Questions of Transgender in Orthodoxy

A recent question at the New York Inter-Seminary Dialogue had me answering the question: “how are transgender individuals handled in your faith?” To be honest, this was something that had never entered my thought process until that moment. After giving pause to think and recall off the top of my head, I made the statement that those who choose to have gender reassignment surgery commit a sin that is definitely defined in canon law and, that further, it may be a sin against the Holy Spirit and thus, an unforgivable sin.

Wow, did I really go there? The more I think about this subject and, reflect on the canonical tradition of the Church, I think my off the hand comment might actually be the truth even though it sounds harsh. Before I continue I should clarify that I am only addressing those individuals who decide to participate in gender reassignment surgery because they believe they were created with the wrong gender. My thoughts do not apply to cross dressers, transsexuals, intersex, or drag individuals. In reality the style of dress is defined by culture and, some cultures would consider all Orthodox priests to be cross dressers since they wear skirts.

Let us first consider the opinions of the holy fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council. The first canon of the twenty issued at the council in Nicaea discusses how to handle eunuchs who are in holy orders. Those who were forced by medical reason or other cause should remain in holy orders, according to the canon, but, those who choose to remove healthy parts of the body should be removed. The Apostolic Canons speak of those who self mutilate as being a murderer of self. To show how serious an offense it is to self mutilate the fathers put a number of three years on the length of excommunication. While some might say “oh, it is only three year”, keep in mind that most offense list no prescribed length of time thus allowing the penitent to come back to communion as soon as the spiritual father see fit.

The most compelling support for my thought is found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. In it Paul states:

Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 COR 6:18-20)

Here Paul is linking our body to the Holy Spirit and, reminding us that our body is in fact not our body but rather, it belongs to God. Those who choose gender reassignment are going beyond what eunuchs did since they are not just removing a piece from the temple of the body; they are physically altering the temple of the body. So if our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, as Paul states, then by altering ones body is such a dramatic way the statement made is that the Holy Spirit is wrong. The accusation that the Holy Spirit is wrong is a blasphemy against the Spirit and Christ says that this sin is unforgivable (MAT 12:31, MAR 3:29, LUK 12:10).

When we consider what repentance from sin is, it is a turning away from that sin. If we mutilate and destroy that what God had created then how does one turn back from that sin? The canons speak of self mutilation as murder and, murder of oneself is suicide. Although our bishops have recognized that most suicides are due to mental defect, the same can not be said those who choose gender reassignment. If the person was not of right mind then no physician would ever agree to perform such a surgery and, the sin would never happen.

Long, and perhaps permanent, excommunication from the grace of the Church may sound harsh but, that threat is only made for the most serious sins. Compassion for individuals who wish to change their gender requires tough love and explanation on how that choice will affect them for the rest of their life. We can of course express this only to those who are inside the Church. I would also say that if someone who had participated in gender reassignment surgery wished to convert and enter the Church it would be permissible but, they would still be precluded from entering into holy orders.

This of course is all theologoumenon on my part and, merely a start of exploring a topic that has only become a reality in that last 25 years. As is often the case in seminary, we are asked to consider the possibilities of things that we may never be called upon to ever ponder again.