The Episcopal Church backed the ability of people of any age to seek "gender affirming care" at its 80th General Convention last month in Baltimore, Newsweek reported.
The resolution does not define "care," making it appear to support gender-reassignment surgery for anyone — including minors — among other things. It calls for the church "to advocate for access to gender affirming care in all forms (social, medical, or any other) and at all ages as part of our Baptismal call to 'respect the dignity of every human being.'"
Among 412 resolutions considered, Resolution D066, supported by the advocacy group TransEpiscopal, passed with substantial support from bishops.
The organization announced that the church had approved the decision in a post on its website shortly after the resolution passed, arguing that recent legislation in red states "targeted trans and non-binary people."
"In the current political climate, the trans and non-binary community is being targeted," the post read. "In 2021, there were over 290 anti LGBTIQ bills introduced in various states across the county, twenty-five of which became law. Eight of those laws targeted trans and non-binary people. 2022 is on track to surpass this number."
TransEpiscopal's efforts aimed explicitly at a Texas law by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who ordered the state Department of Family and Protective Services earlier this year to investigate doctors who perform transgender procedures.
"While Texas courts have issued restraining orders on these investigations, it is far from clear that trans and nonbinary youth will have access to care," the post noted.
Still, the measure wasn't the only one the church approved in July. Another resolution affirming unrestricted access to abortion services and birth control was also approved, according to Newsweek.
The resolution continues to solidify the church's liberalization that started to take root in 1976, when the General Convention approved female ordination to the priesthood and episcopate.
Since then, many conservative Episcopalians have left to join the Anglican Church in North America, which opposes abortion, euthanasia, and LGBTQ+ ordination.
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