Further, transgender students are not to be admitted into single-sex schools, camps, or programs opposite their biological sex. Puberty-blocking or gender-reassigning drugs are not to be taken or distributed on diocesan property.
The diocesan policy also states that “parishes, schools, and other Catholic institutions or organizations should be ever mindful … to practice charity and to respect the personal dignity of individuals who may express tension or concerns about their biological sex.” The new diocesan policy states that individuals struggling with gender dysphoria are to “be guided to appropriate ministers and counselors who will assist the person in a manner that is in accord with the directives and teachings of the Church.”
“As a diocesan community, we are committed to upholding Catholic social teaching that enjoins respect for the life and dignity of every person as created in the image of God,” Anne Marie Cox, the diocese’s director of communications, told CNA.
According to Cox, the new policy on transgenderism was developed at the request of the diocese’s schools and with the cooperation of school leaders and parents.
“Parish and school leaders asked Bishop William Joensen to provide guidance … He composed a task force for this purpose, and after two years of study, prayer, listening, and consultation, a policy was developed that begins with love,” Cox said.
Some responded to the diocese’s new policy with outrage.
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