Norwegian health workers: Church of Norway contributes to gender confusion

The healthcare workers refer to the enormous growth in the number of young people who want gender reassignment. They call this development "of particular concern" in an open letter in Vart Land, addressed to leading bishop Olav Fykse Tveit.

However, they also worry about the Church of Norway. For years, some factions have worked for the "liberalisation of, and increasing influence for, LGBT rights in the Church, the healthcare professionals point out. Especially the Open People's Church political leadership of the Church has accelerated this trend, they write.

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Courses

This political movement has obliged church employees to follow courses on LGBT and Queer theory without allowing any debate on it. It also established a special LGBT committee in the Church which now proposes to include key concepts from queer theory in confirmation teaching, for example, topics such as gender identity and the "possibility of being born in the wrong body".

However, these ideas are contrary to what biology shows, the health workers point out. "The biological facts about gender are clear. There are only two genders. Furthermore, gender is genetically determined, and in 99.97 per cent of live births, there is a match between external genitalia and genetics", they write. "The rest have malformations; they are not intersex." Gender dysphoria is a mental condition, not a physical problem, they stress. "Which, of course, must be taken seriously with relevant and proper investigation, follow-up and possibly treatment." Often, healthcare professionals point out children and young people who want treatment for gender incongruence have other mental disorders, and most of them will feel okay with their biological sex after puberty.

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According to the signers of the statement, it is impossible to change gender "as every cell in the human body carries a sex chromosome." Thus, gender reassignment is nothing more than "a cosmetic imitation." In addition, the treatments are not innocent but lead to lasting consequences, the authors write. They list sterility, the risk of serious side effects and shortened lifespan. Also, puberty blockers can lead to brain maturation. And above all, the treatments lack scientific evidence.

Outlook

In Norway, the organisation FRI, The Association for Gender and Sexuality Diversity, is especially known for its campaigns for gender theory. The Church of Norway cooperates closely with the association and even promotes the thinking in Church, also participating in Pride Parades.

But this "unreserved support for FRI's activities and human outlook" can also make the Church of Norway co-responsible for interventions on young people who destroy their healthy bodies with affirmative interventions."

The statement is signed by 25 professionals, of whom several are psychologists, nurses and doctors.