At our most recent Diocesan Synod, we committed to updating Synod members when the interim guidance on the recent Supreme Court ruling about the definition of biological sex became available.
This was published by the House of Bishops at the end of June. The most recent statement from the House of Bishops on the welcome and inclusion of trans people was issued in 2018 and still frames our thinking. It begins:
"The Church of England welcomes and encourages the unconditional affirmation of trans people, equally with all people, within the body of Christ, and rejoices in the diversity of that body into which all Christians have been baptised by one Spirit."
While we await further guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) by way of a Code of Practice, we are aware that the Supreme Court ruling in April caused concerns among impacted groups. We want the church to be a welcoming and safe place in which all are included, while acknowledging that views on this sensitive area are strongly held.
As Bishops in the Diocese of Oxford, we believe that both those who are biological women (ie born a woman) and those who are trans-women (ie. born a man) are beloved of God, and have rights which the church upholds, as set out in the 2010 Equality Act. This Act ensures protection for all protected characteristics including those of sex, gender reassignment and sexual orientation.
Bishop of Oxford, Bishop of Dorchester, Bishop of Buckingham, Bishop of Reading