Rejection or welcome: Transgender Catholics encounter both

By DAVID CRARY
AP National Writer

For transgender Catholics across the United States, retaining their faith can entail complex calculations. They face rebukes from some fellow Catholics, including many bishops, yet find full acceptance in some premises of the church. A small but growing number of parishes have formed LGBTQ support groups and warmly welcome transgender people. Yet within the past two years, at least six Catholic dioceses have issued guidelines targeting trans people with restrictions and refusing to recognize their post-transition gender identity. The latest policy targeting trans Catholics was issued by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in January. It bars church personal from using a trans person’s preferred pronouns that reflect their gender identity.