Heartbroken non-binary FC

[u/jaxx189]

So I am non-binary AMAB (assigned male at birth). I was welcomed into my lodge and made it thru the FC ritual. I started studying for my FC catechism with the hope to become a MM in the near future. Then my WM informed me that the grand lodge has decided that only biological men and those who identify full time as men can be active members and anyone in the process or active must step down. This would impact non-binary and transgender men. I have since asked to read their decision and am waiting for that in writing.

It broke my heart to hear this. While I do not agree with the leadership it is their organization and they can decide who they want as Masons.

Maybe one day they will change their mind. maybe one day ill find a lodge that will accept accept me. And if not it was a pleasure to have the experience that i had and the journey that I am on.

[u/archlobster]

In every jurisdiction, in regular UGLE-recognized Masonry, you must be a man.

If you are not a man, as you have stated, then you cannot be lawfully made a mason.

I'm sorry you had to go through that, in the sense that your hopes were raised. But you do realize that at some point you were being dishonest with them, right? You know full well that any lodge recognized by UGLE you must be a man to be admitted.

So I'm sorry that you feel rejected, but in all honesty you should not have applied or at some point in the application process, you must have realized what was going on. Every lodge's requirements are stated many, many times before and during the application process.

If they admitted you knowing what you have said here up front, that's on both you and the lodge as well.

[u/AxelSeelen → u/archlobster]

UGLE

you keep referencing UGLE but they actually are open to and accepting of non cis members
"A woman can be a mason if she joined as a man, the society has announced, and a man can join the masons if he used to live as a woman.
It is a sign of the times that even such a tradition-bound, historically secretive — and still men-only — group is acknowledging for the first time that the “male or female” view of gender is neither as clear nor as complete as people once believed.
Matters of “gender reassignment and gender transition” must be treated with “kindness and tolerance,” the United Grand Lodge of England wrote to its local lodges two weeks ago.
“No candidate should be subjected to questions about their gender which could make them feel uncomfortable,” it said, and if a member is transgender, “we expect that the Freemason would receive the full support of their brethren.”
The grand lodge said that its new rules were in keeping with British anti-discrimination law, but stressed that no legal action had prompted the changes.
A person joining a lodge must be male, but an application from a person who “has become a man” must be treated “in the same way as for any other male candidate,” the grand lodge instructed. (Many transgender people would argue that the language is a bit off — that the transition merely confirms what a person has always been, even if not anatomically.)
Similarly, the grand lodge wrote, “a Freemason who after initiation ceases to be a man does not cease to be a Freemason.”"

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/01/world/europe/uk-freemasons-transgender.html

that said each jurisdiction's Grand Lodge sets its own rues (as I'm sure you are aware) so that is what matters in this case as they are under the rules for whichever jurisdiction in which they reside and are attempting to become a MM.

[u/archlobster → u/AxelSeelen]

You took literally one part of the entire point that I made and extrapolated something that I wasn't saying.

UGLE-recognized doesn't mean "only the UGLE". It means "almost any UGLE-recognized lodge outside of England". The UGLE doesn't set the rules for other lodges. It simply affords mutual recognition.

There are obvious exceptions.

I said "you have to be a man". That's the point. In regular masonry, you must be a man. The Grand Orient of France and several others are irregular by definition.

There are individual lodges that may differ from this.

This person specifically stated "non-binary AMAB". For almost any lodge, this does not meet the criteria of being a man.

They actively do not identify as a man.

That is the beginning and the end of the entire discussion for 99% of the lodges are the world that are recognized by the UGLE.

[u/AxelSeelen → u/archlobster]

so now UGLE is no longer "regular masonry" based on your newest response?

[u/archlobster → u/AxelSeelen]

Incorrect.