvsbabyface and Mauler