abstract
| - There are a variety of religious views on transgender people. These range from condemning all gender-variant behaviour, to honoring transgender people as religious leaders. Views with a single religion can vary considerably. Transgender people are uncommon enough, and frequently have low enough cultural status, that they are rarely discussed in religious texts. The historical terms used in these texts often lack clear parallels in the modern world, or even clear definitions. Distinctions between transsexuality, intersexuality, eunuchs, cross-dressing, homosexuality, and other forms of gender variance tend to be blurry when they exist at all. Many religious practitioners in modern times have visceral negative reactions to transgendered people and presume, when faced with the issue, that it must be against their religion's doctrines. This assumption is not always correct, and doctrines tend to be more complex than a straightforward rejection. Some religions do condemn gender-variant behaviour of at least some types. Others see profound gender issues or ambiguity as a tragedy rather than a moral failure. Some societies have special positions for transgender people; these are often based in religion.
|