Gender Identity Resources
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We are dedicated to helping individuals, families, and congregations with questions and concerns related to gender identity, gender incongruence, transgender, and gender dysphoria who wish to live in harmony with the doctrines and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As a community, we are dedicated to creating a safe place for learning and growth within the Latter-day Saint context. We invite your feedback as we learn together about how to understand and help ourselves and others.
Explore North Star Resources
Welcome to our resources for Latter-day Saint individuals and families who experience issues related to gender identity. We greet you warmly and hope that the information and support found here will be helpful.
Take a few minutes and look around our site! We understand that the resources we’re providing are part of a broader conversation, and we welcome your thoughts and feedback on what you read here as we work together to mutually support one another.
Voices from our Community
Find inspiration and encouragement from personal experiences of community members who experience gender identity, gender incongruence, transgender, and gender dysphoria feelings in the North Star Community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding church leaders of individuals who experience same-sex attraction, gender identity, gender incongruence, transgender, or gender dysphoria feelings. If you have additional questions, comments, or concerns please join the Church Leaders private FaceBook page or email contact@northstarsaints.org
Transgender Terminology
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding transgender terms. If you have additional questions, comments, or concerns please join the Gender Identity FaceBook page or email contact@northstarsaints.org
What do the letters LGBTQ mean?
If you are not familiar with the meanings behind LGBTQ, here are some definitions. Many people use other terms they find more comfortable, or no terms at all. Some move from one term to another as they learn more about themselves.
L: Lesbian is a woman who is primarily attracted to other women.
G: Gay refers to men who are attracted to men, but many women use this term as well. It can be a general term meaning anyone attracted to their own gender. If someone identifies as gay, it does not necessarily mean they are in a same-sex relationship; they may just use it to describe their orientation, not their behavior.
B: Bisexual women find themselves attracted to both men and women. This is usually a consistent pattern for their lives, not generally one random episode of same- or opposite-sex attraction.
T: Transgender describes a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their sex at birth.
Q: Queer is becoming more common, and can refer to either sexual orientation or gender identity or both (or neither). It is an umbrella term that covers many different situations.
Sex vs Gender
Sex refers to attributes that characterize biological maleness and femaleness. In humans, the best known attributes that constitute biological sex include the sex-determining genes, the sex chromosomes, internal reproductive structures, the external genitalia, and secondary sexual characteristics—features that tend to appear during puberty, especially those that distinguish the sexes. Gender refers to the psychological, behavioral, or cultural characteristics associated with maleness and femaleness.
Gender Binary
This is a term referring to how society puts people into an either/or category of boy/girl. Some find this concept confining because many characteristics of maleness and femaleness overlap each other and very few people completely fit the stereotyped typical 100% feminine or 100% masculine (see Gender Role).
Gender Role
Gender role refers to behaviors, attitudes, and personality traits that a society, in a given socio-cultural context or historical period, designates as masculine or feminine, or that is more typical of a male or female social role. These vary across, and even within, cultures.
Sex Role
A sex role is distinct from a gender role in that it identifies a function or role that is unique and exclusive to a particular biological sex, as opposed to a social role generally assigned to or expected of one sex or another. An example of a sex role would be gestating, giving birth to, or breast-feeding a child. As much as a biological male may wish to give birth to a child, it’s not physically possible. An example of a gender role may be financial provider or cook; while it may be more common or expected in a given culture for a male to be a financial provider, in many cases a woman may be the financial provider in the home.
Gender Identity
Gender identity refers to a person’s self-experienced or self-perceived basic sense of relative maleness (masculinity) or femaleness (femininity).
Gender Expression
Gender expression refers to the way in which a person acts to communicate gender within a given culture; for example, through masculine or feminine behaviors, clothing, hair, communication patterns, and interests. A person’s gender expression may or may not be consistent with socially prescribed gender roles, and may or may not reflect his or her gender identity.
Gender Variance
Gender variance refers to the behavior, appearance, or identity of persons who cross, transcend, or do not conform to culturally defined norms for persons of their biological sex.
Gender Non-Conforming
This refers to a person who does not conform to society’s expected ways of ‘being’ a man or woman. An example could include a woman who chooses to become a truck driver but does not see herself as a man, and this could also include a young boy who wants to play dolls with the girls and experiences himself as more female than male. A gender non-conforming person may or may not feel distressed over his or her birth sex and may be non-conforming to a large or small degree.
Gender Dysphoria
Gender dysphoria is a discomfort characterized by a feeling of incongruence between one’s chromosomal or natal sex and one’s internal sense of gender. It is also the new official diagnostic category in the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and does not inherently denote a disorder as the DSM-IV-TR did with its diagnostic category of Gender Identity Disorder (GID). The experience of gender incongruence and resulting gender dysphoria may take many forms and, thus, is considered to be a multicategory concept, and the DSM-5 acknowledges the wide variation of gender-variant conditions.
Gender Identity Disorder
Gender Identity Disorder (GID) was a psychiatric diagnosis of gender incongruence first defined in the DSM-III. Its principal diagnostic criteria were gender dysphoria and strong and persistent cross-gender identification, resulting in clinically significant distress or impairment in social or occupational functioning. While it is no longer an official diagnostic category, because it was the diagnostic category that framed the research questions for over 30 years, it is still occasionally heard or seen in literature on this topic.
Transgender
Transgender is a popular cultural term typically used as an umbrella term for many different identities. People who identify transgender have a gender identity and/or gender expression that does not line up with their biological sex. It’s also important to understand, however, that “transgender” is a cultural identity construct and not all people who are gender variant or who experience gender dysphoria identify as transgender, so its employment as an umbrella term, as oppose to an identity construct within the larger umbrella of gender variance, is somewhat problematic.
Cross Dressing
Dressing up as another gender, usually the opposite gender. A man might wear a dress, wig, and makeup, or he might just wear female undergarments that only he knows about. A woman might attempt to look completely masculine in hair cut, clothing, and demeanor, or she might just prefer some masculine clothing items. (See also: gender expression.)
Androgynous
Being neither distinctly male or female in the way one dresses and acts. This may or may not refer to a third gender. A person can appear androgynous and be neither gender dysphoric or experience same-sex attraction, or they may appear androgynous and experience one or both.
Gender Queer
An informal, colloquial term referring to the experience of not neatly fitting into the package of male, female, or transgender. Sometimes this term has a political undertone inferring that the person is deliberately and openly disavowing themselves from society’s ideas of the gender binary which they find to be restrictive or prejudiced. This person probably would describe themselves as the “third gender” or as “gender fluid.” (See also: Gender Non-Conforming)
Gender Fluid
This term refers to the experience that some describe as floating between the genders, and can change from day to day or year to year. A person might experience feeling very feminine and in sync with feminine norms, and then through life experiences might align more with a feeling of being aligned with more masculine norms. This person would not necessarily self-identify as “transgender” because sometimes he or she does not experience being transgender at all.
Intersex Conditions or Disorders/Differences of Sex Development (DSDs)
An intersex condition—now usually referred to as disorders (or differences) of sexual development or DSDs—is when a person is born with some atypical biological characteristics that are both male and female. This can manifest itself in ambiguous genitalia, development of secondary sex characteristics that are inconsistent with genitalia, atypical chromosomes (i.e., XXY or XYY), or in other ways are different from the typical development of male or female. Gender dysphoria may occur in individuals with a DSD, and some Intersex individuals may identify as transgender, but transgendered and intersex individuals are typically seen as being in separate categories to take actions aligned with the will of our Heavenly Father. In section 38.7.7 of the Handbook, under the heading "Individuals Whose Sex at Birth is Not Clear," the Church counsels that "special compassion and wisdom are required when youth or adults who were born with sexual ambiguity experience emotional conflict regarding the gender decisions made in infancy of childhood and the gender with which they identify" and says that questions should be directed to the Office of the First Presidency.
How Does the North Star Mission Statement Apply to Issues Relating to Gender Identity?
The North Star mission emphasizes moving from solitude to community to ministry as individuals mature in their growth and understanding of their unique life journey as they seek to follow Christ more fully.
Starting with solitude, an individual draws closer to God and studies gospel truths, seeking individual revelation that aligns with those gospel truths regarding how to navigate their unique issues related to gender identity.
The individual can next move towards the community, building a positive and uplifting support network of family, friends, Church leaders, and perhaps even professionals who will support the person in living his or her values. We encourage individuals to use discernment of the Spirit in knowing whom to pick as friends and supporters in the community, which is vital to moving forward in faith.
“After a person is personally strengthened, and has nurtured self and others through the development of a healthy and faith-affirming support system, then he or she is able to engage in ministry. This ministry is where someone reaches out to others, attempting to draw them upward and help them on their way. When we are strengthened, we are to strengthen our brethren.”
These processes take a long time, even years, and isn’t perfectly linear - they can and do overlap. There is no rush to find all of the answers. It is important to be patient with yourself and others as individual answers are revealed, your friends and family grow along with you, and you and your support system are then able to reach out and help others. This is a life journey. Few if any have the answers to their gender dysphoria within a few years of seriously examining the issue. This takes time, study, thought, struggle, prayer, discussion, failure, hope, and the passage of lots of time to reach the point of ministry. Believe that it can get better as you work step by step to understand what the Lord expects of you in this experience.
What Does the Church Say About Transgender Individuals?
The Church website has an entire section on the transgender topic: “Transgender: Love, Inclusion and Respect for All of God’s Children.” It has resources for understanding and supporting individuals with this as part of their experience.
In addition, the Church Handbook spells out policies that may affect transgender individuals. Sections 38.2.8.10 and 38.6.23 discuss persons who identify as transgender. Section 38.6.23 points out that most Church participation and some priesthood ordinances are gender neutral, and transgender individuals who have socially or medically transitioned can participate in all of these ordinances, including baptism and confirmation, though in some cases special approvals may be required.
However, the Church counsels against social and medical transition and transitioning can affect one’s participation in priesthood and temple ordinance. The Church warns that transitioning will result in membership restrictions, but also emphasizes that all other Church participation is welcome. A transgender person’s preferred name can be noted on the membership record so that ward members and leaders know the name that this person asks to be referred to by.
The handbook also points out in the same section that some transgender individuals are prescribed hormone therapy to ease gender dysphoria, and so long as this is not part of an attempt to transition, this will not result in membership restrictions or participation in gendered ordinances.
The Church has clarified that the intended meaning of the term ‘gender’ in the Family Proclamation refers to biological sex at birth.
Being Transgender
The basis of an individual identifying as transgender is generally known as gender incongruence. Gender incongruence is when an individual feels an incompatible relationship between their gender identity and their biological sex at birth. This incongruence can present anywhere along a broad spectrum and include individuals that identify as gender non-conforming, gender fluid, gender non-binary, queer, etc. Some Intersex individuals may also experience incongruence with their gender assessed at birth by medical professionals or others. The distress that may accompany the incongruence is referred to as gender dysphoria or gender identity disorder. This distress can also present anywhere along a broad spectrum from very mild to extreme. Transgender individuals may describe this distress as a mild irritation, being gloomy, feeling unworthy, like constant motion sickness, constant static, “white noise”, or a pressure cooker building up steam and waiting to explode.
Because everyone is different, (if you’ve met one transgender individual, then you’ve met one transgender individual), and the distress is so varied, there is also a broad spectrum of ways transgender individuals try to cope with their own distress. Some determine that for themselves, a way to alleviate this distress may include social transitioning, medical transitioning (such as cross-sex hormones), or surgical transitioning which involves highly personal medical interventions.
“Keep in mind that not all transgender individuals experience dysphoria, and not all transgender individuals seek to socially, medically, or surgically transition. Conversely, not all people who experience gender dysphoria identify as trans. The transgender community is extremely diverse, and there are many differing experiences. ”
Social transitioning is sometimes referred to as gender expression and can include external manifestations of gender expressed through a person's name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, and/or body characteristics. Society identifies these cues as “masculine” or “feminine,” although what is considered “masculine” or “feminine” varies with time periods and cultures. Typically, transgender individuals seek to align their gender expression with their gender identity, rather than the sex they were assessed at birth. Social transitioning can be context-dependent: some may only socially transition in some contexts (such as at home) and not at others (such as at a place of employment).
Medically transitioning is the term commonly used for an individual that has elected hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in an effort to ease the dysphoria they experience. Though it is important to note that not everyone taking hormones is doing it for the purposes of medical transition. Surgical transitioning can involve a number of medical procedures such as detailed here (off site link). However, these decisions are private and highly personal, and it is generally considered highly impolite if not downright rude to ask questions about it, particularly (as is often the case) it’s merely to satisfy one’s curiosity.
“Sexual attraction and gender identity are totally distinct concepts. Transgender individuals experience incongruence with their gender identity and may be attracted to individuals of the same biological gender, the opposite biological gender, or may even be asexual. The experience of gender dysphoria is not a sexual temptation and therefore transitioning to alleviate gender dysphoria is not a violation of the law of chastity. Some people use the terms “androphilic” to refer to transgender individuals who are sexually attracted to biologically male individuals and “gynophilic” to those sexually attracted to biologically female individuals.”
Experiencing gender incongruence and gender dysphoria is not a sin. Most of not all individuals who experience this have suffered from ignorance, insensitivity, cruelty and sometimes physical violence. Some transgender individuals describe being bullied or targeted because of their gender presentation. This only adds to the distress and loneliness that these individuals can often feel. And when these individuals are restricted from Church activity or ordinances, they are in even greater need of our love and inclusion so that they can continue to be encouraged to participate as fully as they are able in the Church. (Be aware that hormone therapy will not result in membership restriction if it is not used to transition.)
“It is a common misconception that gender incongruence, like experiencing same-sex attraction, is a choice - that individuals “just want to be” the opposite gender, that “it’s just a phase” and that given time it will go away. It is important to realize that it is not a want or desire; the battle with gender incongruence is that the individual feels that he or she is, to the core, a gender that is different than their biological sex. These feelings are often tremendously difficult to manage and are frequently highly intrusive, and can result in tremendous, even excruciating, distress. Many things individuals may do to alleviate this distress may not be sins, and at any rate, it is usually not our place to judge. One’s internal feeling of gender dysphoria or incongruence can feel extremely, even painfully, compelling and real and it is difficult for those of us who haven’t had that experience to judge or counsel individuals who haven’t lived with that experience. ”
It is true that for some, feelings of gender dysphoria or gender incongruence may be managed in such a way that they become less distressing without transitioning. Others who have transitioned (socially, medically, or surgically) may desist and revert to presenting as their natal sex. (As we said, these issues are highly complex.)
However, these observations are rarely helpful to individuals in the throes of gender incongruence (and they are almost certainly already aware of them - they have almost certainly been thinking about, and struggling with, these issues far longer than those without personal experience have). Most often what these individuals need are not doctrinal or medical statements but simply for us to sit with them non-judgmentally and have us listen to them tell us about their experiences. When people feel understood and accepted just as they are, the burdens they are carrying feel much lighter.