Sexual orientation, which describes whom a person is physically and/or emotionally attracted to, is a separate category, and doesn’t influence someone’s gender identity or gender expression. When we use gender expression, we are talking about the way that a person may outwardly reflect their internal sense of gender through presentation, such as through clothing, hair, voice and body language. They came out as non-binary to reflect their authentic experience with their gender identity. Sam grew up being told they were a boy but they never knew themselves to be a boy. Or consider Sam, a non-binary person who uses they/them pronouns. But he didn’t know about transgender people until he was older and could finally see himself in their stories and come out. For as long as he could remember, he knew himself to be a boy. For example, consider Josh, a transgender man who grew up with his parents assuming he was a girl. It is an adjective, a descriptive word, and can encompass any variety of non-binary and gender-expansive identities. When we use the word transgender, we are describing a person whose gender identity is different than the sex they were assigned at birth. When we use the phrase “sex assigned at birth,” what we mean is the sex that was assigned by a doctor at birth based on some combination of sex chromosomes, genes, gonads and internal and external genitalia, as well as physiological hormones.

For the purposes of our writing, when we use gender identity we are referring to one’s internal sense of being male, female, both or neither. This resource aims only to offer a starting place for a dialogue on both. Whether we are talking about transgender issues or about faith, this seems to be true. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to learn new terms and new concepts, especially if we see those terms change in meaning or use from one context to another. Whether you are a ministry leader, the family member of a transgender person or a trans person of faith yourself, this page seeks to serve as a brief overview of the Bible’s precedent for affirming the full inclusion of transgender, non-binary and other gender-expansive people in the full life of Christian community. Consequently, gender-expansive people of all demographics and Christian traditions have been made to feel that they must choose between their faith and living a whole, healthy and authentic life.

Mistakenly, some Christians have suggested that taking the Bible seriously requires people of faith to stand in opposition to the existence, health and humanity of transgender people. While an exploration of that topic is important, the volume of faith resources dedicated to it have often excluded reflection on the unique considerations related to gender identity. For several decades, political and theological debates related to LGBTQ+ issues have centered around same-sex relationships for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

Forbid Me by M. Robinson