First non-binary priest in C of E

As do I! Otherwise school will have been interesting.

Oh I've never read those books, I should maybe widen my literary education this year.

The best thing about being non-binary, is that in doing so, you immediately set up a binary.

But I reckon there's zero chance of Synod defining a woman as anybody who identifies as one.

Yeah…that’s what we all would’ve thought about a lot of these matters only a few years ago but when even the NHS decide that biological reality no longer matters (unless it’s in the care of men of course) then I wouldn’t be so sure. The London-centric woke CofE is as cowardly and prone to give in as any of the other institutions you would’ve considered robust.

You can't be non-binary without the assumption that everyone who isn't non-binary is binary. That's the whole point.

But then you get the situation where non-binary athletes start asking for "AFAB" non-binary and "AMAB" non-binary categories to ensure fairness therefore creating...a sex-based binary!

The whole ideology is an illogical phallacy.

@Boiledbeetle PG Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster has a chum called Bingo Little. Although I don't think his parents gave him that name. More likely his Eton cohort did.

I suspect the Rev Bingo didn't start life as Bingo either.

This utter ridiculousness actually made me think about whether to cancel my monthly tithe and leave the Church of England… I’m still deciding…

Quick reply to your suggestion that the C of E will screw women over later this year by saying a woman is anyone who identifies as one.

I don't think there's any possibility of that. It would have to be agreed by General Synod, the Church's governing body. At the last set of elections the makeup of Synod became more traditional in terms of those elected, not less.

Whatever you think of that in general, it means most Synod members take a fairly traditional view of biological sex as binary, and a sceptical view of gender self-ID etc.

The House of Bishops might well move closer towards blessing of gay marriages (I'd say that's likely, following the lead of some other Anglican provinces). But I reckon there's zero chance of Synod defining a woman as anybody who identifies as one.

@picklemewalnuts I would say we have never been in a better place for allowing people to be themselves whether that's masculine women, feminine men, trans, gay, bi or non-binary. I agree I think there could definitely be some improvements.

His poor wife and kids

@BrownEyedGhoul no I don't think I'm 'binary' (is anyone?) but I don't feel strongly enough about it to feel 'non binary' I'm happy enough as I am. It's up to each individual as to what they feel their own gender is, or if they believe in gender at all.

Based on their age it's probably not their birth name ( not impossible but more unusual at that time). I know lots of people with 'weird' 'nicknames' particularly in the military. I could totally see a sergeant being named Bingo, why not a priest?

IS it, clearly? They are non binary, genderwise. Well, aren't we all? Are you binary? What does that even mean?
To declare yourself as something, you are positioning yourself against something opposite or different. That's the whole point of it.

Calling yourself non binary only makes sense if you think everyone else is binary.

Quite. Some of these comments on this thread seem a little negative purely based on an article about a non-binary person who happens to be a priest. They came out before becomes a priest so not that isn't the problem. Is it purely based on their gender?

No they aren't shoehorning anyone else in to a box, gender is clearly a spectrum between feminine and masculine that's the whole point. They haven't speculated on anyone else's gender. Paraphrasing, you said yourself lots of people don't fit in to one end of the spectrum or the other, that doesn't relate to their sex in any way whatsoever.

But we're all on a spectrum of maleness to femaleness then. So what's the label about? Some of us are more masculine, some more feminine, all either male or female. We've always known this. In regressive times we've disapproved of masculine females and feminine males. We were just about getting over that when this nonsense arrived and basically sent us all backwards again.

I couldn't give a toss if someone who is NB did "put me in a gender box" --I know myself and what I am, so it doesn't affect in the slightest. Let them crack on, I'm not them and they're not me.

Of course it does. It has to mean exactly that, by definition. You can't decalre yourself non-binary unless you think the majority of other people are binary. It wouldn't make sense.

You can't make grey without black and white so they have to shoe horn the rest of us in gender boxes for their claim of specialness to have any meaning.

"when undoubtedly" - in other words something they haven't said or done and jyst speculating from your own imagination

That's right there is no male to female spectrum, two sexes spot on. I believe when they say 'maleness to femaleness' (not male to female) they probably mean gender rather than sex, and masculine to feminine within that gender. Genderqueer relates to gender the article doesn't suggest it relates to their sexuality?

There is no male to female spectrum. There are more feminine men and more masculine women, but they are still men and still women, two separate sexes. Non binary means you don't subscribe to gender stereotypes which fits pretty much everyone I'd imagine and really doesn't need a big announcement.

I've no idea what genderqueer is though. Does that mean gay? If so why don't they just say that?

Sunlight all around.

No, to be non binary doesn't imply in any way they are gendering others, only themselves.

Where in the Bible does it even imply Jesus wouldn't like sparkly make-up, or even not like or disapprove of priests in sparkly make-up? I admit to not knowing a lot about the Bible, but from what I remember from Sunday School he was all about love and acceptance. He had no disapproval for even the 'outcasts' of his time (prostitutes and lepers?)!