What do I do about my intersexed Catholic gender identity?

[pathia]

I am an intersexed catholic. My gender identity is of some contention with my own family, and with some members of this board. I was born with ambiguous genitalia, but there was enough there that they decided to assign me male. I was surgically ‘repaired’ which in the end was traumatic and removed all possibility of sexual sensation and function from my body and left me with a non-functioning pseudo-male anatomy. I identify as female, so I will admit that I am somewhat biased in the results I have been given my surgeons, but I consider them alien on my body and always have since I began to have memories.

My karyotype (Chromosome test) shows XX, XY and XXY chromosomes in my body. Whatever my gonads were is impossible to test, for the have been removed as apparently they were becoming cancerous. The tissue was so distorted and confused due to the cancerous growth, there was no way to really test them.

When I was old enough I asserted my true feelings of my gender identity and was removed from Church, home and family due to it. I have battled with homelessness and joblessness since

What are my choices, am I irredeemable in the eyes of the church? I have been constantly told I am a transsexual despite my intersexual birth, what are my options, how should I live my life? I am already celibate, but that does not seem ‘enough’ for many Catholics and other Christians. What must I do?

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

Yours is an unusual cross. You very definitely have a place in the Church. Simply go to Confession and you may receive the Lord in Holy Communion. All you can do is make the best of your situation. If you family is dissatisfied, that is their problem.

As long as any of us remain chaste and faithful to the Lord, this is what matters most. You are in my prayers.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.