Transsexuality and religion

[cheersm8]

Originally Posted by Bionca

Unfortunately, it is religion that is used as justification for or the root behind so many of the issues that Trans* folks have to deal with. Religion, particularly the political and cultural influences of Christianity and Islam in the history of the world wrt Trans and gay people is a very valid topic.

Lets look at Thailand - Kathoey: an ancient understanding that some boys are really a "third gender". Before colonization by Christian Europeans they had a standing in society and place within their communities. Then came "crimes against nature" ala Christian missionaries and their political counterparts the Colonial Governors. Suddenly, while socially accepted, they kathoey were/are highly discriminated against legally with the resulting prejudices that invariably trickle down to the social level. Even more drastic is the Hijra in India and more pronounced still is the near erasure of two-spirit people among Native Americans.

Thanks for the reply Bionca, and I fully understand and sympathise with the points that you have made.
Maybe I did not phrase my original post correctly. My response was on a personal level, not a political one. For me, if I fancy someone, whether they be male, female, trans, or even 'unclassified' then that individuals religous beliefs and/or background, don't mean a thing to me. I simply have not allowed religion to be a deciding factor in my life in any way.