Many—though not all—religious and mythological belief traditions contain teachings that:

• Enforce stereotypical gender roles

• Treat variation in those roles as sinful or an "insult to 'God'"

• Embed constructed (not "divinely inspired") moral judgments into bodily and sexual norms

Modern anti-trans religious groups use arguments such as "defending God's design", and "protecting family values" to justify political and social oppression of gender diverse people.

Chief among these (in Western societies) is Christian Nationalism, whose proponents primarily come from:

• Evangelical Protestanism
• Catholic Church
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Jehovah's Witnesses

Other anti-trans religious extremist beliefs include segments of:

• Orthodox Judaism
• Islam
  • Sunni-Al-Azhar Council, Hanafi, and Deobandi School
• Buddhism
  • Theravada tradition

A common foundation of Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF), Gender Critical (another term for TERF), and Christian Nationalist anti-trans rhetoric is the belief that sex biology is:

• Simple
• Binary, and
• Finalized at birth and solely defined by chromosomes, which can never be changed

This is called biological essentialism. It is the belief that a person’s identity, traits, abilities, or social roles are determined by their biology (simplistically defined).

It assumes that there are fixed, innate, and universal “essences” rooted in the body that define who people are and how they should behave.

In reality:

• The physical manifestation of biological sex development is multidimensional:

  • chromosomes

  • hormones

  • secondary (pubertal) traits

  • gonads

  • brain structure, etc.)

• Intersex variations show, beyond any doubt or debate, that biological sex can consist of more than just an XX/XY chromosome pair, and hormonal sex is infinitely variable

• And though sex chromosomes cannot be changed after conception, they are the only aspect of sex biology that is not influenced by other factors, both during and after prenatal development.

Gender Identity

Gender identity emerges from the complex interaction of biology, psychology, and sociology.

Put simply, we don't interact with our fellow humans' chromosomes; we interact with their identities.

People who rely on simplified, outdated, or subjective, bias-driven understandings of sex often see transgender identities as “unnatural” or “fake,” creating a foundation for stigma.

For much of the 20th century, medical and psychological authorities classified transgender identity as a disorder because it was an aspect of human diversity that was contradictory to their religious and bio-essentialist understandings of human function.

This contributed to:

• Social stigma

• Legal discrimination

• Patriarchal and misogynistic stereotypical gatekeeping

• Cultural narratives associating transgender people with deviance or illness

While medical understanding has evolved, the old, ill-educated narratives can still influence public opinion, especially when revived and amplified by political actors.

Rigid gender norms have been one of the strongest policing mechanisms of social order. Transgender, nonbinary, and Two-Spirit identities directly challenge these norms by demonstrating that:

• Gender is not fixed or determined solely by anatomy

• Masculinity and femininity are not inherent, but socially constructed

• Individuals can assert bodily autonomy over gender expression and transition

Because gender norms are intertwined with colonization, patriarchy, heteronormativity, and the enforcement of mythological beliefs, trans people are perceived as destabilizing forces in systems built around those binaries.

Fear, and for some, hatred, arises when people feel their worldview or social hierarchy is threatened.

On an individual level, anti-trans animus can stem from:

Threat to Identity

Conceptualizing gender identity and expression as fluid can evoke existential anxiety in some people, especially if their own gender identity is fragile or rigid. In cultures where narrow definitions of masculinity, or 'what it means to be a man,' are pervasive, boys and men may be hyper-aware of their own masculinity status.

Projection and Displacement

People uncomfortable with ambiguity, their own gender variance, or sexuality may project that discomfort outward.

Disgust Response

Some research shows that individuals with higher "disgust sensititivity" toward bodily variations or sexuality show stronger anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes.

These responses don’t “excuse” hate—they illuminate how prejudice is maintained psychologically.

Trans people are often used symbolically in politics because:

• They are a small minority

• Many voters lack firsthand experiences with trans people

• They can be portrayed as a “threat” to rally certain constituencies

• Moral panic is politically mobilizing

Anti-trans hate is amplified by:

• Disinformation campaigns (e.g., about bathrooms, sports, and youth gender affirming care)

• Partisan media ecosystems (FOX News, The Daily Wire)

• Organized political groups seeking wedge issues (Heritage Foundation, Turning Point USA)

Weaponization transforms personal bias into broad public hostility, shifting the Overton Window. (video)

Religion/Mythology (pre-scientific explanations) and Bio-Essentialism (post-scientific knowledge) provide the foundation for all of the "Pillars of Anti-Trans Hate" in the following ways:

Religion/Mythology:

• In the absence of scientific knowledge about cause/effect and the natural functions of the world around them, our ancestors established speculative mythological explanations to answer their questions.
• These explanations took the form of powerful beings (aka, male and female "Gods") who directly manipulated events in the observable and unobservable world.
• Eventually, with the rise of monotheism (only one "God"), and Christianity (one male "God"), these mythologies/narratives became belief in "God's Divine Providence"; and that a "Supreme Being" actively governs and sustains the universe and human affairs through a combination of care, wisdom, punishment/reward, and purpose.
• Subsequently, Roman Catholic reinterpretation of Hebrew texts and the multiple Book of Genesis creation narratives, "God's purposeful creation" of "only two sexes," became so-called common knowledge over the span of more than 2,000 years. 

As scientific knowledge evolved, patriarchal institutions and social structures that were built primarily on these ancient mythological narratives began to push back on any science that would dilute their binary-dependent power base. Which brings us to...

Bio-Essentialism:

• "Biology is destiny"
• Sex is strictly binary
• Sex categories are fixed at birth
• Chromosomes and genitalia alone define identity
• Gender is simply an extension of sex

Bio-Essentialist rhetoric consistently distorts the science of biology through use of:

• Simplified/Incorrect representation of genetics
• Misstated neuroscience
• Ignoring Intersex variations
• Selectively using older research that aligns with essentialist claims while ignoring newer studies

This creates the illusion of scientific legitimacy while obscuring the majority scientific consensus that sex biology is complex and naturally diverse.