Mormon Church Expands Restrictions on Transgender Members, Barring Roles and Memberships

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church, has made headlines this week with the announcement of new policies that expand restrictions on transgender members. These policies, released on Monday, impose several limitations on transgender individuals within the church, impacting their ability to work with children, become priests, serve as teachers, and even be baptized. The church has also added to its existing policy by categorizing transgender members alongside individuals who have engaged in serious misconduct such as incest, sexual predatory behavior, sexual violence against children, and embezzlement of church funds. Furthermore, the church now discourages any form of surgical, medical, or social transition from one's biological sex at birth, indicating that such actions may result in restrictions on Church membership.

Looming Restrictions on Transgender Members

The policies put in place by the church extend far beyond external appearances, delving into the fundamental aspects of church participation for transgender individuals. The church's General Handbook stipulates that members who "transition away from their biological sex at birth" will face exclusion from church activities, with an emphasis on seeking counsel from local leaders regarding participation. The new regulations represent a significant shift in the church's approach towards transgender individuals, marking a departure from previous guidelines that allowed for greater accommodation and inclusivity.

These recent changes come four years after the church's official release of extensive guidelines on transgender issues. Taylor Petrey, chair of the religion department at Kalamazoo College and author of "Queering Kinship in the Mormon Cosmos," criticized the church's transformation into a more restrictive institution, commenting on the apparent rollback of previous policies and the tightening of limits on transgender members. The new restriction on baptism for transgender individuals not only includes those who have undergone medical treatments but also extends to those who have made social transitions, representing a stark shift in the church's stance.

Conflicting Policies and External Perception

The latest policies contradict the church's more conciliatory stance towards the LGBTQ community in recent years, particularly following its earlier support for California's Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage. Despite opposing same-sex marriage and consensual gay sex, the Mormon church expressed its support for the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, which enshrined protections for same-sex and interracial marriages into federal law. Additionally, in a departure from earlier decisions, the church allowed the baptism of children from same-sex couples in 2019. These conflicting policies reflect the complexity of the church's evolving position on LGBTQ issues and its struggle to reconcile its doctrinal commitments with a more inclusive approach.