Transgender and non-binary (TNB) identities are not inherently incompatible with certain religions, but conservative Christian ideology has reinforced trans-exclusive gender norms. Due to Christianity’s importance in US Southern culture, many TNB southerners develop their sense of gender within conservative Christian environments. In this context, we take up the call to expand the research on TNB religious experiences. We examine interview data from fifteen TNB southerners regarding their religious upbringings, including how they navigated conflicts between their religious and gender identities. Grounded in queer theoretical perspectives, we analyze three dominant themes that surfaced in interviews: trans erasure and gender regulation, losing and finding community, and queering religion. The results emphasize the importance of finding new spiritual and LGBTQ+ communities after leaving their religious base, where participants find new gender-affirming understandings of self. In turn, participants cultivated gender-expansive understandings of religious doctrine, demonstrating the inclusive potential of queer approaches to religion. The conclusion discusses implications for future research on TNB religious experiences.
McLean et al. (Wed,) studied this question.