{"id":1067,"date":"2012-11-16T15:49:54","date_gmt":"2012-11-16T20:49:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/ips\/?p=1067"},"modified":"2024-06-20T15:46:35","modified_gmt":"2024-06-20T15:46:35","slug":"international-transgender-day-of-remembrance-nov-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/ips\/?p=1067","title":{"rendered":"International Transgender Day of Remembrance, Nov. 20"},"content":{"rendered":"

James D. Whitehead and Evelyn Eaton Whitehead<\/strong><\/p>\n

On November 20, a day of remembrance will be held for transgender persons throughout the world who have been killed during the past year.\u00a0 In Chicago, Denver, Tucson, New Orleans and many other U.S. cities, candlelight vigils are planned\u2014during which a litany of names of those who have died violent deaths will be sounded.\u00a0 (See the website for a further listing of cities and schedules of ceremonies.)<\/p>\n

It is altogether fitting that Catholics join in this celebration.\u00a0 November is the month in which we honor All Saints and All Souls, remembering those who have gone before us.\u00a0 Another \u00a0claim on the Catholic community is the Church\u2019s commitment to social justice.\u00a0 The violence against transgender persons \u2013 ranging from bullying of children, to the adult experiences of discrimination at work, physical intimidation and even murder \u2013 cries out for protest from a faith community that would witness to peace and justice. But there are obstacles as well.\u00a0 On many sexual and gender issues, official church statements do not always contribute to social healing.<\/p>\n

The words of Genesis, \u201cmale and female God made them,\u201d have often been interpreted as the foundation of theories of sexual dimorphism: human nature was constructed in two and only two genders.\u00a0 Religious authorities reinforce this gender dichotomy as both theological doctrine and moral mandate.<\/p>\n

Yet human experience records a dazzling diversity in God\u2019s creation, registered in humanity as well. When we find ourselves confused or even bewildered by the questions surrounding gender diversity, it is useful to recall that bewilderment sometimes serves virtuous purposes.\u00a0 As one historian of religion writes, bewilderment may \u201ccorrect the inclination to unwarranted certainty.\u201d\u00a0 Our bewilderment, at first so unsettling, may serve as a portal to humility and open us to God\u2019s extravagance so generously on display throughout the world. St. Paul spoke of this diversity in bodily terms: \u201cNow you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.\u201d (I Cor.12:27)\u00a0 He counsels us that those members that are most vulnerable are to be cared for with the greatest respect; he reminds us that if one member suffers, all members suffer. And, in a conviction that has special relevance for transgender Christians, \u201cNo members can say to another, we do not need you.\u201d<\/p>\n

We are more aware today that gender and anatomy are not the same.\u00a0 The first formation of gender takes place before we are born, under the influence of prenatal hormones that influence the fetal brain.\u00a0 While we are afloat in our mother\u2019s womb our tiny bodies and brains are awash in these hormones. Powerful chemicals prompt the gradual development of male or female genitalia, as well as inscribing a sense of gender identity in the brain.\u00a0 Most often the baby\u2019s anatomy will match the brain\u2019s sense of gender identity.\u00a0 But not always.\u00a0 Most transsexuals as early as childhood experience a powerful and enduring dissonance between the gender that their body displays and their interior sense of themselves as woman or man.\u00a0 For many, the search for gender integrity will entail a long and painful struggle.\u00a0 Spiritual health depends on a sorting out of this disconnect and moving toward a harmony in their experience of gender identity.<\/p>\n

More and more Christian communities are becoming aware that the transition the transgender person faces is, in fact, a spiritual journey.\u00a0 The United Methodist church has published a valuable guide, entitled Made in God\u2019s Image<\/em>.\u00a0 In it they write, \u2018We understand our gender diversity to be a gift of God, intended to add to the rich variety of human experience and perspective\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 And, \u201cthe problem is not in being different, but in living in a fearful, condemning world.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Lutheran parish in San Francisco has created a renaming ritual to celebrate the completion of a transgender person\u2019s transition and welcome the person into the community. In doing so, this gathering is following our tradition of renaming individuals (Jacob in Gen. 32; Paul in the New Testament) who have come through life-transforming changes.<\/p>\n

A Catholic sister has developed a Trans Awareness Evening<\/em> to introduce more of the faithful to the challenges and hopes of transgender members of the body of Christ. She also offers simple ceremonies of blessing for persons preparing for gender-confirming surgery.\u00a0 In her spiritual direction with transgender persons themselves, she invites them to pray Psalm 139: \u201cIt is you who formed my inmost parts.\u00a0 You knit me together in my mother\u2019s womb.\u00a0 I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.\u201d \u00a0In the midst of such prayers transgender hearts, long abused by social and religious rejection, begin to heal.<\/p>\n

Such ministries are responding to the Christian heritage of a community of faith as both sanctuary and sacrament.\u00a0 In medieval times the church building often served as sanctuary to protect the life of fugitives; today churches might renew this ministry of welcome and protection of transgender members.<\/p>\n

Hilary Howes, a Catholic transsexual writes, \u201cI hope that Catholics would look at the body of scientific and medical evidence to develop a loving acceptance of those of us with this variation.\u201d\u00a0 Finally, she adds, \u201cI understand that my journey, though personal, touches that which is universal about gender for everyone\u2026looking at everything as us and them, black and white, male or female, is limiting and dangerous.\u00a0 Ultimately, welcoming the mystery of diversity in God\u2019s plan is the healing for our church for which I most hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the broader US culture, a process of appreciating the experience of transgender lives is underway.\u00a0 The film director Lana Wachovski (Cloud Atlas<\/em>) talks openly of beginning life as Larry before transitioning to Lana.\u00a0 Transgender young adults are finding their transition less fraught by years of denial and fearful pretending.\u00a0 This new generation is opening the way to a richer appreciation of God\u2019s creation.\u00a0 Listening to their experience, the larger community comes more easily to affirm Paul\u2019s judgment, \u201cThere is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.\u201d (Galatians 3:28) <\/em><\/p>\n

But even as these encouraging changes take place, it behooves us to pause in respect for \u00a0those transgender members of our human community who have been victims of violence.\u00a0 So we gather in solidarity and in prayer on November 20.<\/p>\n

This essay appears in the National Catholic Reporter<\/em> (online edition), Monday, Nov. 19, 2012.<\/p>\n

James and Evelyn Whitehead have long been associated with the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago.\u00a0 A major focus of their teaching and writing is the vital links between sexuality and spirituality.\u00a0 Currently they are examining the experience of transgender adults and the pastoral responses of communities of faith. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

James D. Whitehead and Evelyn Eaton Whitehead On November 20, a day of remembrance will be held for transgender persons throughout the world who have been killed during the past year.\u00a0 In Chicago, Denver, Tucson, New Orleans and many other U.S. cities, candlelight vigils are planned\u2014during which a litany of names of those who have read more <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ips","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/ips\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/ips\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/ips\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/ips\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/ips\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1067"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/ips\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4839,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/ips\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1067\/revisions\/4839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/ips\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/ips\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/ips\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}