The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has introduced new policies that have disappointed LGBTQ+ activists by significantly limiting the involvement of transgender members within the church. These guidelines, announced as updates to the denomination’s General Handbook, prevent transgender individuals from being baptized and restrict them from working with children or serving as priests or teachers.
The updated handbook allows transgender individuals who have transitioned from their biological sex at birth to attend sacrament meetings and participate in various ways. However, it enforces limitations, such as restricting overnight stays at youth camps and requiring the use of single-occupancy restrooms at church meetinghouses or the presence of a “trusted person” outside restrooms to prevent others from entering.
While the new guidelines reaffirm gender as one’s biological sex at birth, they do not take a specific stance on the causes of gender dysphoria. These regulations aim to provide clarity on issues that were previously left to the discretion of local congregations, bishops, and lay leaders.
LGBTQ+ advocates argue that these strict guidelines further marginalize transgender individuals within the church. Laurie Lee Hall, a transgender woman who was excommunicated in 2017, expressed how the new policies make it challenging for individuals like her to maintain their faith. Hall emphasized that these guidelines isolate transgender members and hinder their participation in church activities.
Despite the church’s efforts to appear more compassionate towards LGBTQ+ issues in recent years, the new policies have sparked concern among members like Hall. She hopes for a change in the church’s direction to be more inclusive towards transgender individuals, fearing that continued exclusion may lead to generational loss as younger members reject these stringent policies.
