A trans theologian reflects that the well-rehearsed failings of the recent Vatican document on “gender ideology” remind us that a proper commitment to communicate and understand requires the willingness to reach out to the other actively, even if that might be unsettling

As a trans woman, I intimately know the importance of authentic dialogue. I was dismayed by the recent document on “gender ideology” from the Congregation for Catholic Education, “Male and Female He Created Them”, which makes frequent references to the need for “dialogue”, but has been widely criticised as lacking in it. Nevertheless, as a Catholic theologian, I find hope that the Church can recognise and meet this need.

“Gender dysphoria” is the technical term used to describe the dissatisfaction that trans people feel with our ascribed gender. A less used term is “gender euphoria”. This describes an intense joy that many trans people (including myself) feel with their acquired identity. This joy is deeply interpersonal: I feel gender euphoria most strongly when I think about how others have included me in activities and relationships as a woman, without making my identity into the subject of awkwardness or alienation.