AndreAshlar
Registered User
If a woman "identifies" as a man, should the same be eligible for admission into The Craft? Why or why not?
If she petitions a female craft or co-masonic lodge, there should not be a problem. Why? They Admit biological females whether they identify with being a male or female.If a woman "identifies" as a man, should the same be eligible for admission into The Craft? Why or why not?
Herein lies the problem. Many don't believe that gender is determined by biology. A brother in my lodge told me it would be unmasonic to deny admission to a woman who "identifies" as a man. His thinking is, she's a man because she feels like one.
Thanks Bro.Clandestine maybe, mainstream, I would say no. I think coachn said it best
It's not a problem. The rules are simple. When you want to participate a certain way, simply find an organization were the rules support what you want.Herein lies the problem.
As far as this Brother is concerned, if he "really" feels this way, then he is living a lie by being a member that doesn't support his beliefs. Harsh? No. Just keeping it real. He is a member that doesn't believe in the rules he is obligated to uphold. Can you say "integrity issue?"Many don't believe that gender is determined by biology. A brother in my lodge told me it would be unmasonic to deny admission to a woman who "identifies" as a man. His thinking is, she's a man because she feels like one.
<sigh>EDIT: comment removed
Yeah, it was something about the difference between the terms Gender and Gender Role. And how just saying they are the same thing doesn't make them the same thing. But that is not even what really bothers me about this topic. I don't really care what you believe about yourself. But, if you disagree with God about your gender please don't expect me to believe that it was God who made the mistake!<sigh>
Well then, I am delighted you held back and didn't post such things. If you had you would have ripped in two the space-time continuum.Yeah, it was something about the difference between the terms Gender and Gender Role. And how just saying they are the same thing doesn't make them the same thing. But that is not even what really bothers me about this topic. I don't really care what you believe about yourself. But, if you disagree with God about your gender please don't expect me to believe that it was God who made the mistake!
Gender Dysphoria/Gender Identity Disorder is recognized as a Psychiatric Disorder in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Edition). While we should have compassion for people with Mental Disorders, individuals with Mental Disorders including this Psychiatric Disorder are not prepared mentally, emotionally, psychologically, or spiritually to become a Freemason, and Freemasonry was/is not designed to help these individuals.
Further, “Epidemiological studies are lacking so that no strong conclusions about the prevalence of GID can be drawn. The prevalence estimates cited in DSM-IV for adults of 1:30,000 for natal males and 1:100,000 in natal females are likely to be under estimates.” Report of the APA Task Force on Treatment of Gender Identity Disorder Approved by the Joint Reference Committee, July 2011 Approved by the Board of Trustees, September 2011, Footnote 1, Page 2. Which would be .0033% and .001% respectively. So if we assume that the prevalence is .005% to make up for the assumed under estimation as stated in the footnote, then based on the U. S. Population estimate of 318,881,992 as of July 4, 2014, http://www.census.gov/popclock/, that would indicate that there are approximately 15,944 individuals with this disorder in the U. S. Then when you consider that only a very small percentage of those are/will be interested in Freemasonry, it is obvious that the whole issue is a tempest in a teapot.