The Bible and the Transgender Experience

Reviewed by: Anonymous

Bibliographic Information: Tatro Herzer, Linda. The Bible and the Transgender Experience. Cleveland: The Pickett Press, 2016.  128 pages. $18.00. ISBN: 9780829820423.

Content Warnings: cisgender woman writing about trans experiences; some outdated language

The Bible and the Transgender Experience by minister and ally Linda Tatro Herzer is an attempt to illustrate biblical support for “gender variance.” Tatro Herzer first defines her terms, reciting the generally agreed upon (as of 2016) definitions of transgender, intersex, genderqueer, two-spirit, and perhaps anachronistically, “cross-dressers.” Tatro Herzer notes that these modern-ish identifiers are not reflected in scripture. However, she notes that there are “gender variant” folks in the Bible, mainly represented by eunuchs (men, usually slaves or prisoners of war, who were castrated to be made fit for particular kinds of service, especially service that would cross gender boundaries).  

Next, Tatro Herzer discusses specific verses regarding eunuchs (Deuteronomy 23:1, Isaiah 56:1-7, and Acts 8:26-39). Here, she argues that the Bible’s trajectory regarding eunuchs moves from exclusion to inclusion as a part of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy and the Gospel. Aside from eunuchs, Tatro Herzer focuses on the prohibition against cross-dressing in Deuteronomy 22:5. She rationalizes this passage to mean that cross-dressing to deceive or participate in illicit worship is wrong, but cross-dressers as we think of them today do so to reveal truths about themselves, not to deceive.  

Following this, Tatro Herzer highlights Jesus’ discussion of eunuchs in Matthew 19:11-12. Again, using eunuchs as a model for “gender variance” in general, she suggests that Jesus’ reference to those who are eunuchs from birth can refer to all LGBT people. Those who do not marry (who are eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven) are also engaging in gender variant activity. For Tatro Herzer, these points show that Jesus had gender variant people in mind and affirmed them; this passage in particular is Jesus’ strongest indication that there are “more than just two ways to live out one’s gender— that male and female are not the only two realities” (47).  

Tatro Herzer then moves on to discuss a few “implicit arguments” from scripture that support gender variance. For instance, she notes that the existence of intersex people and transgender children imply their intended presence in the created order. Further, the creation account in Genesis 1 uses binary language for the ordering effect, not to exclude things in the middle ground: marshes, amphibians, etc. Why not for “male and female”? Tatro Herzer closes the work with a discussion of some gender variant Biblical figures (Deborah, Jacob, Joseph, etc.) as well as an appendix for churches wishing to be more welcoming to trans people.  

Tatro Herzer’s work may be useful for those who cannot move forward in their faith without dealing with scripture in a particular way. Christian trans folks who are attempting to explain to their conservative relatives how their gender and faith work together, even in spite of what the Bible “says,” might find this work helpful. But overall, Tatro Herzer’s work is not going to sustain queer/trans Christians for long. She neglects the issue of whether we need scripture to “support gender variance” to begin with. After all, there have always been people who have loudly and proudly resisted the cisgender, heterosexual ideal. Thus, the more useful, liberating, and transformative question would be: how can we stop using scripture to uphold the ideals of cisgender heterosexuality and its erasure of a multitude of identities and experiences? Asking this kind of question helps us avoid Tatro Herzer’s errors, such as: her overstretched equivalence between eunuchs as queer/trans people, her assumption that the term “gender variance” can adequately hold a vast range of sexual/gender experiences, and her use of unambiguous trans children as a sort of proof text for trans identities, at the expense of trans folks with more complicated journeys and self-conceptions.  

Tatro Herzer’s work has admirable intentions, but from a cis woman, it left much to be desired. It may be better for cisgender allies to produce resources that help cis folks examine their own privileges and their exclusion of transgender people in religion and society. Any further attempts to use scripture to render trans folks acceptable, which is the basic project of The Bible and the Transgender Experience, are unhelpful and trite.