Transgender Policies in the Church of Jesus Christ | Handbook Update for LGBTQ Members

The church has just updated their policy on individuals who identify as transgender in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes incorrectly known as the Mormon Church or the LDS Church) and here's what you need to know about it.

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I'm going to walk you through the major points of this policy and what has changed and what the implications are for transgender members participating in Church. It includes things about preferred names, what ordinances you are eligible to receive, if you can attend Relief Society, how to use restrooms, and a lot more.

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The gist is that this policy seems to want to bring more consistency to how we minister to individuals who identify as transgender. In the past, these complex cases were sometimes handled in different ways as local leaders counseled with their stake and area presidencies.

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From what I can tell, the other big takeaway seems to be clarifying policies around social transitioning versus medical transitioning. I’ll show you what I mean.

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You can find the entire new policy in the General Handbook in section 38.6.23. There is a supplemental document called “Guiding Principles for Local Leaders” that you don’t want to miss because that’s where they get more specific about some of the general language in the policy.

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They comment how this is a complex issue and all of God's children should be treated with compassion, and sensitivity. The church does not take a position on the cause of people identifying as transgender. All of this is very similar to the previous policy.

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This is a complicated issue and the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS, Mormon) has spent years prayerfully considering all the cases that come to them before implementing policies that will support the Church’s unchangeable doctrine while allowing for sensitivity for members of all kinds. I support the Church’s doctrine of the family and I sustain the Church’s leaders in implementing new policies. But I get that this can be challenging and so I would hope everyone takes to heart the counsel to pray about this. And to treat all of God’s children with love, compassion, respect, and dignity. You can learn more about these changes at the Church Newsroom.

Church Newsroom article:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist....

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