The Baha'i Studies Listserv
ok, there are several attachments in tat communication, since there were 
several questions addressed to the infallible Centre.

from the context of the reply, this should be the "attachment"--which i offer 
is verrry much about th subject of non-attachment. :-)

Transsexuality and Sex-Change Operations
Extracts from Letters Written on Behalf of the
Universal House of Justice
1. The House of Justice has not found any text in the Bahá’í writings which 
deals explicitly
with the subjects of transsexuality or surgical operations carried out to 
change sex or to
establish a single sex. It has decided that changes of sex or attempts to 
change sex should,
at the present time, be considered medical questions on which advice and 
guidance should
be sought from experts in that field.
2. If a Bahá’í has had surgery and a change of sex has been registered 
officially on the birth
certificate or otherwise, marriage is permissible to a person of the sex 
opposite to that
which is officially registered.
(31 August 1983 to an individual believer) [1]
On the specific question of changing one’s sex, the House of Justice has not 
found any
text; its view is that this subject is primarily a medical question and as such 
requires advice and
guidance from experts in that field....
It is not within the province of the Assembly to advise Mr. ... whether or not 
to undergo
a sex-change procedure, but it does have the right to request him to provide it 
with documentary
evidence, both medical and civil, stating what his/her sex is. In other words, 
until it receives
proof that he has become female, it must go on the premise that he is male and 
his moral
behaviour must be governed by Bahá’í principles on that basis. Once it is 
certified that his sex
has been changed, he would need to observe Bahá’í moral principles as they 
apply to a woman,
and the community would, presumably, be informed of the change.
In other words, undergoing the procedure is a medical matter and the Assembly is
concerned only with the change of status which it would produce.
The Local Spiritual Assembly also expresses concern about his current behaviour 
which
gives the impression of homosexuality, and thus places in question the morality 
of his having
roommates of either sex, no matter what stage the sex-change procedure has 
reached. An
example is his dressing as a woman while still, apparently, being a man. Such 
actions could
well be regarded as giving the appearance of immoral behaviour and as having 
the potential
for bringing the community into disrepute. As you are well aware, if a 
believer’s conduct
conspicuously disgraces the Faith and brings serious injury to its reputation, 
his voting rights
are subject to deprivation; generally such an action should be taken only after 
the person has
been counselled and warned of the possible consequences of his behaviour.
(27 December 1987 to a National Spiritual Assembly)1 [2]
Believers experiencing personal problems are free to turn to their Local 
Spiritual
Assembly or to an Auxiliary Board member or assistant; indeed they can approach 
any believer
from whom they feel it useful to solicit information or advice. The Auxiliary 
Board members
and their assistants are a valuable element of the Bahá’í Administrative Order, 
with functions
which include the counselling of believers. As you can well understand, some 
Bahá’ís
experiencing personal problems may not wish to discuss these matters, out of 
considerations
of personal privacy; the Institutions of the Faith should not force their 
attentions on these
1 The National Spiritual Assembly sought guidance on behalf of a Local 
Spiritual Assembly.
Transsexuality and Sex Change Operations Page 2
believers, unless concern for the reputation and good name of the Faith 
requires such
institutional involvement.
(20 March 1988 to a National Spiritual Assembly) [3]
The House of Justice has not found any text in the Bahá’í Writings which deals
explicitly with the subjects of transsexuality or surgical operations carried 
out to change sex
or to establish a single sex. It has decided that changes of sex or attempts to 
change sex should,
at the present time, be considered questions on which advice and guidance 
should be sought
from experts in that field. If such medical opinion advises a change of sex, 
and the individual
concerned decides to accept the advice given, no administrative sanction should 
be imposed by
Bahá’í institutions on that individual.
(29 December 1989 to an individual believer) [4]
As far as a sex change operation is concerned, we have not come across anything 
in the
Writings and the Universal House of Justice has not made any legislations about 
the matter;
therefore, for the time being the matter is considered to be a medical issue 
and it is all right
to undergo surgery provided the patient consents to it and it meets the 
approval of skilled
physicians.
(21 June 1993 to an individual believer) [5]
As regards the question of her status concerning gender, she should be advised 
that the
legal aspect of this matter is apparently unresolved by civil law, and the 
question of a change in
gender will not be considered by the National Spiritual Assembly until that 
resolution occurs.
(15 December 1998 to a National Spiritual Assembly) [6]
In response to your email message of 17 September 1999 requesting information on
the position of the Bahá’í Faith towards individuals undergoing sex-change 
operations, the
Universal House of Justice has advised us to provide the following reply.
On the specific question of changing one’s sex, the Universal House of Justice 
has
not found any text; its view is that this subject is primarily a medical 
question and as such
requires advice and guidance from experts in that field. It would not be within 
the province of
a Spiritual Assembly to advise an individual whether or not to undergo a 
sex-change procedure,
but it does have the right to request such an individual to provide it with 
documentary evidence,
both medical and civil, stating what his/her sex is. In other words, until it 
receives proof that a
male has become female, it must go on the premise that he is male. Once it is 
certified that his
sex has been changed, the institutions and community would act towards that 
person in
accordance with that fact. Whatever one’s sex, one would need to observe Bahá’í 
moral
principles in one’s relations to any other man or woman.
(10 October 1999 to an individual believer) [7]
… the Spiritual Assembly plays an important role in determining when a 
believer’s dress or
behaviour is appropriate. It welcomes into membership of the Bahá’í community 
those who it
assesses to satisfy the belief requirements for such membership and it provides 
guidance, as it
deems necessary, to the believers concerning their conduct.
(25 January 2001 to an individual believer) [8
   
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