How the Churches are Addressing Transgender Issues

Via video screenshot
Via video screenshot
Religious institutions are now formally addressing the issue of transgender people participating in religion.

Religious institutions are now formally addressing the issue of transgender people participating in religion. The latest news in this matter came from the conference conducted by Reform Jews who are supposed to pass a resolution that its affiliated synagogues and temples may adopt marked gender neutral bathrooms. Rabbis will also be encouraged to offer sermons related to transgender topics.

How the Churches are Addressing Transgender Issues[/tweetthis]

Advocates for transgendered and gay rights said that this proposal includes a few of the more far reaching policies made for transgendered women and men observed among the mainstream religious organizations. In its transcript, the said Union for Reform Judaism affirmed the commitment it made to full equality, acceptance and inclusion of all gender expressions and gender identities.

Other than Reform Judaism, the Episcopal, United Church of Christ and Unitarian Universalist have announced a number of particular statements. These said that transgender people must be completely included in the ambit of church life and they can even be ordained ministers.

A survey by the Pew Research Center in 2013 has revealed that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals usually suffer less acceptance when it comes to transgender Americans compared to bisexuals, lesbians and gay men in the United States. Among the LGBT respondents, 80 percent say that there is zero (21 percent) or little (59 percent) social acceptance in case of transgender people living in society. A considerably fewer percentage of individuals say that there is zero or little acceptance for bisexual men (46 percent), bisexual women (21 percent), gay men (27 percent) or lesbians (14 percent).

The same Pew Research survey also reveals that LGBT adults are much less religious compared to general public. A significant proportion of LGBT Americans holds the view that a few religious institutions- specifically Catholic Church (79 percent), Islam (84 percent), evangelical churches (73 percent), and Mormon Church (83 percent) are particularly hostile towards them.

When it came to the Jewish religion, LGBT views come across as mixed. Same ambiguity is expressed when it comes to Protestant Churches with 44 percent of adults terming these faiths as unfriendly. About 10 percent have described them as friendly.  The remaining described them as neutral.

The Reform Judaism resolution caused hardly any trouble among the North American Jews. According to Ken Snitz of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the trustee board already has a full complement of rainbow members, including gay and lesbians. He affirmed hat the organization is supportive and open. He reiterated that they practice what they preach.

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