Transgender and Intersex Fremasons

[Borderhooner]

I'd like to discuss the implications of transgender and intersex freemasons or applicants in England. Before I raise some questions and discuss information - is this the correct section of the forum to do this in?

If so I'll continue in this thread, otherwise, I'll delete this post and continue in the correct section if advised.

Waiting.

Thanks

 

[Glen Cook]

1. Scope
United Grand Lodge of England Gender Reassignment Policy
This policy sets out UGLE’s approach to the issues raised for Freemasonry by gender reassignment. It is intended to help guide Lodges in their decision making. It does not impose binding rules and although it gives some general guidance on discrimination law it does not constitute legal advice.
This Policy does not attempt to address all the issues relating to gender which may arise as gender reassignment and gender transition become more prevalent in a changing society and when they do they will need to be addressed in accordance with Masonic principles of lawfulness, kindness and tolerance.
2. General
It is important that any situation involving gender reassignment of a Freemason is treated with the utmost compassion and sensitivity and that the individual is supported throughout the process.
If a Freemason who is a member of UGLE wishes to change gender and become a woman we expect that the Freemason would receive the full support of their brethren. The privacy of the individual should be respected and there will normally be no requirement to inform the applicable Metropolitan, Provincial or District Grand Secretary or the Grand Secretary about this change.
3. Applications for admission
A candidate for admission to Freemasonry under the jurisdiction of UGLE must be a man. Should a person who has undergone gender reassignment and has become a man apply to become a Freemason then his application must be processed in the same way as for any other male candidate.
Any qualified candidate for admission may be proposed for membership of a private lodge in accordance with the provisions in the Rules contained in the Book of Constitutions. No candidate should be subjected to questions about their gender which could make them feel uncomfortable.
4. Continued membership
A Freemason who after initiation ceases to be a man does not cease to be a Freemason.
We expect that Freemasons will act with compassion and sensitivity towards their fellow Freemasons.
We hope that no Freemason would engage in unwanted conduct relating to another Freemason’s actual or perceived gender reassigment or gender transition. Such conduct would not only be unmasonic but is also unlawful if it has the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for, the victim.
5. Resignation from the Craft
A Freemason who becomes a woman is not required to resign from the Craft.

If a person resigns from the Craft then they and their dependants might no longer be eligible for some of the benefits provided by the Masonic charities now or in the future.
6. Exclusion from a Lodge
A Lodge may vote to exclude any member for sufficient cause. The following grounds would constitute unlawful discrimination and so could never constitute sufficient cause:
a. The fact that a member has legally become a woman;
b. A mistaken belief that a member has legally become a woman;
c. The fact that a member is in the process of transition from male to female; or
d. A mistaken belief that a member is in the process of transitioning from male to female.
Similarly a Lodge must not attempt to persuade a member to resign from the Lodge or discriminate against a member based on any of these grounds. A Lodge must not at any time require a member to prove that they are legally a man.
7. Amendment
The law and what is considered best practice in this area are developing rapidly. This policy may be amended from time to time and so please ensure that you are referring to the latest version.
Date adopted: 17 July 2018

see https://www.pglwilts.org.uk/media/files/1533399313ugle-gender-reassignment-policy-1.pdf

 

[Glen Cook]

Gender and Gender Reassignment FAQs – Lodges
These FAQs are intended to provide some practical guidance to Lodges about how to comply with the law and how to implement UGLE’s gender reassignment policy. Freemasons are expected to act with sympathy, compassion and courtesy to other people and this guidance should be read in that light.
One of our members is living as a woman – what should we do?
Nothing.
One of our members has become a woman – what should we do?
Nothing.
One of our members has declared that they are not a man but are gender neutral – what should we do?
Nothing.
One of our members has started wearing a skirt – what should we do?
Lodges must where applicable permit appropriate female alternatives to their dress code. A dress code which requires a dark suit will for example accommodate a smart dark skirt and top.
One of our members has asked to be called “Mrs Smith”, “Sister Smith” and “Jane” in correspondence and conversation.
As a matter of courtesy, a person should be addressed by the name and title he/she has chosen (except for titles which are restricted such as “Sir” or “Lord”).
The only correct way to refer formally to a member in Lodge is as “Brother Smith” or “Brother Jane” regardless of gender.
Some members are unhappy that a member of the Lodge has become a woman. Can I have a quiet word with her, suggesting that she might wish to consider her position?
No. She should not be subjected to any pressure or suggestion, or perceived pressure or suggestion, that she should resign from the Lodge because of her change of gender.
It would be appropriate to have a quiet word with the unhappy members to remind them of their Masonic obligations.
If she asks questions about joining a female Freemasonry organisation then ask your Metropolitan, Provincial or District Grand Secretary for contact details for female Freemasonry organisations so that you can pass the details on to her.
Our Lodge wishes to exclude a female member. Are there any specific considerations that arise?
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Rule 181 permits a Lodge to exclude any member for sufficient cause. Female members can be excluded for all of the same reasons, but only the same reasons, as male members. In this context an allegation of disharmony or potential disharmony on the grounds of a member’s gender, perceived gender, gender reassignment status or perceived gender reassignment status is not sufficient cause for exclusion.
As always when applying Rule 181, all of the requirements of the procedure set out in the Rule must be followed and great care should be taken when drafting the particulars of complaint so that it is clear what the grounds for exclusion are.
A member of our Lodge is no longer male and wishes to resign from the Craft.
No member should be pressured to resign from the Craft because they are no longer male.
Any member who resigns from their Lodge will remain a member of the Craft and will remain eligible for some of the reliefs currently offered by Masonic charities. A member who resigns from the Craft as well as all their Lodges may lose eligibility for some of those charitable reliefs. Members who are considering resignation from the Craft should be advised to have regard to the potential loss of charitable reliefs before resigning.
One of our members has obtained a gender recognition certificate – do we need to record this or notify anybody?
No, a certificate is a private document and nobody should request sight of it. We do not record members’ genders and there is no need to notify anybody if a member changes their gender.
One of our members has complained about comments made by other members relating to his/her gender, perceived gender or gender reassignment. The comments were part of the normal jokes of members and were not unusual or objectively offensive.
If the comments had a sufficient impact on your member that they felt the need to complain then the situation should be taken seriously. This is the case even if the comments seemed innocuous to you and others. It is important to keep in mind that harassment may lie in the complainant’s perception.
Lodges must not victimise a member for bringing discrimination claims or complaints against the Lodge or its members. That member must be treated in the same way as a member who had not brought the claims or complaints. Nobody should be penalised merely for making an unsuccessful discrimination claim or complaint unless it was clearly vexatious or malicious.
The members who made the comments should receive an explanation that their comments caused offence, however inadvertently, so that they know to avoid comments of that nature at future Lodge events. If a member who has received an explanation repeats his behaviour this is likely to be unmasonic behaviour which is subject to the usual sanctions.
One of our members has indicated that he will blackball a male candidate because the candidate lives as a woman/ wears female clothing/ is perceived by that member to be female/ has stated that he will transition to become a woman.
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These are not legitimate reasons for blackballing and would constitute unmasonic behaviour which is subject to the usual sanctions.
A member proposes to bring a female visitor to the Lodge meeting – what should we do?
A visitor must be a member in good standing of this or another recognised Grand Lodge. Rules 125 and 126 govern who may be admitted as a visitor and the by-laws of the Lodge may contain additional requirements. The Master of the Lodge may refuse admission in accordance with Rule 126 if the visitor is of known bad character. He may also refuse admission if he has reasons to rule that the visitor’s presence would disturb the harmony of the Lodge. He may not refuse admission if his reasons for believing that the harmony of the Lodge would be disturbed are related to the visitor’s gender, perceived gender, gender assignment or perceived gender assignment.
My question is not answered here.
There will plainly be other questions which arise when applying the gender assignment policy. If your question is not answered in the latest version of the FAQs on this issue then please contact your Metropolitan, Provincial or District Grand Secretary.
These FAQs are intended to help share knowledge and guidance but are not legal advice and are not a substitute for independent legal advice on compliance, if you consider that necessary. Lodges which are not based in the UK will need to consider the impact of any local laws concerning gender and gender reassignment.
United Grand Lodge of England 17 July 2018
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[Borderhooner]

Thank you for your in-depth reply Glen. Please allow me to expand my question and mention my reason for interest.

My Reason for Interest and Concern

I work for a leading British children's charity in England. I specifically support young adults/children who are gender diverse and or intersex. For 4 years I've worked professionally with LGBT+ people in capacities as a fine artist and a mental health/adult social care support worker. I also support adults with disabilities, some of whom are LGBT+. It's merely a fact that LGBT+ people experience discrimination, oppression, bigotry, hate crime and in many cases violence. I enjoy my work immensely.

In those 4 years, I've met many people from all walks of life, who have very interesting and diverse lives and experiences.

I very rarely divulge my work to others, because of the sensitivity of the work I do, boundaries and safeguarding/data protection/privacy.

Mostly however the main reason that I don't divulge this to others, is that most often a debate ensues in which individuals tell me their implicit opinions, biases, through their own emotional filters. Most often this results in having to listen to bigotry, oppression, discrimination, and the person or persons I'm speaking or communicating with failing to understand how their actions can lead others to suffer. Even though I can explain transgender and intersex conditions succinctly with empirical peer-reviewed, globally accepted scientific evidence and research findings - many people are not ready to be challenged, and it simply becomes exhausting. It's not my responsibility to educate others but I can tell them that I find their communication oppressive or discriminatory.

I'm connected with many Freemasons on social media and I encounter some individuals often communicating, for all to see, what I believe to be oppression, discrimination against those who are transgender and or intersex. This makes me feel very uncomfortable and sometimes quite anxious for private reasons - in fact over the last few days, I decided to join forums to read how to demit. But then I contacted a trusted brother privately and we had a short discussion - ultimately I have to remember that there's a higher purpose to our craft and I must not allow the perhaps ignorant opining of a minority to the deter me from my path. As I'm sure you can appreciate, it would be antithetical to my professional boundaries to remain connected to those who would be the cause of the kind of suffering in those I support.

Expanded Questions

Please read the information after the next heading (if you can) before responding to the questions below

I understand that the statement made by UGLE, regarding transgender members of freemasonry, specifically deals with men and women or males and females. However, transgender is not defined as transitioning to the opposite sex or gender - doing so one definition of being transgender but it isn't the only experience for many people. Transgender means the individual does not identify 100% with the gender which would usually be aligned with their sex assigned at birth. Does the UGLE have its own definition of 'transgender' and is it exclusive to only male-female, man-woman?

Does the UGLE base the definition on the GRA (Gender Recognition Act) which isn't the determining evidence that a person is transgender (see Equality Act)?

Under the umbrella of transgender identity, there are binary genders (man-woman, male-female) and non-binary genders. Non-binary simply means the person does not identify 100% with either of the binary genders. Does the UGLE recognize non-binary genders?

Does the UGLE recognize that not all humans are born 100% male or female and that some people have a range of intersex conditions?

Scientific Evidence in Support of my Concerns

Foreward

This forward contains both my professional opinions and history.

There is a present strong current in contemporary society of many people believing and troping that, due to changes in a liberal society, there are now more transgender or intersex people identifying as diverse.

The scientific evidence, however, shows that intersex and transgender people have always existed for many thousands of years, probably hundreds of thousands of years and more - in the past, they were not afforded protection, inclusion, equality and the right to choose terms for how they wished to be addressed and spoken to or of in society. The binary cisgender social construct was so powerful within society historically, it lasted a very long time and people who were diverse have mostly had to conform to that social-cultural norm. Social constructs are powerful things. People for thousands of years believed disease spread through a miasma or from strong odors. Bloodletting was common until the 1920s and people were burned at the stake as heretics for stating the earth was round and not, with the man being, the center of the universe or solar system. This is to illustrate the power of social constructs - even in the light of empirical science.

Because of all the amazing contemporary breakthroughs in brilliant medicine and science, we, who decide to, now understand the divergence of gender and intersex conditions. People have a variance and diverse genetic expression - we are not all the same. This does raise some important theological and philosophical debates.

I have seen communications from individuals stating that there are only two sexes or genders, man-woman-male-female, perhaps evidenced by the XX and XY chromosome and that those identifying otherwise are severely deranged and mentally ill - or that transgender people are mentally ill and deluded. Below I will provide evidence that this is absolutely not the case.

I believe such opinions that being transgender is a mental illness are from the confusion of what Gender Dysphoria/Incongruence is.

Gender Dysphoria/Incongruence (from here on GD/I) was for a long time classed as a mental health condition in the American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic & Statistical Manual (from here on DSM) which is used all over the world for diagnosing mental conditions. An important point is that not all people who are transgender experience GD/I.

However, GD/I is now classed as a Sexual Development Condition (from here on SDD) - it has been removed from the DSM as a mental health disorder.

We can see then that at NO TIME in recent history has being transgender been classed as a mental illness in and of itself as a gender identity. The former classification in the DSM only referred to the medical/health condition GD/I.

Intersex - Many people think that intersex people are hermaphrodites, meaning they have sexual organs of the two binary sexes. This isn't the case, most intersex people deem the term hermaphrodite derogatory and offensive and rather than go in-depth, as I will be sharing the information below, intersex is quite mattered of factly a range of conditions - such as differences in hormones, chromosomes, primary and secondary sex characteristics, and brain structure. Sex and gender are closely entwined and for a minority, it's more than a question of being entirely masculine or feminine.

I'm going to share information and scientific findings below with quotes and I'll share the links to the source. Before I do I'd like to finish this forward with some facts about how transgender people were treated by the Nazis. An Institut für Sexualwissenschaft (translated as Institute of Sex Research, Institute of Sexology, Institute for Sexology or Institute for the Science of Sexuality) was founded in Berlin in 1919. For 2 decades it became the most advanced pioneering research center, for the science of LGBT people, in the world. The first also. Groundbreaking research science was being conducted at the institute. However, it's culture did not align with the fascist ideology of Nazi Germany. 'On 6 May 1933, while Hirschfeld was in Ascona, Switzerland, the Deutsche Studentenschaft made an organized attack on the Institute of Sex Research. A few days later, the Institute's library and archives were publicly hauled out and burned in the streets of the Pernplatz. Around 20,000 books and journals, and 5,000 images, were destroyed. Also seized were the Institute's extensive lists of names and addresses' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institut_für_Sexualwissenschaft#Nazi_era).

Transgender and intersex people in Nazi Germany were rounded up, sent to forced labor camps to be worked to death, or were exterminated, some were used as sex slaves until they died. This is what can happen in a regime or ignorant society which removes the equality, inclusion, rights, and protections for transgender and intersex people - still, today in many parts of the world where these people do not have protection, intersex and transgender people are at great risk of violence and murder with many intersex babies with visual signs of differences of their sex organs - being killed at birth.

Evidence that there are more than 2 sexes (albeit in a minority) and that this can lead to a variance of gender experiences

Source: https://www.who.int/genomics/gender/en/index1.html for further reading please go to the source.

"Genetic Components of Sex and Gender - Humans are born with 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs. The X and Y chromosomes determine a person’s sex. Most women are 46XX and most men are 46XY. Research suggests, however, that in a few births per thousand some individuals will be born with a single-sex chromosome (45X or 45Y) (sex monosomies) and some with three or more sex chromosomes (47XXX, 47XYY or 47XXY, etc.) (sex polysomies). In addition, some males are born 46XX due to the translocation of a tiny section of the sex-determining region of the Y chromosome. Similarly, some females are also born 46XY due to mutations in the Y chromosome. Clearly, there are not only females who are XX and males who are XY, but rather, there is a range of chromosome complements, hormone balances, and phenotypic variations that determine sex.

The biological differences between men and women result from two processes: sex determination and differentiation. (3) The biological process of sex determination controls whether the male or female sexual differentiation pathway will be followed. The process of biological sex differentiation (development of a given sex) involves many genetically regulated, hierarchical developmental steps. More than 95% of the Y chromosome is male-specific (4) and a single copy of the Y chromosome is able to induce testicular differentiation of the embryonic gonad. The Y chromosome acts as a dominant inducer of male phenotype and individuals having four X chromosomes and one Y chromosome (49XXXXY) are phenotypically male. (5) When a Y chromosome is present, early embryonic testes develop around the 10th week of pregnancy. In the absence of both a Y chromosome and the influence of a testis-determining factor (TDF), ovaries develop.

Gender, typically described in terms of masculinity and femininity, is a social construction that varies across different cultures and over time. (6) There are a number of cultures, for example, in which greater gender diversity exists and sex and gender are not always neatly divided along binary lines such as male and female or homosexual and heterosexual. The Berdache in North America, the fa’afafine (Samoan for “the way of a woman”) in the Pacific, and the kathoey in Thailand are all examples of different gender categories that differ from the traditional Western division of people into males and females. Further, among certain North American native communities, gender is seen more in terms of a continuum than categories, with special acknowledgment of “two-spirited” people who encompass both masculine and feminine qualities and characteristics. It is apparent, then, those different cultures have taken different approaches to creating gender distinctions, with more or less recognition of fluidity and complexity of gender."

Gender Dysphoria/Incongruence no longer recognized as a mental health disorder.

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-48448804

"Transgender health issues will no longer be classified as mental and behavioral disorders under big changes to the World Health Organization's global manual of diagnoses. The newly-approved version instead places issues of gender incongruence under a chapter on sexual health. A World Health Organization expert said it now understands transgender is "not actually a mental health condition".

Human Rights Watch says the change will have a "liberating effect worldwide". In the latest manual, called the ICD-11, gender incongruence is defined as a marked and persistent incongruence between a person's experienced gender and assigned sex. In the previous version - ICD-10 - this was considered a gender identity disorder, in the chapter entitled mental and behavioral disorders. Dr. Lale Say, a reproductive health expert at the World Health Organization, said: "It was taken out from mental health disorders because we had a better understanding that this was not actually a mental health condition, and leaving it there was causing stigma.

"So in order to reduce the stigma, while also ensuring access to necessary health interventions, this was placed in a different chapter."

Commenting on the revisions, Graeme Reid, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights director at campaign group Human Rights Watch, said the changes would have a "liberating effect on transgender people worldwide". He added: "Governments should swiftly reform national medical systems and laws that require this now officially outdated diagnosis.""

What does transgender mean - including non-binary (gender non conforming) information?

Source: https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/transgender

"According to the APA Style guide, the term “transsexual” is largely outdated, but some people identify with it; this term should be used only for an individual who specifically claims it. While the term “transsexual” appears multiple times throughout this document, APA’s Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity is undertaking a systematic review of its use along with other terms. In the meantime, please refer to the Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People (PDF, 472KB) for more up-to-date language regarding transgender and gender-nonconforming people.

Transgender is an umbrella term for persons whose gender identity, gender expression or behavior does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth. Gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense of being male, female or something else; gender expression refers to the way a person communicates gender identity to others through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, voice or body characteristics. “Trans” is sometimes used as shorthand for “transgender.” While transgender is generally a good term to use, not everyone whose appearance or behavior is gender-nonconforming will identify as a transgender person. The ways that transgender people are talked about in popular culture, academia, and science are constantly changing, particularly as individuals’ awareness, knowledge, and openness about transgender people and their experiences grow."

Only two sex forms but multiple gender variants: How to explain?

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5824932/

"In conclusion: In this paper, I advanced the physiology-based view that there are probably as many different gender variants as there are sexually reproducing individuals, and this not only in humans. Hence, there is no need to make subcategories in the gender variants with the purpose to install a moral hierarchy as they are all physiologically equal. This does not mean that all gender variants contribute equally well to the well-being of the whole population. I hope that growing awareness that the Ca2+- homeostasis system which is a key signaling system in all eukaryotes, acts as one of the cornerstones on which gender is based, may contribute to a better acceptance of the variability of in gender forms as a natural, largely genetic (inborn) system."




I look forward to an answer to the questions.

END

Thank you for reading.

 

[Glen Cook]

I’m not qualified to answer those questions.

 

[Borderhooner]

I’m not qualified to answer those questions.

Thank you Glen.

Do you know if anyone on this forum may be able to answer those questions, and if not do you know how I might get answers?

 

[Glen Cook]

Thank you Glen.

Do you know if anyone on this forum may be able to answer those questions, and if not do you know how I might get answers?

I would ask Province to inquire of the Grand Secretary.

 

[Borderhooner]

The Grand Secretary is answering questions in public on twitter later today, I have asked my questions briefly using that process and facility. If for any reason he can't reply, I'll follow an alternative process such as you've mentioned.

Thank you for the in depth information Glen, the FAQ's I had not seen before, I found them useful, particularly the mention of Gender Neural (aka Neutrois / Agender) and I did wonder if that means there's some acceptance of non binary and therefore more than 2 gender identities?

Agender is a non-binary gender, a non-binary person, for many reasons including private health conditions, may experience agender for some of the time, aswell as cisgender (gender aligned with birth sex) most of the time, which could mean they're a gender fluid person, and that could be not by any 'choice' but by genetic expression.

The mention of gender neutral in the FAQ's perhaps shows that there are more than 2 genders considered by UGLE? So maybe by such definition, one of the questions has been answered?

The fact is, in any form of communications with others, one may not know one is communicating with a transgender, intersex or non binary gender freemason. Indirect oppression or discrimination can still affect any person with protected characteristics who recieves the communication. A freemason should not have to out themselves or their friends, family members in communications in order to support an argument and request an end to the abusive, oppressive or discriminatory information. And as brotherly love, relief and truth are part of the bedrock of freemasonry - no freemason should be made to feel uncomfortable or to suffer. I believe it of the highest rectitude therefore to confront and attempt to discuss such issues as they arise because they're very important issues. People who are, or support a minority should not be dismissed, removed, ignored, marginalised or penalised for having or supporting a natural difference.

I realise this is a very sensitive topic and I also understand that for many people, it's a subject in which they do not have a great deal of education or experience, and if that's so - for anyone reading this if you don't have a great deal of knowledge on the subject - I suggest you should desist and refrain from telling people that transgender, non binary or intersex people are inherently mentally ill, deranged or deluded. Because not only is this untrue, contemporary science does not agree, such communicated information whether direct or indirect could be a form of abuse, discrimination, and oppression which is absolutely intolerable.

Can I just mention before I sign off, GCHQ, MI6, and MI5 are among the top 100 (in some instances top 10) Stonewall Index Employers in the UK for LGBT people. This includes people who are transgender, nonbinary and intersex.

Again, to Glen and also to anyone reading this, thank you for taking the time to do so.

 

[jermy Bell]

I just don't understand why everything should change to suite A group of people, who want in on something that they truly don't belong.

 

[Borderhooner]

I just don't understand why everything should change to suite A group of people, who want in on something that they truly don't belong.

Hi JB.

Trans and intersex people are human beings and they belong as part of the natural God created order of human beings.

I'm asking specifically the following questions. These questions can be either taken as directly referring to current Freemasons, and prospective applicants or indirectly as simply how Freemasons might communicate information about other humans who are different. As you can see above, UGLE has already made a statement and provided FAQ'S.

My specific questions are: Does UGLE recognise nonbinary and intersex identities, are there more than 2 genders, sexes, 46XX 46XY chromosomes - recognised?

I dont know which jurisdiction you're in. If it's not UGLE, then I don't currently have the information about any equality and diversity policies or guidance in your area.

I can only presently comment on UGLE jurisdiction. Transgender people actually belong in lodges in our country.

So as for your statement that they don't belong - I can't comment on that other than to say; If it's a personal opinion, of course you're entitled to one. Whether or not it's in recognition of policy, guidance or law, to state they don't belong - I don't know. You're still entitled to your opinion.

I'm aware in some jurisdictions that's the case, they are not admitted. But, again, I'm not only concerned about who's admitted or not, I'm also concerned about how 'information is communicated', conducted by Freemasons - about other people.

So in fact my questions are very relevant and important.

In the UK there are multiple protected characteristics. It's just a fact that trans and intersex people are misunderstood, this leads to discrimination, oppression and abuse. Many people have intersectional experiences, meaning they have more than one protected characteristic. And in my experience, for some reason, I often witness very harsh communicated information specifically about trans and intersex identities. As if there's a green light to do so. Another way to describe such harshness could be bigotry, ignorance, and bullying.

I'm just going to guess, you may also believe transgender people shouldn't be priests or ministers?

 

[jermy Bell]

This isn't even a shade of grey area. Would you push to get into a all female gym because you felt that you was mentally a woman ? How far do you think you would get ? Imagine the embarrassing moment in the preparation room for this female. Image the embarrassing moment while being received on the point of a sharp instrument . then you want to call a woman brother ? I like freemasonry here in the states right where it's at. i see that we here in the states have a complete different view on freemasonry. And don't see that it becoming a slave to society here as it seems to becoming in England.

 

[jermy Bell]

Then freemasonry may not be for you.

 

[Borderhooner]

Would you push to get into a all female gym because you felt that you was mentally a woman ?... i see that we here in the states have a complete different view on freemasonry. And don't see that it becoming a slave to society here as it seems to becoming in England.

Being transgender is not merely a mental process. I'm not sure what you mean. I've provided scientific research evidence above. You're under no obligation to read any of it. I'm interested in the truth, not tropes, subjective opinion, conjecture and rumour.

As mentioned, I don't understand exactly how your jurisdiction functions. Whatever guidance, rules apply to you - is not universal for all and vice versa. I know how transgender people are treated in some parts of the USA and I have opinions about that but I'm not here to force my opinion onto others where they're neither warranted or welcome.

 

[Scoops]

And don't see that it becoming a slave to society here as it seems to becoming in England.

Rather than seeing it as us becoming "slaves to society", I view this policy as part of our Masonic duty in England as we are, during our first degree, enjoined to pay due obedience to the laws of the State in which we reside. The policy is written to comply with Human Rights legislation.


Sent from my EML-L09 using Tapatalk

 

[Borderhooner]

Gender Equality and Sex Equality are actually areas of scientific study in the Liberal Arts and Sciences.

I would expect any Freemason, seriously interested in Masonic Science, would acquaint himself and acquire a good standard of education - before offering subjective opining that is not scientific.

Being transgender or intersex, from a scientific viewpoint, is not limited to a mental process, or a mental illness or a 'snowflake liberal agenda to force themselves into society'.

Cultural and social constructs have proven so strong that some people cannot objectively view some matters. Conflict monitoring is perhaps involved and probably the anterior cingulate cortex functioning.

What are the Liberal Arts and Sciences?

"During the era of classical antiquity, liberal arts was considered essential education for a free individual active in civic life. At the time, this would have entailed being able to participate in public debate, defend oneself and serve in court and on juries, and perform military service. At this time, liberal arts covered only three subjects: grammar, rhetoric and logic, collectively known as the trivium.

This was extended in medieval times to include four further subjects: arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy, named the quadrivium – so there were seven liberal arts subjects in the medieval liberal arts curriculum.

Considerably more difficult than the trivium, the quadrivium was used to prepare its students for the more serious study of philosophy and theology.

The aim of a liberal arts education was to produce a person who was virtuous and ethical, knowledgeable in many fields and highly articulate.

Modern liberal arts curriculums, however, allow students to study a much larger range of subjects, but they still retain the core aims of the traditional liberal arts curricula: to develop well-rounded individuals with general knowledge of a wide range of subjects and with mastery of a range of transferable skills.

What is liberal arts education today?

So, in a modern context, what is a liberal arts education? There are now many subjects that fall within the broad scope of the category; a typical liberal arts degree program is interdisciplinary, covering topics within the humanities, as well as social, natural and formal sciences. There are differences in the particular subjects included in liberal arts degree programs at different institutions. However, the liberal arts spectrum is generally accepted as covering the following fields:

Humanities – includes art, literature, linguistics, philosophy, religion, ethics, modern foreign languages, music, theater, speech, classical languages (Latin/Greek) etc.
Social sciences – includes history, psychology, law, sociology, politics, gender studies, anthropology, economics, geography, business informatics, etc.
Natural sciences – includes astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, botany, archaeology, zoology, geology, Earth sciences, etc.

Formal sciences – includes mathematics, logic, statistics, etc.
The term ‘liberal arts education’ can also be applied to the dedicated study of just one of the above subjects (for example, a student studying a BA in Philosophy could be said to be undertaking a liberal arts education). In general, however, the term refers to degree programs that aim to provide a broader spectrum of knowledge and skills." - from Top Universities dot com.

Surely a Liberal Arts and Sciences education make a good man a better man? Having such an education doesn't necessarily mean he must agree with others or agree that trans inclusion is necessary, but it would at least afford him the ability to debate in a respectful manner, and show his acquired broad knowledge of the subject.

 

[Brother JC]

“JB” is also attempting to speak for nearly one hundred Grand Jurisdictions... a foolish stroke at any time, but more especially when you consider a number of these jurisdictions are already following a similar direction as UGLE. Which also follows state and federal legislation regarding protected status.

 

[Borderhooner]

“JB” is also attempting to speak for nearly one hundred Grand Jurisdictions... a foolish stroke at any time, but more especially when you consider a number of these jurisdictions are already following a similar direction as UGLE. Which also follows state and federal legislation regarding protected status.

I often find that 'temporary' state rulings excite a minority who show their inherent implicit biases and in time illustrate their unsuitability to a craft science.