Transgender Priest felt that “criticism is a gift”

Reverend Robyn Golden-Hann is a transgender priest. 

She was ordained in 2023 and has served at St.Aldhelms Church in Poole for two years.

At the age of 42 , Robyn started her transition.

“Following a mid-life crisis and a journey through gender transition it opened my heart and soul to question what the purpose of my identity is and what role I bring into the world now which is also the time I found my faith was beginning to flourish and grow, and I took on more importance in the church. 

In my early 20’s, I had a first go at Christianity, pre-transition, and I was not in a good place, and I think I was very angry at god.”

Soon, Reverend Golden-Hann found a reason to return to church and it helped her more than she could imagine.

To find her way back to God, Rev Golden-Hann pursued a life in the ministry and began her journey started as a priest.

“At the start of my transition, I realised I needed to get back into church, and I was very fortunate to find a very welcoming and accepting church.”

“Growing up I never imagined I would be accepted into a church, there is a move towards a greater openness and much wider inclusivity and recognising we are so different and everyone should have a space at the table.’’

Although the LGBTQ+ community is becoming more included into society, she took the hate she recieved and was supported greatly by the community.

“After the first article was published, there were some negative Facebook comments from someone we did not know, but fascinatingly, there were so many positive comments in this congregation.”

“The criticism came as a real gift.”

Reverand Robyn Golden-Hann was born in the 1960’s and during her time growing up she was surrounded by discrimination of all types.

“I do see a lot of kindness and goodwill; growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, there was so much discrimination and was so common; there was very hurtful and aggressive language, so I am often astonished how the world has changed for the better.

The wrestles with one’s identity have been a lifelong; I suppressed it in my teens and was aware that the momnt I made the conscious decision to bury my gender identity; it did not do me any good.”

Any gains we make as society can always been taken away.”

The issue of priests transitioning genders is relatively recent and reflects broader societal changes in understanding gender identity. 

Historically, the idea of gender transition within religious contexts was rare or unacknowledged. 

However, as awareness of transgender identities has grown, some religious institutions have begun to accept clergy who transition.

She see’s that the world we live in now is more inclusive and that although we have so much to gain, we also have much to loose if we do not fight.

“Human rights sometimes have to be fought for and when gained they have to be held on tightly.”

“There is always hope at times I haste great troubles in myself coming back to the fundamental principle: there is always hope, and it is life-giving.”

“When we lose hope, we lose our will to live.”

In the UK, transgender laws are governed by a combination of legislation, case law, and medical guidelines. The Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA) is the primary legislation that allows transgender individuals to legally change their gender. 

Discrimination protections for transgender people are enshrined in the Equality Act 2010, which includes “gender reassignment” as a protected characteristic. This provides legal safeguards against discrimination in employment, education, and access to services.

Today, Reverend Robyn Golden-Hann leads her story in a testament to the transformative power of faith and a reminder that the church, at its best, can be a place where everyone—no matter who they are—can find their true self.