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Archdiocese of Denver
A VISION OF THE HUMAN PERSON SUPPORTED BY SCIENCE AND MEDICINE
Gender, Gender Dysphoria, Psychological and Health Effects
In the past, "gender" was used as a synonym for sex (male or female), or
to describe social aspects of being male or female within a particular culture.
Today, however, "gender" has taken on a different meaning incompatible with
the Catholic understanding of the human person. Today "gender" refers to a
person's self-representation or identity, as shaped by environment, experience,
and personal preference, regardless of biological sex. A person who pursues
a "gender transition" rejects his or her sexual identity as male or female in
order to assert a "gender identity" at odds with biological sex, whether man,
woman, non-binary, or a fluid identity that changes over time. A person who
seeks to "transition" might believe that he or she is in the wrong body or feel
deep distress over the body's natural development. This can lead to increasing
unhappiness or anxiety which can be diagnosed as gender dysphoria.
13
In other
cases, people become convinced that they must, as a matter of personal auton-
omy, assert a "gender identity" of their own choosing and will therefore assert
13 See National Catholic Bioethics Center, "Brief Statement on Transgenderism."
