Which part are you referring to? The part where I say nobody should push their personal point of view on another... or the part where I state the FACT that the VSL is a Landmark, and not the same thing as rocks, pictures etc. ? I think you're projecting a little.
For the record, the VSL would be regarded as a landmark here (our GL lists which ones can be used and one much be used) and is described as the one of the Great Lights.. We cannot open a lodge without our warrant and a VSL.
On the 0.6% number. As the change was not possible until recent decades I figure there are a backlog of candidates who have spent their lives miserable with their gender not matching their bodies. So it happens to look like more now but it will settle back after a while to a lower number. Rather like a few decades before it seemed like so many people coming out of the closet but it was just how many had been in the closet forever. We openly discriminate on gender. But was also are supposed to lead the world on freedom and equal treatment. Quite the contradiction! It's also a huge opportunity for expanding our minds. There's the old saying - A mind is like a parachute. It only works when open. But please not so open your brain falls out onto the sidewalk in front of you. It gets very hard to figure where to draw the line when you know for a fact it's a moving line. Is each one of us the one who leads, follows, gets in the way, wonders what happened. Tolerance was mentioned. Tolerance is not acceptance. Tolerance is mutual peace. We can be at peace with someone who went through a transition and still not accept them into one of our tiled meetings. But once a Mason always a Mason remains a valid point. It would be nice for someone who transitions to demit, but not all of us are willing to demand that for a member of our own lodges. On VSL. I don't know of any VSL written since the transition process became possible. As such it's not mentioned in any VSL I can imagine. I've only read Old Testament, New Testament, Koran, Book of Mormon, Bagavat Gita, Ramanyana, Analects of Confucius, Tao Te Ching, Dharma Padha and Triptaka of Buddhism and about a dozen others. I'm certain the topic is not mentioned at all in any that I have read. Maybe your clergy is not silent on the topic but your VSL is definitely silent on the topic. Quotes I've seen don't actually address the topic. Since we discriminate, it's a hard topic to discuss. Each jurisdiction has to function in accord with its local laws. Which tend to put limits on discrimination. Have you seen the recent TV commercials asking for the public to contribute to the Shrine Hospitals? That's definitely going to trigger non-discrimination laws at the state level at least in California and probably in other states. Say goodbye to the Shrine only admitting Masons from our regular and recognized male only orders! Soliciting donations from the general public subjects a charity to non-discrimination laws! It will be a mess between the charitable foundation and Shriners International, one forbidden from discriminating the other openly discriminating.
Each Grand Lodge is Sovereign, and has the right to enact any law they deem fruitful. The vote was made by the Grand Body. The Craft of the United Grand Lodge of England chose to adopt the policy. It would be interesting to read the discussion on the floor regarding it, and what the final vote was.
