Gender minorities and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has always taught gender roles as an important part of their theology, however, leaders have only recently begun directly addressing gender diversity and the experiences of transgender, non-binary, intersex, and other individuals whose gender identity and expression differ from the norm. Background: Gender identity and roles play an important part in Mormon theology which teaches a strict binary of spiritual gender as literal offspring of divine parents. Part of Sunday church meetings are currently divided by biological sex, and for most of the 1800s church presidents Joseph Smith and Brigham Young had men, women, and children sit separately for all Sunday meetings. Studies that shape current psychological understanding of expressions and identities for sexuality and gender show strong evidence that gender and sexuality are "separate, but related" aspects of a person and stem from similar biological origins. Current teachings: Current teachings on gender identity include the official website on homosexuality which states that "same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria are very different those who experience gender dysphoria may or may not also experience same-sex attraction, and the majority of those who experience same-sex attraction do not desire to change their gender. From a psychological and ministerial perspective, the two are different." Other notable teachings on gender have included an official statement made in 1995 by the LDS Church's First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles which states that "gender is an essential characteristic of individual pre-mortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose". However, in the past, church president Joseph Fielding Smith, stated that he believed that those who did not reach the celestial kingdom in the afterlife would be "neither man nor woman, merely immortal beings". LDS Church leaders have stated that they have unfinished business in teaching on the difficult and sensitive topic of transgender individuals. Church spokesman Eric Hawkins stated in March 2016 that LDS bishops recognize that "each case is different" and "difficult and sensitive" and that they recognize the "emotional pain" many gender minorities feel. He also reaffirmed the church's views that "gender is part of our eternal God-given identity and purpose" and stated that the Church does not baptize "those who are planning trans-sexual operations" and that undergoing a "trans-sexual operation" may imperil the membership of a church member, which seems to include chest surgery (i.e. top surgery). Gender diverse Mormons and former Mormons: While the exact portion of LDS Church-goers who identify as something other than cisgender is unknown, a large 2017 survey of mostly LDS-identifying BYU students found that .2% noted their gender identity as transgender or something other than cisgender male or female. For nationwide comparison, a 2017 meta-analysis of 20 separate large surveys (with sample sizes ranging from over 30,000 US adults to over 165,000 each) found a conservative estimate of .39% for the portion of US adults who self-identify as transgender. Several transgender and other gender diverse individuals with Mormon background have received media attention. These include Misty Snow, Eri Hayward[16] Grayson Moore, Emmett Claren, Sara Jade Woodhouse, Ann Pack, Alison Kluzek, and Annabel Jensen. Others who have shared some of their experiences include London Flynn, Augustus Crosby, Alex Autry, and Kimberly Anderson, as well as former and current BYU students Cammie Vanderveur, Jami Claire, Andy Winder, and Kris Irvin. Former stake president and church architect Laurie Lee Hall was excommunicated by her Utah local leaders in June 2017 for socially transitioning to express her gender identity as a transgender woman. She had experienced years of suicidal ideation and gender dysphoria before being released as a stake president in 2012 due to her identity and had come out to her entire congregation a year prior to her excommunication in July 2016. Organizations that support Mormon gender diverse individuals include Affirmation and USGA. Teachings on intersex individuals: The LDS Church has no publicly available policy or statements on intersex persons. The only publicly available policies are around binary transgender persons who are accepted in the church and may be baptized, but may not receive the priesthood or enter the temple if they are considering or have undergone elective sex reassignment surgery with no mention of those who are born with physically ambiguous or biosex-non-conforming physical traits and features, or for non-binary, agender, or genderqueer individuals who do not undergo surgery. Further teachings: Church leaders and scholars have made a number of statements regarding gender. For instance, the apostle David A. Bednar has stated that gender defines much of who we are, why we're on earth, and what we do and become since god made male and female spirits different as part of a divine plan. Another apostle, Russell Ballard taught that the mortal natures of men and women were specified by God. Additionally, church president Harold Lee taught that the "so-called 'transsexuality' doctrine" was hellish and false since God didn't place female spirits in male bodies and vice versa. Top leader Spencer Kimball addressed the BYU student body in 1974 stating that sex reassignment surgeries were an appalling travesty. Members outside of top leaders have also discussed gender. Scholars at the church-owned BYU created a book on the Family Proclamation discussing Mormon views on eternal gender distinctions. In contribution to a work on the Family Proclamation, Robert Millet wrote going against church-taught gender roles would cause unhapiness and a lack of fulfillment before and after death. Past teachings on relationship to homosexuality: Current church stances on gender identity and expression and sexual orientation are that they are different and that there "unfinished business in teaching on transgender situations". The official website on homosexuality states that "same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria are very different those who experience gender dysphoria may or may not also experience same-sex attraction, and the majority of those who experience same-sex attraction do not desire to socially or surgically transition. From a psychological and ministerial perspective, the two are different." However, in the past the church taught that homosexuality was caused by gender non-conformity or confusion about gender roles, and the vast majority of allusions to gender minorities were made from the perspective of discussing the etiology and mutability of minority sexual orientations rather than non-cisgender gender identities and expression per se. On several occasions while discussing homosexuality, church leaders have alluded to their belief that the homosexual individual may be confused about their gender identity or gender roles.