Part 2: How to Hug a Transgender Latter-day Saint | An Interview with Katherine Herrmann

This is Part 2 of a 2-part conversation. Listen to Part 1 here.
Katherine Herrmann lists all things Apple, new wave/alternative
music, and fantasy/science fiction among her fandoms. She works as
a principal software engineer/architect for a video streaming
company, and recently published TransLucent: How I put off my
natural man and found a spiritual woman. At church, she has served
as secretary for deacons, teachers, and priests quorums, as a
Sunday School and elders quorum teacher, elders quorum secretary,
ward executive secretary, newsletter editor, and assistant ward
clerk—historian. She has also hugged a lot of people at general
conference, and bore her testimony in over 40 wards in three years.
Highlights 00:20 The argument many are having is whether or not to
let young teens transition and have transition surgery. Katherine
shares some useful perspectives. 07:45 Katherine’s teenage years,
pressure to go on a mission, and being suicidal. 13:30 Does
transition help suicide ideation? Some things that help suicide
ideation are affirming who people are and using their preferred
pronouns. 15:45 Being shunned for being transgender. How can we
help transgender individuals? What can leaders do? 20:15 The actual
Church handbook and Church policies allow transgender to attend all
meetings that they identify with. However, a lot of local leaders
are biased and won’t allow them to go. 24:30 Advice for leaders on
letting transgender individuals go to Relief Society or priesthood
meetings. Many individuals have felt uncomfortable with her going
to Eelief Society so she gets kicked out to make others
comfortable. 29:20 How would Jesus treat a transgender individual?
Where would He let them worship? 33:30 Making tough decisions as a
leader. You are never going to make everyone happy. Katherine
wasn’t able to have a calling because people would object to it. It
was another way she felt rejected. 37:20 People say that being
transgender is a trial. The difference is that transgender people
don’t have any support from church leaders, ministering sisters,
home teachers, or callings. There is no one to lean on in the
trials. 39:30 Is being transgender a mental illness and in the
after life it will be worked out? 44:30 Our genders are eternal.
But how does that relate to our body? Katherine shares a real-world
example of genetic issues that occur. 55:00 For the majority of
people your eternal gender is the gender that you were assigned at
birth but what about transgender individuals? Is it possible that
their spirit and body are different genders? 1:04:15 Katherine goes
into dating her former wife, getting married, having seven kids,
and church callings. 1:11:30 Katherine stands outside general
conference with a sign that says, “Hug a transgender Latter-day
Saint.” 1:14:30 President Oaks is Katherine’s favorite apostle.
1:17:45 Where does affirming a transgender individual become
condoning? What are the lines that we are condoning? 1:29:20
Katherine talks about her book. She wants people to understand her
life experiences and what she has gone through as a transgender
individual. Links Listen to Part 1 TransLucent: How I put off my
natural man and discovered a spiritual woman Facebook page:
TransLucent North Star Saints Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast
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