As various Republican-led states forge ahead with a spectrum of bills targeting transgender youth, a sharp divide is emerging among America’s faith leaders. For some, these laws echo divine intent, while others condemn the use of Christianity to legitimize what they perceive as inhumane and discriminatory legislation.
Conservative Faiths Versus Progressive Interpretations
A significant number of legislators advocating these bills cite their conservative religious convictions as a primary motivation. Leaders of America’s two largest religious groups, the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention, have prominently aligned with this viewpoint. US Catholic bishops recently issued guidelines to cease Catholic hospitals’ involvement in gender transitions, rejecting the very concept of transitioning. The Southern Baptist Convention has held a similar stance since 2014, asserting gender transition as a violation of “God’s design.”
Meanwhile, other faith leaders are raising their voices in support of transgender rights, decrying the appropriation of religious language to marginalize transgender individuals. Serene Jones, the president of Union Theological Seminary in New York City, expressed her horror at the misuse of Christianity and the Bible by the religious right to justify these bills.
Legislative Battles Across States
According to recent tallies, at least 20 states have enforced restrictions on transgender athletes’ participation in sports at the K-12 or collegiate level. Furthermore, a minimum of 18 states have enacted laws or policies — some currently blocked by courts — that prohibit gender-affirming medical care, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgery for minors.
In Oklahoma, state Sen. David Bullard, a deacon at his Baptist church, introduced the Millstone Act, which would criminalize doctors providing gender transition procedures to anyone under the age of 26. Similarly, in Texas, Rep. Steve Toth, an ordained minister, is a strong proponent of anti-trans legislation and has proposed a bill that would make it a felony to provide gender-affirming care for minors.
A Call for Love and Inclusion
Amidst these legislative battles, interfaith groups of moderate and liberal religious leaders in various communities across the U.S. are holding events to support transgender people and condemn the wave of anti-trans legislation. In Pasadena, California, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders united for a news conference at All Saints Church, an Episcopal congregation that embraces LGBTQ inclusion.
Despite the anti-transgender bills’ severity, several faith leaders have continued to voice their support for transgender rights. The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America condemned the bills as an assault on the humanity of transgender people. Meanwhile, many Catholic parish priests have welcomed transgender individuals into their congregations and respected their decisions to transition.
As the debate continues, the religious community’s diverse response to transgender rights underscores the complexity of reconciling faith with evolving social norms and the pursuit of human rights.