Mormon church bans trans members from working with children, broadens other restrictions
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Demonstrators at Salt Lake City's Temple Square in 2019. Photo: George Frey/Getty Images
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has broadened its restrictions on transgender members and banned them from congregational roles that involve children.
Why it matters: The change is one of many new policies announced this week that single out transgender members for restricted participation and inferior status in Utah's dominant religion.
Driving the news: Members who "pursue surgical, medical, or social transition away from their biological sex at birth" are banned from the faith's temples and may only be baptized with special permission from the "First Presidency" — the top three leaders in the global faith.
- The church's manuals now forbid transgender members from "[working] with children or youth" — similar to restrictions on members with a history of child abuse.
- They face possible "annotation" on their membership records — a flag usually reserved for members with a history of sexual misconduct, violence and fraud — to be shared with local leaders.
- They also may not serve as teachers or in gender-specific roles, or hold the church's all-male priesthood — a status conferred to men in good standing as well as boys as young as 11.
Catch up quick: Some of the restrictions on transgender membership previously existed, but baptism was explicitly withheld only for members who sought medical interventions in their transition.
The intrigue: Now all restrictions are also imposed for "social transition," which the church defines as "intentionally identifying and presenting oneself as other than one's biological sex at birth, and may include changing dress, grooming, names, or pronouns."
- It's unclear how that applies to nonbinary members or anyone whose dress or grooming doesn't conform to traditional gender norms. The church did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Zoom in: The new policies also target transgender youth, requiring them to leave some overnight camps and other activities early.
The bottom line: Bishops — lay clergy over local congregations — previously had more leeway over membership and participation of transgender members.
- The new rules are more explicitly restrictive than ever before.
What they're saying: "This policy forms unnecessary barriers for trans youth and adults who just want to stand in what they believe are holy places," reads a statement issued Tuesday by the Utah Pride Center.
- "The new rules produce a tremendous amount of shame for individuals who chose to live authentic, vulnerable and honest lives."