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3. “Disorder,” in both moral theology and in psychology, is intended to be descriptive, not evaluative. It does not conceptually translate into “moral evil.” Thus gender dysphoria as a “mental disorder” simply describes that one’s “gender identity” in the mind appears to be “not-ordered” to one’s biological sex. Even some psychiatric diagnostic manuals refer to the condition as such, without the remotest intention of being inflammatory or denigrating.

4. By self-identification as transgender, or even having gender reassignment surgery, one already admits of this “mental disorder” by implication because she or he wishes to “reorder” her or his biological sex to her or his gender identity, arguably a mental state.

5. The removal of the term “disorder” from the conversation is based less on psychiatry and philosophical anthropology and more on social and political norms, and is therefore an uncritical move. Science and polity cannot be injected with ideology without injustice.

6. Catholic moral theology — and the natural law, in particular — begin with moral norms that can be discoverable by the light of reason alone. Therefore a dichotomy between religion and science in terms of ethics is a false one. It is called moral theology only insofar as Divine Revelation buttresses or corroborates what is already discoverable by reason.

7. The Church recognizes and sympathizes with those who have strong feelings on this matter — especially parents of children struggling with their sexual identity and being on the receiving end of bullying, At the same time, sentimentalism and emotivism in the conversation about transgenderism only serves to muddy the waters of discourse, precisely feelings do not have the quality of determining the truth-values of statements.

Finally, to my sisters and brothers on the other side of the debate, I extend every gesture of peace and goodwill as we continue this dialogue.

Father Matthew-Anthony Hysell is a parochial vicar in the Catholic Parish of Corpus Christi, Metropolitan Archdiocese of Edmonton.