The Church Of England Is Apparently Transphobic

This is the implication of the musing upon those who transition within marriage. That they haven’t in fact become newly male or female, but remain in their original gender. Which is, of course, transphobia by the standards of some today.

But this is where the Church of England finds itself:

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Church of England will condone gay couples for first time – as long as they were man and wife when they took vows[/perfectpullquote]

No, that’s not what they’ve done in the slightest. They’re specifically rejecting gay marriage in fact.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The Church of England has for the first time confirmed that marriage between same-sex couples is valid – as long as they were man and wife when they took their vows.[/perfectpullquote]

That’s simply idiocy on the part of the journalist. They become man and wife when they take their vows, not are such at that time. Sigh.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The Bishop of Newcastle confirmed that the church would not deem such a marriage to be invalid if either a man or a woman later changes gender, adding that it would never press any couple to divorce.[/perfectpullquote]

The CoE does not perform nor recognise same sex marriages. They’re also not stating that a marriage where transitioning has happened are now invalid. The only reason it is possible to hold both views is:

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“However, it is clear that because this only applies to couples who married before the transition the Bishops do not really accept the transition at all. They still see the trans man or trans woman as he/she was appearing at the time of the wedding. This is disappointing.”[/perfectpullquote]

Quite so, transitioning does not change the essence of the man or woman that allows them to marry as a man or woman. And there very much are those out there who will insist this is transphobia. For it is to say that those who have transitioned are not fully and entirely now their target sex or gender.