Recently, transgender people have come to occupy a position at the forefront of identity politics in America. Particular concern arises with regard to young children supposedly identifying as transgender before the onset of puberty, or in some cases, their parents deciding this for them. Many people who identify as transgender feel “victimized” by Christians, most likely because of a misunderstanding of what we actually believe when it comes to humanity’s relationship to God, human sexuality, and the nature of sin. In this post, we clear up a bit of this confusion, focusing on the teachings of the Orthodox Church regarding transgender individuals.
5 minutes
We belong to Christ, not to ourselves
Within the last decade, we have seen a radical shift in traditional Christian principles. New “lawful” regulations put in place by the Supreme Court have made it acceptable for individuals to make decisions about which gender they choose to be, going so far as to allow them to permanently alter their bodies to outwardly manifest their gender of choice. Naturally, this implies that humans are the ultimate authority over our bodies, thereby denying the sovereignty of God. In other words, the world tells us we do not belong to anyone but ourselves. Thus, it is now deemed “normal” for human beings to make any number of irreversible decisions regarding our physical bodies – from tattoos and body piercings to abortion and gender reassignment surgery.
However, the Holy Scriptures communicate a completely different message. One in which every human being is an icon of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Since an icon is a reflection of its Prototype, we must reflect Christ in every way. We belong to God, not to ourselves. Therefore, whenever we disfigure our bodies, we are not fulfilling our purpose as icons of Christ.
The Church has always taught that we find our true identity as human persons when we do our best to emulate Christ through a life of prayer and self-denial. Saint Paul is a perfect example of this, having sought the peace and love of God in his heart. As he writes, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). And again, “you are not your own […] therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
The Orthodox Church’s teachings on sex and gender
Contrary to popular secular opinion, sex and gender are not separate things. The perspective that they are separate is fairly new, becoming prominent only with the advent of modern gender and feminism theory in the 1950s. For millennia, societies functioned with two modes of humanity: male and female.
In the beginning, God created us male and female (Genesis 1:27) to be in communion with one another, just as the Persons of the Holy Trinity are in communion. He designed males and females to be perfect companions for one another in marriage (Genesis 2:24), and as Christians we must exercise our love and sexuality within these boundaries.
Related: Does The Orthodox Church Accept LGBTQ+ People?
Yes, the Church understands there are rare cases in which God creates humans who are born intersex. However, these cases have little to no bearing on the current transgender movement, which focuses more on society’s acceptance and “tolerance” of a sinful lifestyle choice.
Is it a sin to be transgender?
Many transgender individuals make the mistake of thinking the Orthodox Church condemns them. They ask if them identifying as transgender is a sin. Like most things involving sin and this fallen world, this question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. To illustrate, let’s look at two different examples:
- Ever since he was seven years old, Matt didn’t feel like a boy. He experienced life as a girl and wanted to live life as that sex/gender, not the one which God created him. He struggled with these feelings every day, and wondered if they would ever go away. Because he knew God loved him, Matt decided not to “transition” to being a woman. Instead, he continued to struggle toward holiness every day, denying himself and following Christ.
- Ever since she was seven years old, Gina didn’t feel like a girl. She experienced life as a boy and wanted to live life as that sex/gender, not the one which God created her. She struggled with these feelings every day, and wondered if they would ever go away. Eventually, she decided to “transition,” and began living life as a boy. After hormone therapy and sexual reassignment surgery, she “became” a man and went by the name, “Kyle.”
Of these two individuals, which do you believe committed a sin? If you said the second, you would be right. It is not a sin to experience gender dysphoria (or same sex attraction, etc.). Each of us faces temptation every day of our lives. The way those temptations manifest naturally differs from person to person. It is not in simply experiencing temptation that we sin. Rather, the sin lies in acting upon those temptations and failing to live the life of Christ.
Those who suffer from the temptations associated with gender dysphoria need our love and our help in accepting the biological reality of who they are. We are not putty that may be remade into whatever we feel — even if we feel it very deeply. Our bodies are not our own, but God’s, and they are holy.
How the Orthodox Church approaches transgender individuals
With respect to those who insist on identifying as transgender, the Orthodox Church holds a rather cut and dry position. Divine Providence does not make mistakes. There is a purpose to all circumstances in our life, even difficult and seemingly permanent ones, like gender dysphoria. Whatever we may feel, our maleness or femaleness is a biological, psychological and spiritual fact, rooted in our very being.
It is important to note that the Orthodox Church does not condemn or hate anyone. Rather, She condemns actions, specifically those that go against the commandments of God. With spiritual guidance, anyone can find the love of Christ and seek true repentance for their sins. Wherever there is repentance, there is salvation. Even in the case of mutilation of the human body associated with a fair number of transgender individuals, they, too, can find peace.
Read More: Abstinence: The Orthodox Approach to Spiritual Purity
19 Responses
It was pointed out some time ago that trans apologists are at odds with homosexual apologists. The person arguing homosexuality is normal will say God made me this way, God doesn’t make mistakes so I need not change. The trans person says God made me this way, God DOES make mistakes, so I HAVE to change, correct what God did wrong. The two groups form a fundamental threat to each other. If one is right the other can’t possibly be. It’s surprising they can coexist in the same parade, marching as they do in opposite directions. The Orthodox position is (I think) God doesn’t make mistakes, we do, and both groups are wrong. Very popular in the culture, of course.
What is the proper repentance and action of a new member who has already altered his or her body and has the social appearance of the presumed opposite gender to their birth gender? What should you do if you are already altered? Thanks, sincerely, for a response.
John,
Christ is in our midst. Thank you for your question. Ultimately, every situation will be different, so we would encourage you to seek out your spiritual father or local parish priest. He will more than likely reach out to his bishop, who will provide counsel as to the proper penance. Needless to say, there is no sin that God will not forgive, if we come to Him with sincere repentance and a desire to come into communion with Him. God bless you.
Most of the Christian denominations believe that God will not forgive those who knowingly and of a proper frame of mind either (a) commit suicide (assuredly, because there is no possibility for repentance), or (b) those who actively, knowingly and repeatedly sin, particularly serious sins such as murder or rejection of any aspect of the triune God, and do not seek His forgiveness (possibly, and only through His grace might this be averted, but such is the word that is written!).
Regardless, thank you for covering this important topic.
Thank you. I really appreciate your response.
Part 1
Thank you for this article and the explicit but kindly worded explanation of the Church’s perspective.
I would be grateful for your time to help me clarify some thoughts. With this being written rather than spoken I just want to be clear that I am genuinely coming from a perspective of humility and wanting to understand and if I come across as combative I certainly do not mean to.
I’m in the medical field, and have previously dealt with people with birth abnormalities. I sometimes have encounters with people with gender dysphoria. If a child is born with scoliosis (abnormal twisting of the spine), I haven’t seen any resistance to them having corrective surgery as a child to correct this. The same if they are born with a hole in the heart or in the roof of their mouth. I could understand that this may be different from someone having cataract surgery or dyeing their hair once it has lost its pigment (maintaining their body), but based on the logic of this article and comments one could say that if God creates a child with scoliosis who are we to correct it? Specifically:
1. “We are not putty that may be remade into whatever we feel — even if we feel it very deeply. Our bodies are not our own, but God’s, and they are holy”
Part 2
2. “While we might “provide” bodies to our children, to borrow your term, we do not create those bodies. God creates them with our cooperation. Thus, God has a hand in the creation of bodies and their genetics as well. Therefore, to suggest a “mistake” in genetics essentially equates to suggesting a “mistake” on God’s part.”
If someone says that God has given us the tools to correct a child’s scoliosis, and correcting the spine could save the child a life of difficulty so we should, then could the same not be said for gender dysphoria? While we don’t currently understand why someone might have gender dysphoria and others not, it would not be surprising if down the line we find a genetic/physical component such as different brain brain signal levels or a slightly different brain anatomy.
It might be just my ignorance, but we seem to be okay with a wide range of physical and psychological interventions or am I incorrect? If a couple cannot naturally conceive the Church has given Her blessing for them to attempt IVF if appropriate and with certain limitations even though not long ago they would have been advised to accept that a child was not in God’s plan for them, and when a woman goes through menopause we give her hormones to mimic her natural cycle even though God’s design was for her to go through menopause, and the list goes on.
Mark,
Christ is born! Rest assured, you achieved the tone you aimed for, and we read your comments in a spirit of humility. What all of this comes down to at its heart is the nature of healing being given to the patient. What do we mean by this? In the cases you provided, whatever ailed the person (an unhealthy spine, a hole in the heart, etc. to use your examples) was directly healed through the treatment administered. However, with gender dysphoria, the current “healing” is not to treat the mind, where the dysphoria resides, but instead to mutilate otherwise perfectly healthy parts of the body as treatment. In no other medical case is this acceptable, to destroy healthy parts of the body as treatment for an illness or malady. Why do we insist on treating gender dysphoria (a disorder as classified by the DSM-5 that resides in the mind) by destroying an otherwise healthy body that God provided to us? As a Church, we pray for the day when the treatment for gender dysphoria truly treats the cause, not the symptom, and those individuals find healing. Until then, the Lord is there for each of them, as He is there for all of us in our suffering.
Regarding the other instances you briefly mentioned – hormones, IVF, and the like – those are not official positions of the Church. While certain hierarchs may grant economia, others will not. It quite honestly depends on how staunchly they cling to the Fathers of the Church and the teachings they handed down to us. That is a whole other conversation in itself!
We hope this was helpful to you. God bless!
Thank you for all the responses you have posted so far. Could you please address this situation: I have an adult son (who believes in God but is not Orthodox nor a practicing Christian) transitioning to be a woman. I have respected their choice to be called a new name and I am keeping up with our relationship—what mother can reject their child? But my soul continues to be deeply troubled and I hold the belief that God doesn’t make mistakes. I haven’t told my child this because I don’t want them to despair or destroy themselves (she has been rejected by some family members and others). I’ve talked with my priest and bishop and they only say, “love and pray for your child.” I do both but still fear for my child’s soul. Should I be doing anything different? How can I find peace in this situation? Thank you and bless you for any counsel you can give.
Celeste,
Christ is in our midst. Your priest and bishop are correct in saying you should pray for your child and continue to love him. Your son is not well, and is tormented with a dysphoria we can never truly understand – only God can. If your son is open to having a conversation with you, perhaps that is where you can begin. And rather than coming at it from a place of judgment or condemnation, instead try asking questions. You may already understand some things about your son’s spiritual beliefs (or lack thereof), but if there are holes in your understanding, ask. Invite him to experience the Liturgy with you. When you are alone together for a dinner or a visit, perhaps ask if you could pray for him aloud, so he can hear what it is you are saying to God, and feel the peace that comes from the stillness when He answers.
You can also ask questions about what he believes he is accomplishing through this transition. Does he honestly believe he will “become” a woman, or will he be a biological male simply “presenting” as a woman after this? Understanding where he is on a psychological level with all of this will be rather important, because it will determine whether there is anything you CAN do for him aside from loving and praying for him.
Ultimately, the BEST example you can set for your son is to live your Orthodox Faith more intensely than you ever have before. Let him see the peace it brings you. Let him see the kindness that flows out of you, not just toward him but toward anyone you meet. And if he is willing to see what has made you into who you are, ask him to come and see.
Our prayers are with you, Celeste, and we pray for your son as well. May the Lord grant him TRUE peace, in Christ and in the Church. May God bless you both.
Very well said. “We belong to Christ, not to ourselves” says it all.
Hello,
My sister and I were conceived through IVF and my twin happens to be transgender (male to female). Because we are IVF babies are we born of sin? Is our existence a sin? Am I supposed to view my sister and her way of living life as sinful? I believe in God and am Orthodox, but I struggle with knowing that both of these things are considered sinful.
I have the same thoughts as Mark, and I do not see why it would be bad or sinful to utilize modern day medical methods to alleviate the pain/struggle transgender individuals experience. At this time there isn’t a way to fix or eliminate gender dysphoria, so finding other methods to help them to live their life in a way that allows them to feel/be more aligned is something I don’t see as bad – I view it as a good thing.
I have seen first hand how this intervention can transform an individuals life. It felt as though I lost my sister as she struggled to live a life feeling stuck in the wrong body, but once she voiced her struggle and was met with family acceptance and love, and was later able to gain medical intervention, she blossomed into in a more happy, confident, and lively version of herself that I am so happy to know and witness.
Though people may feel uncomfortable with it because it’s different/strange to them, and hard to wrap their head around – it causes no harm to them or others. Because of this, I struggle to see it as a sin/bad temptation. Similarly, I see no sin or bad temptation when it comes to those who are homosexual and love/wish to marry the same sex. I view things such as pedophilia as sinful, as a bad temptation to act upon.
Hearing and seeing what a transgender person experiences and also imagining if I myself were transgender I know that I too would seek this medical intervention. I so often see people shame, exclude, and negatively judge these people, that is what I see as wrong and sinful. If people struggled to conceive, they would want to take the route of IVF. If they had gender dysphoria they would want medical assistance. They would wish people would try to understand and view their circumstance from a place of empathy, that they would meet them with kindness and love.
Aren’t Christians supposed to be those people? Supposed to think and act from a place of true empathy? I struggle to see how a loving God would find it right to condemn these people as sinners and advise them to live a life of pain from suppressing who they are out of shame rather than seeking available modern day methods to alleviate their pain (that in no way harms others).
I pray that we find more ways to help those with gender dysphoria, and that these people experience less hate and ridicule. I pray for a kinder more loving world, for more empathy.
I would love to know your thoughts as well.
Shannon,
No, your existence is not a sin. The Lord uses all manner of evil actions to bring about goodness. Though your conception may have been a sinful action that goes against the laws of nature, that does not mean your existence – or your brother’s – is sinful. You did not conceive yourself via IVF, and neither did your sibling. That sin lies with your parents. So there is nothing for either of you to feel guilt about in that regard.
Babies are meant to develop in the womb of their biological mother, conceived from the union of the biological father’s seed with the biological mother’s egg in the mother’s body. This is the way the Lord designed conception, gestation, and child birth. To go against God’s laws of nature is to play God ourselves; and this puts us on very dangerous ground. While it may be “normal” for a couple who cannot conceive to turn to IVF, that does not make it right. Rather, they should turn to the Lord for comfort in this suffering, or seek to provide a loving home to a child that does not have one.
Regarding your brother and his gender dysphoria: we are metaphysical beings, with a soul and a body. Without one, the other does not exist. They are intricately intertwined, together making us who we are. Therefore, feeling gender dysphoria is a sign of an illness that requires treatment. But permanently altering the body does not treat the cause of the illness, only its symptoms. And while alleviating symptoms can temporarily make things better, the root of the sickness remains. Often when people attempt to transition to the opposite sex (full transition is literally impossible), the euphoric effects are short-lived. While your brother may feel happier now, the chances of that sustaining long-term are unfortunately unlikely.
We admire your compassionate heart, Shannon. It is truly beautiful. We must take care, however, not to let our compassion turn into complacency with sin and unwillingness to let our loved ones know when they are doing something that is harmful to themselves or others. When we harm ourselves, or we harm someone else, this harms the entirety of the Body of Christ. That is what sin does. It erodes our relationships with each other and with God. You are right in saying we should all be more compassionate and understanding, that we should approach these topics with empathy. That is what we have attempted to do here. And it is what we counsel all Orthodox Christians to do when discussing these topics, especially with people who are experiencing these sufferings firsthand.
It is important to remember that all who desire to follow Christ will live a life of suffering. That suffering will look different, depending on the circumstances the Lord places us in and depending upon the crosses He has given us to bear. But all will suffer, because that suffering is our opportunity to become more like Christ, who gave His very life for the sins of mankind. To shy away from suffering is part of our nature; we wish to avoid pain. That is normal. However, we must remember that nothing we suffer will come anywhere close to what our Lord suffered for our sake. And if we love Him, we will be obedient to His will, even if that means things are not “easy” and that we will experience suffering.
We pray for you and for your brother, that you both find the true inner peace that comes from Christ as you gird yourselves for spiritual battle and work out your salvation with fear and trembling. God bless you both.
I am an Orthodox believer, but I have not yet been baptized. Can you help me get baptized? I live in Morocco.
Mouaad,
Blessed Lent to you! While we do not know exactly where in Morocco you reside, we do know there are two Orthodox churches (one Russian Orthodox and the other Greek) in Casablanca and another in Rabat (also Russian Orthodox). If these are within a reasonable distance and you are able to travel there, perhaps reach out to the priests of those parishes and explain your situation: that you believe in the tenets of the Orthodox Faith and that you wish to become Orthodox. They will be able to offer you further guidance from there.
If the distance is too far to travel on a weekly basis (say it is several hours from you, for example), let the priest know this. Perhaps he can help you come to a solution, so that you can still be received into the Faith and participate in the Life of the Church. God bless you!
Hello, I have a few questions after reading your article. They are simply for my peace of mind. I am a Transgender individual, but most importantly, I am a member of the Orthodox faith. I understand that I was born a female and have no plans ever to change my body to fit my ideals, because I was made the way I was meant to be. I do wear a binder, however, but I usually wear it so that the clothes I buy will sit on my body correctly. I do believe that no mistakes were made in my creation, but I do go by the name “Ivan” and use different pronouns than those given to me at birth. And I do this for the reason that it makes my life a bit easier with my dysphoria, but again, I do understand that I was born and created as a female, and would never decide to go on hormones or anything of the sort. I do, however, love and respect any of the people who identify as transgender or any other members of the LGBTQIA+ because they are our fellow people.
What do you suggest I do, and in which areas do I need to repent?
Ivan,
Christ is risen! Thank you for your questions. Our penultimate advice is, as always, to speak with your spiritual father/parish priest, as he will know more about you and your situation than we possibly could. However, we can offer some general advice that, God willing, is helpful to you. We would discourage wearing the binder, as that can have several adverse effects, including skin issues, pain, breathing problems, and even potential injuries after prolonged use.
You mention using a different name and different pronouns. Would this not be a rather subtle way of saying that indeed, a mistake was made? A female uses female pronouns, and a male uses male pronouns. So using male pronouns, though you are female and have no plans to alter your body from that state, is a rejection of that reality. If indeed, deep inside of you, there is a small part of you that still rejects this reality and wishes it would change, that is what should stir repentance within you.
What is truly unfortunate is that there are not many therapists out there who will truly seek to help with the cause of the dysphoria and instead attempt to alleviate the symptoms of discomfort. Were there therapists and researchers who could help identify the cause of the dysphoria and find ways to treat the cause, perhaps we would not have so many people permanently altering their bodies, unaliving themselves, etc. It truly is a tragedy that so many people with this affliction are not receiving the true help and healing they deserve.
It is only in Christ that we can, ultimately, become who He created us to be. If that means facing demons that no one else must face, we do so, but not alone. We struggle together, as the Body. And we pray for one another. Pray for others in the Body of Christ, just as they pray for you. And again, speak with your priest, as frequently as is feasible. Faith is a lifelong journey, and if we think we can do it all alone, without our brothers and sisters, we are sorely mistaken! Lean on your priest for his wisdom and counsel. Implement his suggestions, deepen and expand your spiritual life. You may be surprised how much peace this alone will give you. God bless you, and may you find His peace as you work our your salvation in fear and trembling. Amen.
I am transgender and Orthodox and God loves me despite the insults, threats and discrimination I face in this church. Misunderstood as expected by people who know nothing about gender dysphoria.
Toby,
Christ is in our midst! We pray that the Lord grants you His peace and that you attain salvation and communion with Him. We are sad to hear that others have insulted, threatened, and discriminated against you, for such behavior is not what Christ expects from any of us. Have we done this in this article? And if so, where did we do so? Our goal is to educate both those who do and do not suffer from gender dysphoria, to lead as many out of the snares of sin as possible, and help them turn to God for repentance, fulfillment, and inner peace. God bless you.