Someone suggested that, since trans people's gender identities are so fragile, there ought to be monasteries for them to retreat to. I am definitely in favor of this! I thought an adaptation of the Rule of St. Benedict might be helpful for this project.
The Rule of Saint Judith
PROLOGUE
Listen carefully, my Trans followers, to the wise one's instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from a birthing parent who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice. This message is for you, if you are ready to give up your own will, sense of reality, and bodily integrity, once and for all, and armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience do battle for the true Gender Identity, which governs all.
Siblings, now that we have asked who will dwell under the umbrella, we have heard the instruction for dwelling thereunder, but only if we prepare our hearts and bodies for the battle of holy obedience. What is not possible to us by nature, let us ask the Gender therapists, endocrinologists, and surgeons to supply by the help of technology. If we wish to live as our authentic selves, even as we avoid the torments of transphobia, then we must do now what will profit the medical-pharmaceutical complex forever.
Therefore we intend to establish Trans monasteries for the service of true Gender.
CHAPTER 1. The kinds of Trans identities
There are clearly three kinds of Trans identities. No, I mean four, well, actually there are many and there will continue to be more, and they are all transgressive and therefore authentic. But here I will confine my remarks to the three kinds: the Fems, the Mascs, and the Nons.
The Fems, because they belong to an oppressed class, are the greatest of these, and shall rule over the Mascs. But the Nons are over both, for they are purified of the Binary. Do not trouble your mind with these mysteries, for these categories have been queered by St. Judith.
CHAPTER 2. The qualities of the Activist
To be worthy of the title of Activist, he/she/they/younameitwegotit must always remember the Order of Privilege. Here I do not set out the Order, as it is subject to change by Divine Whim at any time, but the Activist must always know it and punch up only, according to the Order.
The Activist must know that anyone undertaking to fight for authentic and vulnerable selves must be ready to be held to account at any moment. Ze/he/she/they/etc. must be prepared to produce a full and perfect apology for what ze/he/blahblahblah has done through inadequate submission to the latest norms of Gender perfection. No person knows the day or the hour of accounting; it is for this reason that you are required to attend regularly in the Chamber of the Bird.
CHAPTER 3. Summoning the siblings to counsel
The Activist shall do nothing unpleasing to the Trans identified. However, it is not their duty to educate zim/him/her/etc. Therefore they shall summon one another to counsel when they please, in order to chastise the Activist, one another, those who treacherously pretend to be their allies, and their fascist enemies, as they see fit. They shall gather at will in the Chamber of the Bird and spin their threads of chastisement, as it is pleasing to them, to the sainted Butler, and to such of their enemies as have a sense of humor.
CHAPTER 4. The tools for living as one's authentic self
First of all, love your true Gender with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. Forsake all others, especially parents, spouses, and children, in order to live according to It. Take all you have, and all your spouse has, and all your friends have, and all you can raise through social media, and give to the poor gender therapists, and endocrinologists, and surgeons, that they may continue long in the land, and live on the fatheads thereof.
Your way is not the world's way. You shall queer all binaries, transgress all norms, and rise above cisheteronormativity. Regard not the cis, for they know not Gender.
Live in fear of the judgment of your Trans siblings. Never trust your own view, but consult humbly with the Community and strive earnestly to think and feel as they command. This is living as your authentic self. Honest.
CHAPTER 5. Obedience
The first step of authenticity is unhesitating obedience, which comes naturally to those who cherish Gender above all. Such people as these immediately put aside their own concerns, abandon their own will, and lay down whatever they have in hand, leaving it unfinished. With the ready step of obedience, they follow the voice of authority in their actions.
This very obedience, however, will be acceptable only if compliance with what is commanded is not cringing or sluggish or half-hearted, but free from any grumbling or any reaction of unwillingness. Any signs to the contrary will be called out in the Chamber of the Bird.
CHAPTER 6. Restraint of speech
Let us follow the Prophet’s counsel: I said, I have resolved to keep watch over my ways that I may never sin with my tongue. I have put a guard on my mouth.
Activists, Fems, Mascs, and Nons alike shall keep watch over one another's speech and call out any sibling who errs. I do not mention (no, really) misgendering, deadnaming, or the utterance of slurs such as TIM or TIF, as such speech is not thinkable coming from the siblingren, and its consequences are immediate expulsion from the Monastery, or possibly death in a grease fire. Nay, but the way of Gender is a narrow way, and a winding one, and from day to day the correct way of speaking ineluctably changes. Therefore no rule of speech is set down here, but take heed of the Community and offend them not, lest ye be c******ed.
CHAPTER 7. Humility
Humility is for cishets. Amen.
CHAPTERS 8–43. The Orders of Worship and Discipline.
As these change daily, there is no use attempting to set them down, because they will be different by the time I am done.
CHAPTER 44. Satisfaction by the c******ed
Anyone c******ed for wrongspeak, wrongthink, or just asking questions is to prostrate theirself in silence at the feet of all, then deliver a full, complete, humble apology and request for guidance in the Chamber of the Bird. When the Community's attention has turned elsewhere, ze/he/she/they/wolfself shall be free to join in the c******ing of the next victim, I mean transgressor.
CHAPTERS 45–72 More stuff about obedience
CHAPTER 73 This rule only a beginning of authenticity
The reason we have written this rule is that, by observing it in monasteries, we can show that we have some degree of authenticity and the beginnings of living according to our true Gender. But for anyone seeking Trans perfection there are the writings of St. Judith, which I confidently recommend to you all as capable of completely occupying the rest of your mortal life, and then some, if you attempt seriously to understand and live by them.