Transgender Hermit Speaks Out Against Trump Orders, While Spreading Seeds of Hope

Amidst a flurry of U.S. presidential executive orders and federal policies that limit the dignity and protection of transgender individuals,Brother Christian Matson, a transgender hermit in Kentucky, has been praying, fasting, and building community. 

Br. Christian Matson

Matson, the Catholic Church’s only known openly transgender religious brother, has been “praying, fasting, and performing acts of penance” as he grapples with an increasing sense of urgency brought on by the second Trump presidency, according to a recent National Catholic Reporter  news articlet. The Trump administration has produced a series of policies that complicate the lives of transgender Americans, including mandating that the government officially recognize only two genders, male and female. These orders have far-reaching consequences, from government documents to admission to crisis shelters, and transgender Catholics like Matson have been speaking up in defense of their own dignity. 

“Being trans is not an ideological position,” Matson said. “It is a biological phenomenon. It’s an objectively existing biological phenomenon.”

Matson expressed particular concern for trans individuals who have yet to update their legal documents, considering the additional hurdles they may now need to overcome and the opportunities that may be denied:

“I know trans folks who don’t have passports or who have not yet gotten the [gender] marker changed, and now they probably won’t be able to for the next four years,” he said. “This can cause difficulties for them, including safety difficulties if they appear as one sex, but their passport has another sex, especially if they’re traveling to certain countries.”

“Is the government now going to issue me a female-marked passport, even though I’ve had a beard and male pattern baldness for 20 years?” he asked. 

Amid the fear, uncertainty, and grief prompted by the new federal administration, Matson has been working to build community and maintain networks of support for transgender Catholics. He has collaborated with DignityUSA and Fortunate Families, the latter of which has worked closely with trans advocate Sr. Luisa Derouen, OP. in launching a transgender ministry program last year. Matson has focused on creating opportunities for trans individuals to gather, be sustained by community, and check-in with one another. 

Sr. Luisa Derouen

The hermit  is also working to maintain hope by focusing on positive signs. Because the news cycle can be overwhelming, sometimes moments of resistance can get lost. Several states, for example, including Massachusetts, Washington, and Minnesota, have enacted sanctuary laws to protect gender-affirming care and patient privacy, refusing to follow other states’ hospitals in denying gender-affirming care. It is crucial to uplift these moments as beacons of hope. 

Catholic parishes and dioceses can be additional sources of hope, he said. The Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, headed by Bishop John Stowe, OFM, Conv., where Matson finally found a vocational home, is taking steps  to support all vulnerable communities. For example, programs are being deployed for immigrants in need of guidance and support. 

“We are working on programs for people to know their rights,” Stowe said. “We’re lining up legal resources for those whose rights are likely to be violated.” The Diocese of Lexington additionally has vibrant programs supporting its LGBTQ+ members. 

A third source of hope lies in the actions of individuals. Sr. Luisa commented  that “family members and allies increasingly are standing up and speaking out for trans people and with them.” 

The actions of advocates like Br. Christian and Sr. Luisa themselves likewise serve as bastions of hope. Catholicism is a faith of hope, grounded in our belief in the Resurrection. Despite the times of darkness that we may face, despite the mounting threats to the flourishing of transgender Americans, we can seek out and maintain our hope in a grace-filled future. Like Br. Matson, we can pray in hope of that future and dedicate ourselves, through word and deed, to bringing it about. 

—Sarah Cassidy, New Ways Ministry, March 18, 2025