A Catholic diocesan hermit in Kentucky comes out as a transgender man
Christian Matson, a Catholic diocesan hermit in Kentucky, came out publicly as transgender during the Christian holiday Pentecost.
Christian Matson, a Catholic diocesan hermit in Kentucky, came out publicly as transgender this month during the Christian holiday of Pentecost.
“I was seeing young trans people take their own lives because they felt rejected by their communities, including their religious communities,” Matson said. “I could no longer sit in the safety of being stealth and not raise my voice to say, ‘This is wrong.’”
Matson and one canon lawyer believe he is the first openly trans person in his position in the church.
Based on his appearance and behavior, Matson describes himself as “passing” for a cisgender man, which he considers a privilege. No one knew he was trans unless he told them. While seeking a vocational role in the Catholic Church, he was open about his gender transition with various spiritual directors and religious communities in hopes that they would accept him.
“From a child, I wanted to be a ‘knight for Christ,’ going around doing good,” he said. In his mid-20s, he said, he felt a call to Catholic religious life during a Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. By that point, he had already transitioned four years prior.
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