Someone on the tgiMormons email list ran a survey to get an idea of
how broadly this group covers the trans spectrum. My responses were:
What was your apparent birth sex and how do you currently present?
What was your apparent birth sex and how do you currently present?
female and female
What is your transgender status? (i.e., fully transitioned, transitioning, partially transitioned, planning to transition, no transition, etc) Why did you choose that path?
No plan transition at this
time... leaving it open as a future possibility. Transition is a very
confusing process for everyone; I don't feel that the benefit I would
get from it would justify the resulting headaches.
What is your past and current relationship with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (e.g., are you a current member in good standing? Do you consider yourself a former Mormon? etc.)
Convert at
age 23 despite very non-LDS beliefs on gender related issues. On paper
I'm a wonderfully upstanding member; socially, I'm about as far out as
one can get and not be considered completely gone.
If you're still active at all, at what level do you participate? (e.g., do you just attend? Are you a home/visiting teacher? Do you hold a calling? Are you endowed? Married in the temple? etc.)
Visiting teacher, calling, endowed.
If you could, would you want to participate at a higher level (e.g., would you like a calling? Hope to get endowed/married in temple some day?)
Temple marriage would be nice, but I'm not very optimistic on the odds of it happening since I have no intention of becoming a stay-at-home mother. To quote my aunt... "I need a WIFE!"
I would like to take an active role in getting the more open and accepting beliefs that church leadership holds trickled down to the general membership.
If you are not a current member in good standing, what keeps you away? Would you go back if you could?
Too much bigotry and belief that "our way is the RIGHT way". I value my sanity too much to put up with that, which is why I prefer to spend my time with non-members.
(Recognizing that prophets are mortal and fallible) Do you believe that God calls prophets? Do you believe that they speak the truth? Do you believe that God's prophets lead the Church?
Yes, however it's spelled out in the articles of faith that "He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God." Even our prophets haven't yet received all the truth that there is to have.
Do you agree with the Church's teaching that "All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose"? In other words, do you agree that we are all either male or female on a spiritual level (regardless of whether our mortal bodies necessarily match or reflect that gender identity)?
I don't know. I know I don't fit into the American definition of female, but that there are other cultures that would either assign me a male role or provide a scope of femaleness that would include me. God could see me as male OR female for all I know... and I don't particularly care which. I'll deal with that when I get to eternity, trusting that God will give me a role I can be happy in. [And if he doesn't, I'll be on the far side of the terrestrial kingdom with the rest of the "variant" people.]
Do you consider yourself (spiritually/core) male or female (regardless of apparent birth sex)? Why?
I am me. I don't see gender as a primary characteristic of what I am, and feel that the assigning of one gets in the way of other more important things. See response to previous question for further elaboration.
4/27/2013 edit: I suspect that LDS folks are going to get uptight upon seeing this statement, remind themselves/me that "gender is an essential characteristic of our spirits!", and then stop listening, justifying this by convincing themselves/yourself that I'm obviously contradicting gospel principles and must therefor be completely wrong. I'm not going to retract my statement in attempt to maintain an ongoing dialog, but I will attempt to re-word it in a less offensive manner... I understand that your gender is important to you, and think that is as it should be. I understand that such is the case for most of the human population. When it comes to my own gender identity (which I do have, although it's not as neatly defined as yours) there are so many cultural values that might or might not align with God's priorities muddying the waters that I don't think it's possible for us mere mortals to confidently identify what the presumed male/female binary designation of my spirit is. I'm ok with not knowing that in this lifetime. And if I, the person to whom that piece of information is most relevant, am willing to wait for that detail to be sorted out... who are you to demand an answer to that question now?
If you have transitioned, how closely did you follow the Harry Benjamin standards? How much did they help you?
If I do transition, it probably won't include hormones or surgery... not sure that the Harry Benjamin standards are applicable to that case.
If you haven't transitioned at all, what if anything do you do to cope?
I wear gender-neutral clothing whenever possible (jeans, T-shirts, etc). Baggy sweatshirts are a favorite since nothing else comes close to disguising my breast size. I frequent male-dominated activities and distance myself from anyone who insists that I need to act feminine.
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