Transsexuality

[spiritually inclined]

I often hear about the progressive views of Unitarian Universalists regarding homosexuality, but I rarely hear their views on transsexuality. Is the Unitarian Universalist Association just as welcoming and accepting to transsexuals as it is to homosexuals and bisexuals? Do they have education programs to inform others about transsexuality, too?

James

 

[lilithu]

I often hear about the progressive views of Unitarian Universalists regarding homosexuality, but I rarely hear their views on transsexuality. Is the Unitarian Universalist Association just as welcoming and accepting to transsexuals as it is to homosexuals and bisexuals? Do they have education programs to inform others about transsexuality, too?

James

The UUA as an organization is equally welcoming of both. In fact, rather than say "gays and lesbians" we try to say BGLT in order to state upfront that bisexuals and transsexuals are included.

That said, just because the organization is equally welcoming of both, doesn't mean that individual congregations or individual persons have that same level of awareness.

In my own congregation, I was shocked to hear some veiled disparaging remarks directed at a transexual. (And from someone who is gay!) Only after hearing the remarks against her did I realize that I have not seen the person in our congregation in a long time. Now that may be just a coincidence, because I'm in Washington DC and people come and go all the time. But it's also possible that she was made to feel unwelcome. That said, we currently have two or three transsexuals that I know of, and aside from people stupidly slipping up the pronoun every now and then, myself included (I am getting better!), they seem to be ok. Then again, I haven't asked them if everything is ok.

Long answer short, in theory yes. In practice, we need practice. We are not perfect by any means, but overall I don't think one will find any place better.

Oh, and I am very happy to report that at the last General Assembly (just a couple of weeks ago in Portland, OR), the delegates voted on an Action of Immediate Witness that explicitly recognizes transsexuals. I don't remember the exact context; I just remember that this is a milestone. Up until now, the UUA has been including transsexuals by "extrapolation." That is, it makes sense to us that if we're affirming the inherent worth and dignity of everyone, that would include everyone. But this is the first time that they were officially included by vote. (Our process is ultimately democratic.)

Too much information?

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

Lilithu answered your first question perfectly. For you second question, yes, UUs do have an educational program for BGLTs, it's called the Welcoming Congregation Workshops and I'm proud to report that our little church has just completed the program and will soon be able to list ourselves as officially a Welcoming Congregation. I know a lot of gays and lesbians but for some reason, I've only know a few transexuals. Some folks have a harder time accepting them, even in a UU church. All I can say is Lilithu is right, we just have to keep on practicing and get better as we go.

 

[TurtleGirl]

I was very glad to see this thread! I have considered UU from time to time and have been wondering about this myself. I realize there isn't such a thing as blanket acceptance, but it was nice to read that there is at least some open dialogue.

Now the question is: does my local UU Fellowship accept and welcome transsexuals? I shall have to look into it.

As for disparaging remarks from gays and lesbians toward transgendered people... yes, it happens sadly. Even in the GLBTQ community there's not enough understanding of transpeople. Some gays and lesbians believe transpeople are really just gay or lesbian but in denial and should get over their denial. It happens and like most situations it requires a great deal of patience and education.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

Now the question is: does my local UU Fellowship accept and welcome transsexuals? I shall have to look into it.

An easy way to do this is check out the Find a Congregation section of the UUA website. If you look below the entry fields to the symbol legend you will see a chalice with rainbow hues along the edges, this designates a church that has completed the Welcoming Workshops. Now that doesn't mean the churchs with out the symbol are anti-BGLT, they just haven't completed the workshops yet. We just completed ours but I don't know if the website has updated yet.

Hope that helps.

 

[spiritually inclined]

That definately wasn't too much information, Litithu, you told me exactly what I needed to know. I am gay, but not a transsexual. However, I've always had a strong sense of sticking up for the outcasts, so I've spoken up for transsexuals just as I speak up for the bisexual, gay, and lesbian community, which of course includes myself.

As a human-made organization, Unitarian Universalism isn't going to be perfect, but it is by far the most accepting, tolerant religion I have ever heard of. There may be some problems with accepting transsexuals still, but I am sure these problems will be addressed by your religion far more early than many other churches and with much less controversy.

I have started another thread in the general debate forums (not intended as a debate, but it might be turned into one) inquiring about scientific studies that indicate the cause of transsexuality if anyone is interested. I have read quite a bit of material on the cause of homosexuality, but I rarely come across anything about transsexuality.

James

 

[lilithu]

That definately wasn't too much information, Litithu, you told me exactly what I needed to know. I am gay, but not a transsexual. However, I've always had a strong sense of sticking up for the outcasts, so I've spoken up for transsexuals just as I speak up for the bisexual, gay, and lesbian community, which of course includes myself.

As a person of color (Asian American), I also feel affinity for the outcasts. All oppressions are linked. As Dr. King said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." In standing up for our sisters and brothers, we stand up for ourselves, and in standing up for ourselves, we stand up for our brothers and sisters.

As a human-made organization, Unitarian Universalism isn't going to be perfect, but it is by far the most accepting, tolerant religion I have ever heard of. There may be some problems with accepting transsexuals still, but I am sure these problems will be addressed by your religion far more early than many other churches and with much less controversy.

Last year at General Assembly (our big once a year get-together), the Rev Gail Geisenhainer gave one of the best sermons that I have ever heard. It was about her experiences as a dyke coming into a UU congregation. This was a few years back when we were just starting to become welcoming and there was still some resistance. She describes her own pain, her own defensiveness, and the rough spots she experienced with that congregation. It was by no means smooth sailing. And yet she is now a UU minister, and one of our best "evangelists."

http://archive.uua.org/ga/ga06/5002b.html

All our congregations will have rough spots. In my own UU congregation, the Religious Educator was fired in the 1980's, supposedly for violating rules but really it was because he was gay. But now, both our senior and associate ministers are gay and our social justice minister is bi. :rainbow1: I can only hope that, while the acceptance of transsexuals is a little lagging, we will get through those rough spots too as we come to them.

 

[lilithu]

Some gays and lesbians believe transpeople are really just gay or lesbian but in denial and should get over their denial. It happens and like most situations it requires a great deal of patience and education.

I figure that's the case. Most times when someone displays antipathy for another its because they perceive the other as a threat to their own identity.

I think age is also a factor. The comments, as well as the one or two people agreeing with him, were coming from people who are older.

Now the question is: does my local UU Fellowship accept and welcome transsexuals? I shall have to look into it.

I wish you the best. I would wish you the best in any case, but really.... the idea of having to put yourself out there and see whether people will accept you... we all do it to some extent or another but it is definitely harder for some. May we (please) be a community that makes your life a little easier, not harder.

 

[jamaesi]

UUism itself is inherently open and welcoming to transsexuals.

Individuals are a different matter. I'm horrified how some can be so welcoming to GLB folks and completely forget about the T at the end. Especially when it is coming from those who are GLB...

If any UU congregation or individual gives any flack towards a trans* member then it's them, not the trans* person, who needs to have close look at and reflect on the Principles.

 

[hartlandcat]

I'm horrified that there still seems to be lingering elements of homophobia within some sections of the Unitarian movement, at least in Britain. This was brought to my attention during the LGBT meeting which I attended at our GA earlier this year.

On the one hand, the principal of our ministerial college is a lesbian, the youth officer is gay, and I can think of many openly homosexual ministers — including the minister of my own congregation. But on the other hand, a number of our congregations have voted against holding marriage services for same-sex unions — also including my own. I think this means that, for the first time, certain sections of the Unitarian movement are now less progressive than the British government in certain social issues.

I think that there can often be a gap between the people heavily involved in the denomination (e.g. ministers, people like me who go to GA etc.) and the regular congregation members, who can sometimes be a few years behind what the denomination is trying to do on an official level. Many members of my congregation are quite elderly, and joined decades ago. They often have views which would have been seen as very progressive when they joined in, say, the 1950s, but haven't really changed their views since. After all, in Britain in the 1950s, it was considered progressive to support the decriminalisation of homosexual behaviour with an age-of-consent of 21; advocating an age-of-consent of 16 for homosexual relationships (thus equivalent to heterosexual relationships) would have been seen as extremely liberal at that time.

So yes — I'm sure that most people heavily involved in the UUA would be very accepting of transpersons, but I can equally imagine that not all regular UUs in the United States would be quite so accepting.

(P.S. lilithu — I'm still here — I've left a message for you on your forum).

 

[spiritually inclined]

Last year at General Assembly (our big once a year get-together), the Rev Gail Geisenhainer gave one of the best sermons that I have ever heard.

That was truly a beautiful sermon. She sounds very gifted and insightful.

James

 

[spiritually inclined]

On the one hand, the principal of our ministerial college is a lesbian, the youth officer is gay, and I can think of many openly homosexual ministers — including the minister of my own congregation. But on the other hand, a number of our congregations have voted against holding marriage services for same-sex unions — also including my own. I think this means that, for the first time, certain sections of the Unitarian movement are now less progressive than the British government in certain social issues.

I had no idea that there were still UU congregations that would vote against same-sex marriage or union celebrations. That is truly sad considering all the good I've heard about Unitarian Universalism.

James

 

[hartlandcat]

James — I don't know where you live, but I get the impression that you're from North America. Don't let my experiences of Unitarians in Britain influence your view of the UUA, because although it's similar, the organisations are separate and not entirely congruent to each-other either.

On the whole, I think we're a few years behind the UUA. We have a fortnightly Unitarian magazine called The Inquirer — it's quite common for people, including ministers, to write articles and letters to it advocating that people of a non-Christian persuasion be excluded from the Unitarian movement. This is the sort of discussion which hasn't really existed in the UUA for about 20 years, but it's still somewhat controversial here. I think that's still a minority view here, as is the view which opposes gay unions/marriages, but those views are perhaps slightly more prevalent within our organisation than within the UUA, unfortunately.

 

[spiritually inclined]

Is your organization completely separate from the UUA? Which organization is this? I'm sort of confused.

James

 

[TurtleGirl]

An easy way to do this is check out the Find a Congregation section of the UUA website. If you look below the entry fields to the symbol legend you will see a chalice with rainbow hues along the edges, this designates a church that has completed the Welcoming Workshops.

Actually, I already checked the church's website itself and they are a Welcoming Congregation. But thanks for the help!

 

[lilithu]

On the whole, I think we're a few years behind the UUA. We have a fortnightly Unitarian magazine called The Inquirer — it's quite common for people, including ministers, to right articles and letters to it advocating that people of a non-Christian persuasion be excluded from the Unitarian movement. This is the sort of discussion which hasn't really existed in the UUA for about 20 years, but it's still somewhat controversial here.

Nah, on our side of the Pond it's the opposite, people who say that people of the Christian persuasion should be excluded. Again, it's only a few vocal voices, those who don't seem to understand that openness and tolerance means openness and tolerance for everyone.

 

[lilithu]

Is your organization completely separate from the UUA? Which organization is this? I'm sort of confused.

James

Hartlandcat is a Unitarian in Great Britain. The UUA is an American organization, the product of the merger between American Unitarians and American Universalists in 1961. (We have since expanded to other countries.) We share many similarities with our sisters and brothers across the Pond, and are in contact with each other, but there are also differences.

 

[hartlandcat]

Lilithu is right — it's called the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches in Britain and Ireland. Along with the UUA and many other Unitarian, Universalist and Unitarian Universalist organisations around the world, it is a member of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists.

So to answer the question as to whether we're completely separate from the UUA... yes and no. We're definitely not part of the UUA, if that's what you meant. But the overall point is that what I've written here is more for general interest about LGBT within Unitarian(-Universal)ism, rather than anything of specific relevance to your (spiritually inclined's) original question.

I'll just clarify that British Unitarianism is not of American origin. I know that lilithu knew that, but I can sort of see how her post could have been read to mean that by some people.

 

[Jaymes]

Is there a place I can find out exactly what becoming a Welcoming Congregation entails and what the workshop teaches?

 

[lilithu]

I'll just clarify that British Unitarianism is not of American origin. I know that lilithu knew that, but I can sort of see how her post could have been read to mean that by some people.

Oops, sorry about that. Yes, British Unitarianism is not of American origin.

The idea of Unitarianism (ie - non-trinitarianism) has originated "independently" in a number of times and places throughout Christendom. In fact, some of the earliest Christians were "unitarians" but they lost the political battle and were deemed heretical. I put "independently" in quotes because people are obviously influenced by each other. I think both England and her Colonies were influenced by the Unitarian Church in Romania, for example, and of course by the Enlightenment.