Often the hardest thing for you to do as a crossdresser to do is to reconcile crossdressing with your faith. In my previous article I wrote about crossdressing as it relates to sin. Hopefully you have started the journey down the road to accepting who you are, and learning to love God with all the might and soul of the person He (She) made you to be. Reaching that point is something to be celebrated – it is a long road to acceptance that few have undertaken.
You may be wondering though, how to come to terms with the stigma that Christians have placed on you as a transgendered person. I’ve found it helpful to ask the question Would Jesus Discriminate?. After reading this, and some of the material made available by the Metropolitan Church it should be clear that throughout history Christians have made many grave mistakes.
Christians have supported slavery, opposed the right of woman to vote and opposed interracial marriage. That is to say nothing of the brutal and violent crusades that were perpetrated in the name of God. I know that the God I worship looked on in great sadness at the action of these Christians.
If you are not ‘out’, and choose to keep your crossdressing a secret, then attending church shouldn’t pose much of a problem. For those of us who go out in public wearing woman’s clothes and living our alter ego this may pose more of a dilemma. Especially if you would like to attend church in your feminine persona.
I strongly recommend that you talk with your pastor before showing up to church in your best Sunday dress. It is possible that your pastor will support your wish to attend church dressed, or perhaps while not giving outright support may tolerate it – at least as long as it doesn’t cause a stir in the church family.
At worst, you may want to look for a church that is more open to transgendered people. The Metropolitan Church I mentioned earlier is openly welcoming of those in the transgendered community.
God bless you in your journey. May He bring you closer, lead your life with love and help you become the person you were meant to be.
Dear Vanessa
As far as the UK is concerned I can personally testify to their complete acceptance of my trans self.I identify as a person with a Gender Identity Disorder (hateful word!) as defined in the WHO International Classification of Diseases as a Bi-polar Transvestite, see: http://apps.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/icd10online/
There is at least one ordained transexual in the ministry of the Church of England who I know and our Christian Spirituality Group Sybils (See:http://www.sibyls.co.uk/ 1st rule respect others religious views)is drawing up a list of trans accepting churches. One trans girl I know is accepted in her local CoE church.
Sadly there is nothing like religion to let some good people do bad things through their misintepretation of God’s will.
Hugs – Christina
In some settings I just don’t see the problem. Most attendees at sabbath services in traditional Christian churches just can’t be bothered to pay attention to one of us. This is especiallyt true in the big churches. People barely acknowledge each other at a 7am service!!!!
However, if you are trying to become an active member of a certain church in a smaller setting, a discussion with the leader of that church is a good idea!
Hehe, well said Tina. I don’t think it’s a good thing, but I have noticed how little attention the parishioners pay to each other during a service.
Yeah, its ironic when most of our fellow Christians can vigorously proclaim the evils of racial prejudice, and then go on to tell the next cross dresser on the street that they aren’t going to heaven.
I guess another way to go to church cross dressed is to go to a different church than the one your normal persona belongs to. This of course after ensuring that you pass well and can sing in falsetto.
Hehe, yeah – it’s quite amazing the mixed messages that come from the church. Love and rejection all packaged into one…
Yeah, its ironic when most of our fellow Christians can vigorously proclaim the evils of racial prejudice, and then go on to tell the next cross dresser on the street that they aren’t going to heaven.
I guess another way to go to church cross dressed is to go to a different church than the one your normal persona belongs to. This of course after ensuring that you pass well and can sing in falsetto.
Hehe, yeah – it’s quite amazing the mixed messages that come from the church. Love and rejection all packaged into one…
I am a cisgender lesbian who goes to a mainstream Episcopal church in a large US city. We have a member who is pre-/non-op who serves as a vested assistant on a regular basis. 85% of the time she looks great–jeans and a sweater are fine, as is a conservative skirt suit. But on Christmas and Easter she wears glittery evening gowns and big wigs that scream, “look at me.” In the summer she wears strapless sundresses with matching electric blue eye makeup–and she is very muscular and apparently near or over 50. Is there any way to kindly provide feedback? Her fashion failures would make anyone stand out in a bad way, and they are just cringe-inducing on her.
Your’s is the itneillgent approach to this issue.
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